The State Board of Higher Education has approved a new master's degree program in Architecture at Portland State University (PSU). It will be the second graduate degree of its type to be offered in Oregon and is seeking to enter candidacy status for professional accreditation with the National Architectural Accrediting Board in July.

The new Master of Architecture degree will continue the traditions embodied in PSU's undergraduate architecture program as well as supporting the city of Portland's mission to enhance green building and a sustainable urban infrastructure. The new program will encourage hands-on fabrication, design-build experiences, creative making, in-depth thesis investigations and urban architecture. The department plans on adding six new full-time faculty members over the next two years to support graduate studies and enhance the research base.

"We are very pleased that the State Board has approved Portland State's master of Architecture program. It is an essential component in developing greater strength in sustainability with a focus on the urban environment at PSU," said Roy Koch, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. "This program takes advantage of existing strengths at our University including our nationally recognized Urban Studies and Planning and Engineering programs to build a distinctive program with a focus on architecture in the urban and metropolitan environment."

The new Master of Architecture is a two-year 74 credit hour program. The University anticipates that it will grow to an enrollment of 25-30 students per year.

"The Master of Architecture at Portland State will build on our current strengths in material exploration through hands-on making, the creative investigation of contemporary urban experience and an engagement with the issues and agendas of diverse communities," said Clive Knights, architecture professor and department chair. "Graduate level study will amplify the level of research addressing the prevailing issues of our time, in particular the questions of sustainable development and environmentally sensitive design. We also see our program bringing professional architectural education to a population of metropolitan students currently not served in Oregon."

The approval of the degree coincides with the reopening of Shattuck Hall in September 2008. The newly renovated building features greatly improved facilities, including an extensive materials exploration lab, open plan design studios, and an innovative radiant ceiling heating and cooling system. Media interested in touring Shattuck can call Angela Abel, Office of University Communications, at 503.725.8794.

Housed in the School of Fine and Performing Arts, an undergraduate education in Architecture has been offered at PSU since the 1950's and has grown and developed over the years within Portland's vital urban context. Capitalizing on the urban setting as a laboratory for study, the new graduate degree is expected to support undergraduate students continuing on in their studies at PSU, as well as attract new students locally, regionally and nationally. If the graduate program accomplishes professional accreditation it will join the other 96 accredited programs in the nation and will collaborate and complement the University of Oregon's existing program, the other Master of Architecture in the state, by sharing resources and allowing students in both programs to take classes at each school.

"The business community and students have been asking for this program at Portland State for many years. They will now be rewarded with an advanced degree program in Architecture at Portland State, which will be enhanced with a strategic partnership with the University of Oregon's architecture program," said James Francesconi, member of the State Board of Higher Education. "This is a terrific example of the partnerships being created in higher education in Greater Portland and in Oregon that are propelling our communities into the 21st Century."

“Having more architecture education options in the Portland area has far-reaching benefits for students, the business community, and Portland’s growing reputation in the areas of sustainability and our expanding ‘green collar’ workforce," said Linda Brady, provost for the University of Oregon. "The UO has a national reputation in sustainable architecture. Together, PSU and UO can leverage resources to enhance educational opportunities, research, and sustainable development in greater Portland.”

PSU Department of Architecture
Under the leadership of Barbara A. Sestak, AIA, dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts, the primary goal of the department of Architecture is to generate and sustain an environment of creative inspiration and informed understanding of the design of architectural works. In this setting, a community of students and faculty explores the discipline of architecture as a cultural, humanistic, and artistic phenomenon. To reach this goal, the department fosters the specialized educational needs of students wishing to pursue a professional architectural career. At the same time the department provides an educational experience for all students that promotes an understanding of architectural issues and priorities. Students and faculty regularly interact with the Portland architectural profession and community. Students work in local offices, conduct research on pressing architectural and urban design issues, and investigate creative ways to provide design services to the community.

Portland State University
Portland State University serves as a center of opportunity for more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Portland, Oregon, one of the nation's most livable cities, the University's innovative approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with field-based experiences through internships and classroom projects with community partners. The University's 49-acre downtown campus exhibits Portland State's commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while many of the 125 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. PSU's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City," inspires the teaching and research of an accomplished faculty whose work and students span the globe.