Dezeen promotion: The Southern California Institute of Architecture has put out a final call for architecture students to apply to its masters programme in Los Angeles, starting in autumn 2017.
Applications to study the two-year Master of Architecture programme, or MArch 2, at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) will close on 6 January 2017.
It is open to candidates with an undergraduate degree in architecture, who would like to focus their studies on contemporary tools, techniques and technologies, or expand their experience into digital design, critical thinking and fabrication.
SCI-Arc has one of the largest fabrication facilities in the US, including an Analogue Shop, Robot House, and Magic Box — a new digital fabrication facility equipped with 17 3D printers, two computer numerical control mills, and six laser cutters.
"The programme was originated in a very specific historical moment where digital technology became a way to disrupt the status quo in architecture, and it has been constantly building upon that idea throughout the past 15 years," explained graduate programmes chair Elena Manferdini.
"It is part of the growth of the digital project in architecture," she continued.
The programme begins with the Compositional Morphologies module, which explores architecture's contemporary and future societal role, aesthetic agendas, and the impact of theoretical and technological innovation on the practice.
The Computational Design module places an emphasis on integrating extra-disciplinary techniques and technologies into the design workflow to develop innovative designs that respond to changing societal, ecological and technological contexts.
A research module taught by three programme chairs – Elena Manferdini, Tom Wiscombe and David Ruy – will combine tools from the first semesters and the architectural background that students bring from their undergraduate degrees.
It will focus on experimentation and critical thinking in relationship to the highly specific building typology of a courthouse situated in Los Angeles.
MArch 2 is one of the few National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) second-professional degrees in the United States, and is also one of SCI-Arc's most international programmes – attracting students from all over the world who already have a degree in architecture.
The deadline to submit applications to study in autumn 2017 will close on 6 January 2017. The cost to apply is $85 (£68).
Additional information on SCI-Arc's MArch 2 programme can be found on SCI-Arc's official website. For requirements, guidelines and application information, visit the scholarship webpage.