The Master of Science in Architecture, Health and Design (M.S.AHD) is a unique program and differs from other design or health related programs that narrowly focus on healthcare facility design, in that it situates itself precisely at the intersection of several research fields in order to gain a deeper understanding of the factors that determine an individual's health. Using an ecosystem approach, faculty look through the lens of health at the relationships between many of the United Nations key sustainable goals (SDG) such that a new dialogue is formed between healthcare disciplines, design fields, architecture and urban planning, business, technological sciences and spanning to the natural and social sciences. The master of science program offers a transdisciplinary platform for those experts and specialists to collaborate with students in research and on purpose driven projects in the wider area of health and healthcare.

Health is essential to a population's economic, cultural and social future. Our purpose is to facilitate broader access to care, wellbeing and provide better health to everyone. We want to empower people to improve their lived experiences and build resilience within their communities. The program is asking students to re-imagine how to move from a traditionally narrow definition of healthcare to a broader understanding of health, where new possibilities emerge by changing practices and modes to becoming predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory (P4's). Health is understood as an expanding cross disciplinary field, where designers and design solutions are urgently needed that consider a system approach and fluidly integrate a range in scale from urban strategies, to transformative spaces, to include their materials and products.

The M.S.AHD faculty are exploring with students new ground in three systemic contexts of building community resilience towards future pandemics or natural disasters: health systems, urban systems and material systems. Projects are oriented towards propositions of new spatial, material and medical prototypes, and their social, cultural and emotional effect on the health of people and communities. By experimenting at the overlaps of the disciplinary connections between the health sciences and design, the goal is to develop and apply new approaches to designing the qualities of space in general from a health framework point of view, and subsequently to influence care spaces for treatment, convalescence, and recovery.

This program aims to focus its research interests, curriculum, and pedagogy on the deep influence of the interactional, experiential, material, and environmental qualities of our designed spaces upon the health, wellness, and fitness of our bodies and minds. In it's approach to these objectives, this program centers on people and explores potential applications of emerging materials and technologies, rather than focusing on solving problems through tried and tested formulations. Ultimately, a new form of speculative interdisciplinary design practice may arise, targeting innovation through the cross pollination of various disciplines and arenas of practice.

This master of science program brings together educators from architectural and interior design, UX-UI interface designers, medical technology experts, human factors engineers, data and visualization consultants, industrial and product designers, lighting designers, programmers, physical computing and technology entrepreneurs, and a range of contributors from health sciences, including doctors, nurses, and other experts such as occupational therapists, mobility specialists, etc.

We believe that only as a diverse and inclusive team we can address health from both a systemic and an embodied perspective, targeting aspects of the global environmental crisis or mental and physical disabilities through advanced material, technological, and design solutions.

International F-1 students who successfully complete this degree are eligible for an additional 24-month STEM OPT extension to work in the U.S. in an area directly related to their area of study immediately upon completing the customary 12-month post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Students in the program will:

1. Understand, critically reflect upon, and overcome stuck tendencies and prejudices in how health and disease are framed, stated, researched, funded, and how it can be differently addressed through design
2. Build connections and apply knowledge from a range of disciplinary sources towards an advanced design method in which health in its broadest sense acts as the organizing frame for design research and practice
3. Understand how to evaluate materials based on health and environmental concerns, and design products with intrinsically preferable attributes throughout their life cycles
4. Understand the socio-technical models for healthcare redesign, and how best to evaluate their impact with regards to patient experience and products by understanding the system point of view
5. Understand and leverage advantages of advanced digital technology from software and data to wearables technology in the health and design fields

The M.S. in Architecture, Health and Design program will contribute to the intellectual and professional strengths of New York Tech in its commitment to interdisciplinarity, social purpose, and a culture of technology as it relates to models of healthy living and the design of sustainable environments.

In this light, the School of Architecture and Design strives to engage innovation via technology through the collaborative exchange between various professional and disciplinary domains of expertise across the medical and architectural fields. This program aims to provide career-oriented professional education to our students, creating opportunities for graduates in their professional destinations, and contribute to the benefit of the larger world in a renovated approach to health and design.

