Many people who have already earned an undergraduate architecture degree approved by the National Architectural Accrediting Board choose to continue their studies with a master's degree in architecture. These courses normally take place over one to two years, and allow students the opportunity to strengthen and practice their skills. For example, the course at Harvard University is a three-term program that emphasizes design work and the development of professional skills.
Professional graduate courses in architecture allow those with a degree in another subject to gain full qualification as an architect in the U.S. Courses generally last between three and four years, and must be approved by the accrediting board in order to allow qualification as an architect. Columbia University in New York City, for example, runs a three-year course in its Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. The course makes use of the school's location in New York, where there is a thriving architectural community. The degree program seeks to impart knowledge and develop creativity and design skills.
As well as offering Master of Architecture courses, architecture grad schools often offer doctoral programs. Generally, these are aimed at those who want to pursue careers in research, teaching and consultancy in the fields of architecture and design. Depending on the exact nature of the program, students may not need to be qualified architects. For example, the Ph.D. program at the University of California, Berkeley, requires those without an architecture degree to take a one-semester preparation course. The program at Berkeley can include study in fields including design theory, architectural history, environmental architecture, sustainability, and social and cultural processes.
Many colleges with graduate programs in architecture also offer studies in subjects related to architecture, or in particular areas of architecture. These might include courses in landscape architecture, urban design and architectural history. Some courses are for qualified architects, while others are open to a wider group. For example, Cornell University offer a cross-faculty graduate program drawing staff and expertise from the departments of Asian studies, history of art and archeology, landscape architecture, American studies, German studies and romance studies.