MAHR: Admission Information 2026

National Applicants

For M.Arch.

B.Arch. degree recognized by the Council of Architecture. Minimum 50% aggregate marks for general category and 45% for reserved category.

For M.A.

B.Tech (civil), B,Tech (structural) or equivalent, B.ID, B.UD, B.Plan, B.Des all minimum 4 years, B.Sc (building design), B.Sc (interior design), Bachelors in Archaeology all minimum 3 years from a UGC recognized University. Minimum 50% aggregate marks for general category and 45% for reserved category.

International Applicants

For M.Arch.  

B.Arch. or equivalent degree in Architecture with minimum 50% aggregate marks.

Provided that the Architecture program is considered equivalent to the B.Arch. degree program by the Equivalence Committee of CEPT University.

For M.A.

Undergraduate degree (minimum 4 years)  in Civil Engineering, Construction, Structures, Urban Design, Planning, Landscape and Archaeology. Minimum 50% aggregate marks

Sponsored Candidates

Same as for national applicants + Minimum 5 years [on the last date of application] of experience in relevant field, of which at Least two years in service of the organization sponsoring his/her study.

Disqualification / scrutiny

Incomplete application documents, evidence of providing false information, plagiarism in portfolio/report [zero tolerance policy towards plagiarism], not meeting eligibility criteria will result in disqualification of the application.

Application Information and Requirements

The application shall consist of the following:

1. A completed application form.
   
2. CEPT PG Test / GATE Scores for Indian nationals. The candidates who have appeared for the GATE exam are not required to appear for CEPT PG Test. It is compulsory to give CEPT PG test if you have not appeared for GATE. CEPT PG Test will be online from your home. 
   
   GRE scores for international candidates (GRE scores shall be considered valid if taken within the last 2 years). International candidates can appear for CEPT PG Test, if they have not taken GRE. CEPT PG Test will be online from your home. 
   
3. Self-attested Degree certificates, and mark sheets for all semesters as a single pdf. Applicants receiving grades as GPA/CGPA need to send a document indicating the equivalent percentage marks or relationship of GPA/CGPA with percentage marks as per their university/ institute along with all the mark sheets. Applicants studying in the final semester need to submit all the mark sheets till the penultimate semester.
   
4. Curriculum Vitae.
   
5. Academic and/ or Professional experience certificates.
   
6. References from two referees who know you well. (Online reference letters to be filled and sent directly by the referee). The referee should be able to upload the reference letters till 3 days after the last date to apply.
   
7. Written Portfolio:
   
   A. Statement of purpose with the word limit as specified in the application form.
   
   B. Architectural abilities: Develop a timeline of selected buildings for a place that you have lived in or are very familiar with as specified in detail in the application form.
   
   C. Please upload a single PDF with your responses to above three questions of the written portfolio (File size not exceeding 20 MB)
   
8. Sponsorship Certificate and/or No Objection certificate from the last employer (Only for Sponsored Candidates)
   
9. Proof of Employment (Only for Sponsored Candidates)
   
10. Pre-recorded Interview video as specified in the application form (to upload in the application form).
    
11. GATE cut off: Applicants who have received the score below cutoff score as published by the relevant authority, he/she needs to appear for online CEPT PG Test.

Refer Evaluation Procedure for details on all the above requirements.

National Students

The admission procedure and assessment criteria are the same for national, international, and sponsored candidates unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

The entire evaluation process is online. It is mandatory to appear for all the stages of evaluation of the admission process.

All applications will be screened at this stage in the following manner:

An expert evaluation committee will be set up by the program to assess documents and portfolios to shortlist eligible candidates for the program.

Documents required and the assessment criteria for this stage are follows:

Documents Required

Part 1

A. CEPT PG test (Online)/ GATE
Assessment Criteria
It is mandatory to appear for all the evaluation criteria. If a candidate is absent from any of the evaluation criteria, he/she is not qualified to be considered for the merit list.

B. Last Qualifying Exam Marks
Assessment Criteria
As provided in the marksheets

C. References
Assessment Criteria
Please share the link provided in the application form with the referees. (Referees are kindly required to submit the online reference form, including a reference letter, to assist the University in making a full assessment of each applicant’s academic record and abilities)

Relevance of the Reference (and the Referee) with the subject matter.

Nature of Reference received.

Authenticity of the Reference

Part 2

D. Written Portfolio

D.1 Personal Statement 

Describe a situation, project, place, or body of work that has shaped how you think about architecture today. This may emerge from study, practice, travel, reading, or lived experience.

You should explain what drew your attention to it, what questions it raised, and how working with architectural history and research might help you think more clearly about those questions.

We will look for:

• Careful observation and reflection;
• Clarity in articulating architectural questions; evidence of judgement in relating experience to architectural thinking;
• Coherence between your interests and the programme’s approach; and
• Your ability to situate architectural history as an active mode of inquiry within your evolving way of working.

Note: Please remember to explain your “subject” rather than the virtues of the discipline since this piece will be used to evaluate what makes you an ideal candidate for the program.

D.2 Architectural Abilities: Reading the Built Environment as Evidence

Develop a timeline-based architectural study prepared as follows (A4 size, submitted as a single PDF):

1. Place

Select one place that you have lived in or are very familiar with.

