The Master of Architecture is a four year program that prepares students for practice as registered architects in North America. It may be earned in six years after high school if preceded by the University of Calgary's Minor in Architectural Studies. There are no prerequisites as to undergraduate programs or courses. However, those admitted to the program who hold a pre-professional degree in architecture, including the University of Calgary's Minor in Architectural Studies, will be admitted into the second year.

In Canada, all provincial associations recommend a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit Canadian professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of accredited degrees, the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a five-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. After its last review, in 2000, the University of Calgary Master of Architecture professional program was accredited for five years. Master's degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The degree Master of Environmental Design without a specified field of study provides flexible programs of study in interdisciplinary professional education for design and management of the environment in a number of areas that bridge the other degree or field of study offerings including but not limited to: ecological management and planning; building science and technology; sustainable design; industrial design and architecture; history and theory of design; and computer applications in environmental design.

Students are prepared for non-traditional professional roles in new and emerging forms of practice. This program is intended for students who wish to add graduate level professional skills and knowledge to their backgrounds. It allows graduates from professional programs to pursue advanced education in wider or parallel areas of expertise, and it allows experienced designers, managers and professionals to upgrade or make career shifts. Since programs of study are tailored to individual needs a clear statement of interest is of particular importance.

The Master of Environmental Design (Environmental Science) prepares students for professional practice in environmental science from an interventionist, professional and interdisciplinary perspective. Students are expected to engage in scholarly research and develop specific knowledge and skills through learning and research in one or more of three areas of concentration: (1) Ecosystem and Natural Resource Management; (2) Corporate and Urban Environmental Management; and (3) Assessment and Management of Environmental Impacts. These areas embrace a wide spectrum of learning and research opportunities including natural resource management (vegetation, fish, wildlife or species at risk), management of integrated resource systems (ecosystems, rangelands, biodiversity, parks and reserves), design, implementation, and operation of environmental management systems for corporations or governments, and assessing, predicting or measuring the effects of human activities on the environment. Environmental Science graduates are in high demand in both public and private sectors.

The Master of Environmental Design (Industrial Design) prepares students for professional roles in product design, design/production management, design education or research in private or public institutions. A student with no previous industrial design education normally requires two and one-half years of course work in the Faculty prior to enrolling in the Master's Degree Project. Those who already hold a degree in Industrial Design will normally require one and one-half years of course work in the Faculty prior to enrolling in the Master's Degree Project. It is normally expected that industrial design students will complete their Master's Degree Project in two to four terms of work.

The Industrial Design Program stresses an understanding of the conceptual issues and the intellectual and operational skills pertinent to the design, development and manufacture of artifacts or components of the built environment. Individual achievement in design is enriched by interdisciplinary studies and group work.

The Master of Environmental Design (Planning) qualifies students for a wide variety of opportunities in private practice, third sector and public institutions. The program normally requires two and one-half calendar years, with course work in five successive Fall and Winter Sessions, though it is possible to complete the degree in two calendar years, or over four years on a half-time basis.

The Planning field of study emphasizes the development of an understanding of the complex phenomena of human settlements and the development of a range of skills for professional practice. It embraces studies of the city and region, including urbanization. The framework of social (ethical, political, economic, legal and administrative) institutions which underlie planning in a liberal democratic society is critically examined. Contemporary issues in planning and their relationships to the practices of architecture and the ecological sciences are explored. The MEDes (Planning) degree is fully recognized by the Canadian Institute of Planners. This accreditation is also accepted by the American Institute of Certified Planners.

The Master of Environmental Design (Urban Design) deals with three-dimensional design of the urban environment, focusing on the public nature of city development, integration between landscape and buildings, and the processes and strategies of development. Issues of local and regional identity and sustainability inform our teaching and research. The Urban Design field of study will be of interest to those wishing to pursue a career in urban design, and also to practitioners and to those holding design degrees who are interested in acquiring additional specialized knowledge and skills. It will also be of interest to those wishing to pursue studies in community design, urban history, urban morphology and urban management.