Master of Science in Architecture in Health Design

The Masters of Science in Architecture in Health Design (MSAHD) program aims to educate a cohort of architects prepared to address the most complex and fundamental issues and overlaps of health and architecture. The program is open to students with prior professional degrees in architecture. Building upon this foundation, students develop an understanding of this current area of specialization and become equipped to open its routines in order to become a powerful force for change in the design formats of global health delivery.

This two-year course of study will immerse the student in the issues of architecture and health care through studio work and related seminars taught by architects expert in this demanding and rapidly growing field. In order to accommodate design professionals who may already be working in this area, the program may also be undertaken part-time (typically taking three years to complete) and most classes will be offered in the evening. Given the School's larger focus and expertise, the program is especially concerned with the reinvention of the design of health delivery systems in the age of globalization and pandemics, rather than the confirmation of current specialization.

Rapidly changing conditions for delivery of healthcare services and support in the United States and around the world create an environment in need of architectural graduates with specialized knowledge in health design. Interfacing with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Millennium Development Goals, which pinpoint major health targets in the developing world such as improving maternal health, reducing child mortality, promoting gender equality, empowering women, and ensuring environmental sustainability is of primary importance to the MSAHD curriculum. Students in the program gain an invaluable local and global perspective about the major health and welfare challenges that face the world.

Recognizing the value of multiple modes of learning about health design, the MSAHD program incorporates research studios and seminars, along with the opportunity for professional mentoring (in the form of the preceptorship). The fifty-three credit hours are comprised of thirty-four (34) credit hours of studios and seminars, seven (7) credit hours of preceptorship, and twelve (12) credit hours of electives.

Features of the MSAHD Program

Best Practices: Research studios and seminars study, analyze, synthesize, and critique Best Practices in health and architecture. Best Practices encompass programs, initiatives, or activities that are considered leading-edge or exceptional models in the discipline.

Preceptorships: Ongoing required preceptorships form mentoring relationships between each MSAHD student and a prominent individual working in Chicago metropolitan and regional health design firms and in the broader health community. The individual student's interests, career goals, and scheduling concerns help inform the pairing process. The Preceptorship is a critical part of the MSAHD program and lasts throughout the student's full-time or part-time course of study.

Rounds: Students have opportunities to experience the realities of healthcare delivery through participation in Medical Rounds at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, the largest Medical School in the nation, in the areas of Medicine, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, and Gynecology.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Studio Research initiatives bring together broad cross-campus resources from the College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the School of Public Health, and the College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs. Collaboration extends beyond the University of Illinois at Chicago campus to include interaction with the larger metropolitan network of state-of-the art hospitals and healthcare organizations, including: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Children's Memorial Hospital, University of Illinois Medical Center, University of Chicago Hospital, Rush University Medical Center, and Advocate HealthCare.

Networking: Informal and formal opportunities for networking with fellow students, health care providers, architectural advisors, and members of the professional health design community are integral to this program. Our diverse and committed advisors include: Abbott Laboratories; Advocate HealthCare; Anderson Mikos Architects; BSA Lifestructures; Children's Memorial Hospital; Harley Ellis Devereaux; HDR; HOK; Illinois Department of Public Health; Loeb, Schlossman & Hackl; OWP&P; Perkins & Will; Rush University Medical Center; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill; U.S. Equities; VOA; University of Chicago Hospitals; University of Illinois Medical Center.

Applying to the Program

If you have questions or simply want to discuss the program, feel free to contact William Worn, AIA, LEED AP, Associate Director for the Masters of Science in Health Design at wornb@uic.edu or Kristin Carey, Graduate Academic Advisor at kmcarey@uic.edu.

For application instructions please visit www.arch.uic.edu/admissions.