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Taliesin (Wisconsin and Arizona, USA)

Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin

The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture at Taliesin offers a fully accredited Master of Architecture degree. The school was formally initiated in 1932 when twenty-three apprentices came to live and learn at Taliesin in Wisconsin, USA. The Taliesin educational experience is closely linked to its two architecturally stunning campuses and is fueled by the intense year-round educational community that is marked by residency at the main Arizona campus (Taliesin West) and the summer Wisconsin campus (Taliesin). All students are provided with on-campus housing at both locations, including the celebrated desert shelters at Taliesin West, experimental dwellings dotting many of the 500 acres of Sonoran Desert preserve surrounding the main campus.

The M.Arch degree is an accredited, professional graduate degree leading to qualifications for architectural licensing. An undergraduate degree in a related or an unrelated field and post-secondary prerequisites are required for admission. Graduates of the program are prepared to enter leadership roles within the architectural profession and become licensed architects upon completion of internship experience and passing the architectural exam.

The Core Curriculum comprises three phases: Foundation, Exploration, and Synthesis. Studios, workshops, and classes designated as Core, are required activities, and occur at intervals throughout the student’s course of study. The graduate level of academic performance calls for student mastery of learning content.

The Foundation phase (approximately the 8- 12 months in the first year) is characterized by a rigorous set of Core offerings, supplemented with electives, that establishes the critical basis for the entire course of study.

The Exploration phase (approximately the 8- 12 months in the second year) is characterized by a combination of Core offerings, with increased student electives provided the consent of the review committee and Core faculty.

The Synthesis phase (approximately the final 8 – 12 months of study) is characterized by independent initiatives that integrate the studies into architectural design outcomes. Advisors and review committees offer guidance in student determination of activities most beneficial to the development of learning within the programs.

Core Curriculum offerings are based on established syllabi, and include design studios, classes, Box projects, architectural practice activities, research, and construction projects. Students are required to attend all Core offerings, which may be complimented with independent study as approved by faculty. Core requirements may be adjusted based on evaluation of prior work. Performance evaluations are completed by instructors and are included in the portfolio for review committee assessment. Students are required to represent and critically examine all Core Curriculum work in their portfolios.