Wentworth Institute of Technology
School of Architecture & Design
We empower design students and educators from all backgrounds to become creative, civic-minded problem-solvers, responding to global challenges and contributing to local communities. Our graduates are equipped with the skills, knowledge, and immersive experiences to shape the future of design. Our visiion is to promote an interdisciplinary culture of design and research engaged with environmental and societal challenges. Together, we thrive as advocates and creative design leaders who serve local and global communities to improve the world through design innovation.
https://wit.edu/academics/architecture-design
Setting
Wentworth's location in the Fenway neighborhood of central Boston provides a fantastic setting for architectural education. Students experience the cultural richness of one of the oldest cities in the United States and its diverse tapestry of traditional and contemporary buildings. They learn about the opportunities and responsibilities inherent in the architect's role as designers of the built environment while discovering the profound impact of architecture on individuals, communities and societies. We think of Boston as a laboratory where students explore and test their ideas - they are constantly out walking and traveling through the city sketching, drawing, diagramming, photographing and experiencing architecture. Wentworth Institute of Technology has approximately 4,500 full-time students and the architecture programs enroll approximately 550 of those students pursuing both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students each have a dedicated workspace in one of our open and well-lit studios.
School Philosophy
Wentworth’s studio-based programs combine the pragmatic and critical concerns of the design fields through various curricular and extracurricular initiatives. In addition to their classwork on campus, students gain experience with external partners and mentors through diverse community- and industry-engaged projects. Wentworth’s model of co-operative education (co-op) offers students in all programs paid professional experiences over the course of their studies, developing and testing their design skills in leading practices. Graduates of Wentworth’s architecture programs enjoy post-graduation employment rates that are among the highest in the Northeast.
Programs
The Wentworth School of Architecture & Design (SoAD) offers two degree programs in architecture: a pre-professional, undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Architecture (B.S. Arch) and a fully professional, graduate-level Master of Architecture (M.Arch).
The B.S. Arch program offers dynamic studio-based learning, using analog and digital technologies to envision the design of urban and architectural environments. Wentworth Architecture is closely connected to many community constituencies, including the Boston Public Schools, Boston’s Housing Innovation Lab, local neighborhood and arts organizations, and institutional partners in several domestic and international locations. Active engagement with professional experts, community representatives, and government officials transforms studios and classrooms into experiential laboratories for exploring and supporting the civic life of our city, region, country, and planet. Students experience a rigorous course of study centered on the design studio, where students work closely with faculty to explore architectural design across a broad range of scales. Associated courses in visual representation, history, theory, technology, and professional practice inform and enrich students' responses to studio challenges. On-campus learning is enhanced by two semesters of cooperative work experience and options for study abroad. The undergraduate program in architecture offers three areas of concentration, which allow students to pursue a particular focus within their study of architecture. These areas are: Emerging Technologies, Urbanism and Adaptive Interventions. During their fourth year of undergraduate study, architecture majors are eligible to apply to Wentworth’s M.Arch program, completing a graduate degree in just one year.
Wentworth Institute of Technology’s NAAB-accredited and STEM-designated professional Master of Architecture program engages the challenges of the contemporary built environment and prepares students to be leaders in a rapidly evolving profession. When you study here, you are joining a dynamic, close-knit community of technological and creative pioneers who see Greater Boston as a living laboratory. Our students develop professional design skills for individual and collaborative creation. They engage diverse cultures and building traditions—both historical and contemporary—through travel-based learning opportunities. The co-op component exposes students to the realities of practice in a leading design firm. Students may apply for Graduate Fellowships, which provide financial support and experience assisting faculty members with research and teaching (merit awards are also available). The Global Research Studio is an integral component of the M.Arch curriculum and among the most immersive of its requirements. The studio seeks to address a range of complex challenges facing the contemporary city through a global lens. On-the-ground activities define a nine--day research trip to a location that might be as near as rural New England or as far away as Greece or Morocco. Each studio section has a different destination and focus, and the overall travel experience is tightly integrated into the learning goals of the studio. As a capstone to the graduate experience, the two-semester thesis sequence offers a structured framework for students to develop an original design proposal reflecting their specific architectural interests.
of Focus
1. Digital Fabrication & Technology
2. Building Technologies
3. Community Design
4. History | Theory |Criticism
5. Resilience
6. Cross-Cultural Contexts > Human Experiences
7. Industry Collaborations
8. Urbanism
Opportunities
Co-Op / Work Placement
Cross-disciplinary experience
IPAL
Teaching / Research assistantships
Online Courses
Summer Program
Study Abroad
Facilities
Large-format Printer
Laser Cutter
Woodshop
3D Printing
Metalshop
CNC Milling
Fabrication Lab
Robotics Lab
Policies
Transfer Policies
Wentworth allows you to transfer credits for courses you have already taken. We review each course on an individual basis to determine if it is applicable and acceptable. Credits will be transferred only for courses with a grade of C or better. You must complete 50% of your curriculum at Wentworth in order to graduate. When evaluating transfer applicants, we have two primary criteria:
Academic achievement – We look at both high school and college transcripts; a typical admitted transfer student at Wentworth has an average GPA of 3.0 or better.
Personal qualities – Through a candidate’s personal statement or essay, and interests and activities, we look for those who are motivated to succeed in their chosen field.
