The degree program requires 2 to 3 years of graduate study, depending on the applicant?s previous academic background and qualifications. It offers a wide range of courses, with particular strengths in the areas of architectural design and integrated practice, ecological/sustainable design, digital design and fabrication, preservation, urban design, and design as a response to the physical, cultural, and social environment.The Master of Architecture curriculum emphasizes design studio courses. Each of these studios is taught by faculty members who also offer courses in selective subjects.A study abroad program allows students to combine international travel and study under the tutelage of a departmental faculty member for program credit. The location of the program may vary from year to year. Additional costs of travel, lodging, etc., must be borne by the student.In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. NAAB, which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. Accreditation of architectural programs takes place on a cycle that may range from every few years to as many as eight years.