Architecture Graduate School?

<p>I'm starting my final year of my B.Arch degree, and I want to apply for the one year M.Arch degree at PennDesign, and 1 or 2 other colleges. However, since I've studied in India all my life, I need to know a little about how American Graduate Schools work.
I understand I need to earn a certain number of credits to be able to get my degree. So do all these credits have to be architecture related? Or are some compulsarily so, while I can take classes of other departments for the other credits?</p>

<p>Also, some help for admissions... I have a good portfolio, good recommendation letters and am working hard for the GRE. However, my grades aren't so good. For various reasons. I have valid reasons for every year, but that sounds like escapism. We don't work on a GPA system here. So will a good everything-else make up for average marks?
If its helps, I'm studying in the best architecture school in my country.</p>

<p>help please? :'(</p>