2. Time Span

Define a clear time span of at least 20 years.

3. Selection

Select 4 to 6 examples from this place. Examples may include:

• buildings

• landscapes

• infrastructural elements

• construction systems or details

• spatial or programmatic transformations

4. Timeline

Arrange the selected examples chronologically to form a timeline.

5. Visual Material

For each example, include at least one visual (hand drawing, photograph, diagram, or a combination). All visuals must be clearly labelled and legible.

6. Text

For each example, include a short explanatory text of up to 150 words, describing:

• the architectural decision involved, and

• the conditions within which it was made.

7. Concluding Note

Include a concluding note of up to 300 words, explaining what the timeline reveals about architectural shifts over time in the selected place.

Assessment Criteria

• Ability to observe and document the built environment with care;
• Clarity and judgement in the selection and sequencing of examples;
• Understanding of architectural shifts over time;
• Capacity to relate individual examples to broader architectural questions;
• Rigour and precision in visual and written communication.

Note: 

All images, texts, and data must be properly attributed.

Please DO NOT simply copy sketches or text from any source.

You may reference information but please remember to indicate sources. 

Plagiarized/ unattributed content will lead to direct disqualification.

Important Note On Written Portfolio:

The written portfolio is an indication of the applicant’s ability to articulate visually and in writing his/her understanding of architecture. This requires preparation of various kinds, and ChatGPT and other AI-based systems may be tools that help in searching for information, aggregating ideas, and improving writing. Please bear in mind that such sources are useful in the same way as one would discuss ideas with another person or look up information in any repository.  We do not recommend that an applicant directly copy and paste material from any AI-based system. Should an applicant be found doing so, it will constitute plagiarism and will lead to disqualification.

Part 3 

E. Prerecorded Interview video

Pre-Recorded Video Submission (Maximum 3 minutes)

Please respond to the following prompt:

Describe one architectural question, issue, or observation that you are curious about, and that you would bring with you to the MAHR program.

Briefly explain, through the video, what first drew your attention to it, and why it continues to hold your interest.

Your response may draw from study, practice, travel, reading or lived experience. We are interested in how  your curiosity has developed over time, and in how you engage with architecture through observation, reflection, and attention to context.

We will look for:

• Evidence of sustained curiosity rather than quick conclusions;
• The ability to observe and reflect on the built environment with curiosity and care;
• Clarity in articulating why a question or concern matters to you, and
• Alignment with MAHR’s emphasis on critique, inquiry and responsibility.

The various criteria of evaluation is as mentioned in the tables below:

Criteria

1. CEPT PG test (Online) /GATE
2. Last Qualifying Exam*
3. Reference Letters
4. Written Portfolio
5. Prerecorded Interview

*Note: In case the final semester results are pending then percentages till the penultimate semester will be considered.

** This complete proportion of the marks shall only be given to applicants with a minimum of 12 months of domain related work experience supported by a certificate. This experience shall be excluding the period of mandatory academic internship. The cut off for counting work experience shall be considered as the last date of submission of applications.

The consolidated common merit order of the applicants tested shall be displayed on the CEPT admission portal.

Based on the number of available seats, CEPT University will offer admission to candidates as per the merit order in the merit list. The candidate will be asked to deposit the fee and secure the admission by the date given in the offer letter. After this date CEPT University at its discretion may offer the admission to candidates in the waitlists in the order of merit as per the availability of seats.

International Students

The admission procedure and assessment criteria are the same for national, international, and sponsored candidates unless specifically mentioned otherwise. GRE scores are acceptable for international candidates (GRE score shall be considered valid if taken within the last 2 years)

Sponsored Candidates

The admission procedure and assessment criteria are the same for national, international, and sponsored candidates unless specifically mentioned otherwise.

The candidates will be required to submit the following in addition to other documents:

• Sponsorship Certificate and/or No Objection certificate from the last employer
  
• Proof of Employment that may include the

1. Appointment letter
   
2. Form No. 16 for the last two years from the last employer
   
3. Experience certificate(s) indicating minimum experience of 5 years
   
4. Any other proof as deemed necessary by the committee

Separate merit list will be prepared for seats of sponsored candidates. In absence of enough eligible applications or applicants qualified in the admission procedure, the seats will be filled with the other eligible and qualified candidates.

For candidates with B.Arch. the degree awarded - Master of Architecture (Architectural History and Research)

For candidates with other than B.Arch. the degree awarded - Master of Arts (Architectural History and Research)

Last date to Apply:  21st June 2026

Online CEPT PG Test
27 June 2026 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Total Intake: 12 Seats

Government Seats: 3

University Seats: 9

The admissions for Government Seats shall be conducted by the respective Admission Committee constituted in accordance with the provisions of the said Act. These seats shall be offered to the students who have passed the qualifying examination from an eligible Board or University located in the State of Gujarat.  The students who qualify as per the eligibility criteria and possess domicile of the State of Gujarat shall also be eligible for admission to Government Seats

Information will be updated soon

CEPT University offers a number of Merit and Means based scholarships. Merit-based scholarships are offered to applicants along with their admission offer letter based on their standing in the admissions merit list. Applicants can apply for means-based scholarships on the online admissions portal after they have submitted their admission application. Apart from these, students can access several work-based financial aids during the course of their studies. For more information, please see this link.