Becoming an Architect

I am an upcoming senior in high school and have a few questions that I could not necessarily find on your web site. My first question is what is the best way of going about getting a undergraduate degree in something other than in architecture, and then going on to graduate school to get a major in architecture and follow the steps of accreditation? More or less what are the best, most valuable or useful undergraduate degrees for becoming an architect?

I live in Indiana so my options for architectural degrees are limited (Ball State and Notre Dame) and while I would love to go out of state I'm not sure I can, so I'm wondering what would be best to go to college for that would help me in becoming a architect, other than the obvious pre-professional architectural undergraduate degree? Thank you very much for your helpful web site I have found a lot of useful information on it, and I'm hoping you can help me answer these questions. Once again thank you very much.
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First, congrats on your desire to pursue architecture as a career path.

Next, there is no best way to pursue the education of an architect; you must research the different paths and discover which is best for you. With that being said, you can certainly pursue any discipline/degree in college first and then pursue the Master of Architecture (3-4 years). It does not matter the degree at the undergraduate level, but remember you will need to submit a portfolio as part of your application to the Master of Architecture. For this reason, you may wish to pursue a related degree in art and design, engineering, etc., but what is most important is that you enjoy the major and do well.

I understand fully that there are only two architecture programs in Indiana, but why can you not pursue programs in other states? I suggest you consider all programs by researching --

www.naab.org
www.archschools.org

To determine the best college, you must first determine the criteria by which you will make the decision; next research the colleges, and make a decision on the best fit.

Be in touch with the college guidance counselor in your high school.

Dr. Architecture