Architectural Specializations

Dear Dr. Architecture,

I’m a graduate of B.Arch from India. I have a few years of experience working in architectural firms in Hong Kong. I have seen many people’s comment on the net saying they had their advices from Dr. Architecture. I have never known who it was, after only coming across your website ARCHCareers.org and found it was you. The website was very interesting and I personally need some advices from you.

I have completed my professional degree of B. Arch (five years). Although B.Arch and M.Arch are professionally equivalent, the term Bachelors and Masters make people tend to think the B.Arch is lower than the M.Arch. Moreover many large architectural corporate firms job requirements were a Master degree rather than a Bachelor Degree. Even many architects think B.Arch is not as equal to M. Arch.

In India the architecture curriculum is of 5 years to attain B.Arch. Then an M.Arch (2 years) which is considered a Post Graduate-Masters. But many people mistaken it to be M.Arch – Graduate degree. Moreover just a basic M.Arch degree of 2 years is never opted by majority of the students instead they go for Masters in some specialized field. Many people from India after completion of B.Arch go to U.S.A or U.K. for pursuing M.Arch – Graduate degree (which is equivalent already) without this knowledge.

I learned from your website that the B.Arch and M.Arch degree is professionally equivalent. My degree is not recognized by the HKIA (Hong Kong Institute of Architects) although I’m recognized in India by the COA (Council of Architecture, India). I thought of doing a Masters in some specialized field in U.K. or in U.S.A rather than just doing a basic Masters. So I’m looking in for a Post Professional Masters in some specialist field relating to architecture.

It’s confusing for me to take into a specialism because I really don’t know which interests me. I thought working for some time would help me figure out which stream to take but still I’m confused as the work which I normally do in the office is all general planning and design. I wanted to know all the available specialism streams in architecture so that I would know which would interest me.

I hope you could sort out my problem and I truly appreciate any time you have to advise me.

Thank you in advance.

___________

First, the BArch and MArch (from U.S. institutions) are professionally equivalent in the U.S. in terms of accreditation.  This is not necessarily the case with foreign degrees such as yours.

If you desire a post-professional degree, you would be well served to seek a M.S. in Architecture in the United States.  However, if you ever wish to become licensed in the U.S., you may wish to obtain the professional M.Arch.  Another route is the BEFA program through NCARB.

With that said, you question involves specializations.  Unlike perhaps medicine, the list for architectural specializations would infinite long, but the list below is a starting point.  It is from ARCHSchools.org, a database of accredited programs in the U.S. and Canada.  If you desire, you can search programs based on the specializations.

Also, as you have the professional degree from India, you could also pursue a degree in a related discipline such as Urban Design, Landscape Architecture, etc.

Architectural Design

Art and Design

Building Information Modeling

Building Technology/Environmental Systems

Community Design

Computer-Aided Design

Energy

Engineering

Environment/Sustainability

Graphic Design

History

Housing

Interior Design/Architecture

International And Regional Architecture

International Development

Landscape Design

Photography

Preservation

Professional Practice

Sacred Spaces

Sustainablility

Tectonics

Theory/Criticism

Urban Planning and Design

Dr. Architecture