Application, Transcripts, CV/resumé, Three recommendation letters, GRE for M.Arch I, M.Arch II, and M.E.D., TOEFL iBT where required, Portfolio for M.Arch programs. Research proposal for M.E.D. & M. ARCH II
That depends on your graduation date! We receive many successful applications to our professional degree programs from undergraduates who will graduate in the spring. However, we do require your degree to be conferred prior to your arrival. Arrival dates may differ from program to program, and some students may have additional prerequisites that require them to arrive earlier than others. Be sure to check in with an admissions representative regarding your expected timeline.
Yes! Our professional degree in M. Arch I program does not require a previous design background, although a four-year Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree, or equivalent, is required to apply. Students in the M. Arch I program are required to take at least one studio course, such as freehand drawing, sketching, painting, sculpture, or basic architectural design, and at least two courses in the history of art and/or architecture prior to their arrival.
You are welcome to apply to YSoA if you are currently enrolled in a graduate program at another school, but we do not accept transfer credit from other institutions. You will need to apply during our regular application process. If admitted, it may be possible to waive a required course if you have completed the equivalent course at another institution. This would not shorten the length of your program, but it may allow you to take an elective instead of the required course.
If you are currently enrolled in a graduate program in Architecture that you don’t intend to complete if admitted to YSoA, please include a brief memo describing your intentions attached to the transcript of the program you do not intend to finish on the academic history tab of your application to better help the committee understand your academic interests.
Yes, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for applications to the M. Arch. I, M. Arch II, and MED programs.
The Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. The requirement for the TOEFL iBT may be waived only for applicants who have studied in residence for at least three years at a university or college where English is the primary language of instruction and who will have received a baccalaureate degree, or its foreign equivalent, from that institution prior to matriculation at Yale. For further information regarding the test and/or to arrange to take the test, visit www.ets.org/toefl. The TOEFL must be taken within two years of the application date and prior to application submission. IELTS is not accepted as a substitution for the TOEFL iBT examination.
The Yale School of Architecture institution code number for the GRE and TOEFL iBT is 3985. Please note that this is different from other Yale University code numbers. Unless 3985 is used on the test form, applicants’ scores will not reach the school.
Yes, three letters of recommendation are required and must be uploaded by each recommender no later than January 9, 2027. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals with direct knowledge of the applicant’s professional potential and/or academic ability.
Yes! You can apply to more than one program at the Yale School of Architecture. Applicants applying to more than one program must submit a separate application and supporting materials for each program. A separate application fee is also required for each application.
You may also apply for programs outside of the Yale School of Architecture, but you will need to apply directly to the school in which the program is housed and follow their outlined requirements and deadlines.
Yes, we have a joint degree program with both the Yale School of Environment and the Yale School of Management. You must apply separately to both schools in which you are interested. Please remember to indicate that you are seeking a dual degree on your YSoA application.
The School of Architecture is committed to being financially accessible to students of all backgrounds and geographical origins worldwide. Financial aid, consisting of need-based scholarship and/or loans, is offered to the School’s students with demonstrated need. The Yale School of Architecture practices need-blind admissions. The financial aid application deadline for Prospective Students & New Students is January 2.
Admission Decisions are released no later than March 15.
The School of Architecture offers students a wide variety of employment opportunities, and it is not necessary to qualify for financial aid to hold any of the positions. Generally, a job will involve several hours a week during the academic weeks only. YSoA jobs will be posted in August for incoming students. Incoming M.Arch students may apply for jobs that are not course-related during their first term at the school (Research Assistant, Design Assistant, and Administrative Assistant positions). After their first term, first-year M.Arch students may also apply for course-related positions (Teaching Fellow and Course Assistant positions).
In addition to opportunities within the School, the Yale Student Employment Office (SEO) assists students in obtaining employment outside of the School, but within the University. More information about employment opportunities across campus is available at Yale Student Employment.