Graduating students are applying for leadership positions in areas such as:

• Design consulting firms as health design strategists
• AEC and architecture firms as health and care specialists
• Healthcare device manufacturers as product and project consultants
• Large health care insurances and health data startups as health service design experts
• Health institutions and municipal planning offices as health and design planners

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The Architecture, Health and Design, M.S. program is targeted primarily towards an intake of students with a background in the many disciplinary arenas of design (architecture, interiors, furnishing, industrial, product, fashion, etc.), but also to candidates with a background in the healthcare and wellness fields.

The master's degree is a full-time program, offered at the Long Island and New York City campuses. It begins in September, concluding with a public review and exhibition. The program does not lead to professional licensure. This is a post-professional Master of Science degree.

Students should submit all materials including portfolio and references as early as possible in order to ensure enough time for review and to obtain an I-20 (international students).

If an applicant does not meet the admissions criteria, it may be possible, at the discretion of the program director, to be admitted for a probationary period with an opportunity to demonstrate qualifications by achieving a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher in the first three graduate degree courses. If the applicant's graduate academic record includes any failures in coursework, they may be dismissed from the program following a review by faculty committee including the director and two faculty members of the School of Architecture and Design appointed by the dean.

Admission Requirements

• A professional architecture or design degree from an accredited institution, or the equivalent, if applying with a foreign degree from another country
• Minimum GPA of 3.0
• No standardized tests (including GRE) are required, except TOEFL/IELTS/PTE for international students

If you have any questions about admissions or eligibility, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at nyitgrad@nyit.edu or 516.686.7520.

Application Materials

All applicants must provide the following information prior to submitting the required supplemental materials (curriculum vitae, personal essay, and digital portfolio).

• Completed application
• $50 nonrefundable application fee
• Two letters of recommendation from references who have direct knowledge of the applicant's professional potential and academic ability. References should send their letters of recommendation directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at nyitgrad@nyit.edu.
• Optional Interview: You are encouraged to meet with the program director, Christian Pongratz. Please email christian.pongratz@nyit.edu to schedule an appointment.
• Copies of undergraduate transcripts for all schools attended. All final, official transcripts must be received prior to the start of your first semester.
• Copy of college diploma or proof of degree
• International student requirements: English proficiency (TOEFL/IELTS), I-20, and transcript evaluation.

DOCUMENT SUBMISSION FORM

Supplemental Application Materials

1. Curriculum Vitae: a one-page resume with your portrait photo, name and last name, contact information, degrees, accomplishments, exhibitions, publications, projects, research, associations, skills, etc.
2. Personal Essay/Statement of Interest (500–1000 words): A written narrative providing evidence of personal interests in projects or activities for social purpose, community engagement, building resiliency, individual health, aspects of healthcare, wellness and healthy lifestyle, medtech, biotech, behavioral data or biomaterials is considered a plus.
3. Digital Portfolio: with evidence of research or creative work. Evidence of research could include a project report, graded paper, or thesis; applicants wishing to submit a portfolio with creative work should follow these guidelines below.
   • The portfolio should consist of a maximum of 10 pages of your own work (format PDF/MP4; size limit 35 MB).
   • The portfolio may include selected creative and/or textual work, assignment-based projects, self-directed work, or pieces of a collaborative nature, and could contain drawings, schemes, plans, video, photographs, diagrams, graphs, model images etc.
   • Areas of interest may include architectural design, healthcare, health technology, environmental sciences and technologies (including simulation, visualization, fabrication, robotics, etc.), engineering and bio-engineering, biotechnology, urban planning, interiors, industrial design, computational, product or furniture design, or material design, etc.
   • Please identify each piece of work with a date, title, medium, or methodology and a brief explanation of the work and its context, and organize these into a single, multipage PDF. For any team or collaborative projects, please identify all participants and highlight your own contributions.
   • Name your PDF files in the following format:
     020_MS.AHD_Portfolio_LastName_FirstName.pdf
   • Maximum file size is 35 MB. Please be aware of this limitation when formatting files and resolution for your work. Files larger than 35 megabytes may be rejected by the New York Tech server. Links to materials available through the web, YouTube, Dropbox, or other sites should be included in a table of contents on the first page of the portfolio.

SUBMIT SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS