Academics FAQ

Conway grants a Master of Science in Ecological Design by the authority of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education. 

Yes. The school is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

The 10-month program at Conway includes three trimesters, each with a different project focus.

A typical week at Conway includes a mix of class time, field work, project presentations, a guest lecture, client meetings, and studio work.  See more on the Rhythm of the program on our Student Life page.

Ideally, the Conway School has finalized scopes within 2-3 months of the start of the term, leading to a contract within 1-2 months from term start.

Projects developed earlier in the process and with prompt client feedback may be given priority. 

Similar to other graduate programs, Conway is rigorous. While Conway does not have grades, student project work is required to reach a professional level, which demands iteration. We discourage all-nighters, though it is expected that students will be in class from 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, and work on assignments after hours. While studio courses in other design programs tend to have all students working on the same project, at Conway students work individually on their own projects (in the fall term) or in teams on different projects (winter and spring). This structure helps to avoid the cutthroat competition that often comes with direct comparisons between student designs (typical of design schools). The faculty additionally cultivate a studio atmosphere of collaboration and support. 

Evaluation is an ongoing and integrated process here. Students are constantly receiving feedback and evaluation from faculty throughout their projects, whether it is comments on presentation content, edits on a student plan set draft, or review of an initial design. Faculty also bring their professional experience into the classroom, evaluating student work against the trends and expectations that they observe in their respective industries. Student projects must be of professional quality, as they are conducted for real clients and communities. Faculty work closely with students to ensure that projects reach this level.

Projects are carefully selected by faculty and Conway’s projects manager to ensure that they are both relevant and appropriate to the curriculum. At the beginning of each term, students receive a questionnaire where they can indicate their interests and preferences for different projects. Faculty use this and their knowledge of student academic and professional backgrounds to match them with the project or team that will best help them progress in their learning.