Extramural Electives
You are encouraged to take electives in other departments and universities, especially if your academic plan and thesis topic include a subject other than architecture. The class time cannot conflict with your Architecture courses. You may take one elective (maximum 3 credit-hours) during each half of the MArch work term. A course that was taken before you entered the graduate program cannot be counted as a transfer credit toward the MArch elective requirement. (For details, go to: Academic Calendars > Graduate Studies > Faculty of Graduate Studies Regulations > VII. Degree Requirements > 7.6.5.)
Elective Options
Each student needs to take four electives in the MArch program. Two of those electives must be graduate-level, 5xxx or higher. They can be in any subject, including ARCH. (ARCH 6002: Free Lab is a graduate elective.)
Two of those four electives may be 3xxx- or 4xxx-level undergraduate courses in a non-ARCH subject at Dalhousie only. To count toward a graduate degree, the final undergraduate grade must be B– or higher.
Extramural Options
1. Take a course (3xxx or higher) from another Dalhousie department
In most cases, you can simply register for the course on Dal Online, as no permission is needed from Architecture or Graduate Studies. If the course is restricted (indicated by an R in its timetable listing) or you don't have the prerequisite, you can request permission from the instructor, based on other academic experience. To obtain the instructor's e-mail address, go to the department web page and send a message to the department office.
For course availability, see the Dalhousie University timetable. Cognate departments at Dalhousie include: Canadian Studies, Community Health and Epidemiology, Contemporary Studies, Earth Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Studies, Gender and Women's Studies, Geography, Health Promotion, International Development Studies, Journalism, Leisure Studies, Marine Affairs, Mechanical Engineering, Oceanography, Philosophy, Physics and Atmospheric Science, Physiology, Planning, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Religious Studies, Science, Social Work, Sociology and Social Anthropology, Sustainability, and Theatre.
2. Take a graduate course (5xxx or higher) from another university
After you have selected an extramural elective, go to FGS Forms and Documents to download a Letter of Permission - Request Form. Fill it in, sign it, and submit both pages to the Architecture office (grad.arch@dal.ca) a month before the start of the term. Download and fill in a Confirmation of Registration at Host University form and ask the other university's registrar to send it to Dalhousie's registrar. You will pay the tuition fee to the other university. Keep a copy of all paperwork.
a) Take a graduate course (5xxx or higher, typically MFAR 6003) from NSCAD University
Cognate departments at NSCAD University include: Fine Arts, Craft, Design, Media Arts, and Historical and Critical Studies. To find a course and develop a graduate-level proposal, follow the instructions in the first item below:
- School of Arch.: Instructions for MArch students to take a course at NSCAD
- Dalhousie: Letter of Permission - Request Form
- Dalhousie: Confirmation of registration at host university
b) Take a graduate course from Saint Mary's University
Start with the SMU Selecting Courses page, then follow the instructions for visiting students. Download these two Dalhousie documents: