Indiana University
J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program
The mission of the J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program is to create an immersive educational experience for hands-on makers with intellectual curiosity and a desire to learn by doing.
Setting
Columbus, Indiana has a population of 50,000 and nurtures the virtues of being small in the most ambitious ways to be the best city of its size in America. The city is home to a vibrant and active community and boasts a strong economy through the presence of several multi-national manufacturing companies. Despite its small scale, Columbus, Indiana has been ranked sixth in the nation for architectural innovation and design by the American Institute of Architects, right behind Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, D.C. The city is attractive and safe with a robust parks system, excellent schools, and miles of walking and biking trails.
Columbus is central to many of the Midwest’s vital and rapidly evolving hubs of art and culture. Just twenty minutes west of the city you’ll find vast acres of landscape to explore at Yellowwood State
Forest and Brown County State Park. We are also connected to the abundant collections, facilities, and expertise that Indiana University offers as an R-1 research institution.
School Philosophy
At Indiana University’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program, studio art isn’t an elective, it’s a core part of our hands-on philosophy. With our NAAB-accredited degree, you’ll develop an architectural practice informed by artistic work that unlocks an array of career paths. Two-thirds of our courses take place in studios where you’ll develop a voice that’s authentically yours. In the most architecturally significant city of its scale- Columbus, Indiana- you’ll study masterworks by walking to them, design for real community needs, and create projects that don’t just stay on paper. We welcome students with diverse backgrounds who want to join a community of makers and thinkers.
Programs
The J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program believes that students learn best while doing. This is why our students complete 67% of their credit hours in studio (well above the 40- 50% average offered at other graduate architecture programs). We foster a culture of making at each step of the way. Whether testing the properties of materials, investigating the depth cues that animate an abstract composition, exploring the formal possibilities of sculpting or casting, or pushing the boundaries fabrication technologies, our students discover their best ideas using an iterative process. Our top-of-the-line facilities offer students a robust environment in which to bring their ideas to life. The city’s plentiful roster of fabricators extends our capacity with their expertise as well as access to cutting-edge technologies.
The Miller M.Arch degree is a three year plus one summer program of 108 credit hours.
As a graduate of the Miller M.Arch program, you will be able to:
1) Respond dynamically to the changing demands of architecture
2) Be a creative thinker, problem solver, and innovator
3) Incorporate coalition building and community engagement into design practice
4) Understand the dynamic relationships between architecture and art, the city, and the world
of Focus
1.Art & Design
2. Digital Fabrication & Technology
3. Community Design
4. History |Theory | Criticism
5. Cross-Cultural Contexts | Human Experiences
6. Urbanism
7. Design/Build
8. Sustainability & High-Performance Built Environments
Opportunities
Cross-disciplinary experience
Teaching / Research assistantships
Summer Program
Study Abroad
Facilities
Large-format Printer
Laser Cutter
Woodshop
3D Printing
CNC Milling
Fabrication Lab
Policies
Transfer Policies
We accept transfer students from NAAB-accredited programs on a case-by-case basis.
