Selecting an Architecture Program

My daughter is a high school junior with career plans to become a licensed, certified Architect. As we have been visiting colleges, it looks like there are many different programs, but not all meet the requirements to allow her to take the necessary tests. Either that , or some take much longer than others to reach their endpoint, or get there in very different ways.  At some of the places we visited, we have not been convinced that even after completing their 5 or 6 years of training that Julia's requirements to move forward in the certification process would be met.

How do we evaluate programs to be sure we are in the right place? Is there a list of acceptable accredited programs we should work from? Any guidance you can provide will be very valuable as we try to find the most effective program somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, New England,  or East Coast area for her to be in for the next 5 or 6 years. Thank you.
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First, I will suggest you obtain the book, Becoming an Architect, 2nd Edition as it outlines the entire process from high school to licensure.  With that said, I will provide answers to your questions.  We may also wish to touch base via the phone.

To become an architect in most states, an individual must have the following: 1) accredited professional degree by NAAB, 2) completion of IDP - Intern Development Program, and 3) pass the ARE - Architect Registration Exam.

As for degrees, NAAB accredits the following: 1) BArch - five year program, 2) MArch - typically 2-3 years following a BSAS pre-professional degree, 2b) MArch - typically 3-4 years following a BA/BS in a field other than architecture, and 4) DArch - only available from Hawaii.

What you have visited may be pre-professional degrees that require further education with the MArch.

To see the list of accredited programs, visit the NAAB website - http://www.naab.org. Another sources isARCHSchools.org - it requires a login, but is free.

To evaluate programs, I strongly encourage her to visit the programs and have a list of needs. 

Also, I would strongly encourage her to attend a summer program to experience it firsthand prior to college.  Attached is the preliminary list for Summer 2014.  The final list is available in late January.

Do let me know if you have any additional questions.  Best.

Major Options to Pursue Architecture

I  am graduating in 2014. I would really like to become an Architect but I do not want to limit my options, I was wondering if I could instead major in marketing or business and minor in liberal arts or something and still become an architect. Also I was wondering if there is any other field similar to architecture I could also go in, I like technology and art, I also like making personal creations. Thank you for taking your time to read this and I hope to get a reply back soon.
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Before I directly answer your question, let me outline the typical degree paths for pursuing architecture.

1) Bachelor of Architecture - 5 years

2) BS Architectural Studies + Master of Architecture - 6 years

3) BA/BS Undergraduate Degree + Master of Architecture - 7-8 years

As you can see, if you truly know that architecture is for you, the most direct paths are BArch or BSAS + MArch.  However, if you wish to pursue options, you can obtain a BA or BS degree in any discipline and pursue the MArch afterwards.

As to what degree to pursue is completely up to you; I would offer the following as guidance --

• Pursue a degree that will allow success as you will need top academics to pursue architecture at the graduate level.
• Consider majors that allow some creativity as you will need to submit a portfolio when applying.
• Do a major that you will enjoy to maximize success
• Also, possibly attend an institution that also has an architecture program to either pursue a minor in architecture or at least be engaged in the academic unit.

If you truly think about it, there are many majors that combine technology and art --

Architecture

Industrial Design

Web Design / New Media

Game Design

Graphic Design

Applied Technology

Art and Technology

To continue the exploration, simply search on the terms on Google.

Best.

Architectural Education Guidance

I have not started university yet, but do you have any advise for me as e.g. what to learn before I go, what to read, what to practice etc. I intend to go to University this fall to study architecture BAs degree. One of the things that I have recently been seeing, is that some universities offer architecture design and architecture and I would like to know what are the differences, as well as to know why some university if not most don’t ask for maths nor physics but they demand you have art.

Architects need maths and if so how much off it; really how much is demanded of an architect regarding maths. Some people that I have asked say that not a whole lot of it just to not be bad at it, but you don’t need to be a genius at it. Now, I don’t know if that is true, but I find you to be the ideal person to answer these questions.

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The best and worst aspect of pursuing an architectural education is that no two programs do it exactly alike.  All architecture programs must meet the NAAB (http://www.naab.org) Student Performance Criteria, but each program can do it in the manner that they see fit.

Thus, I would not worry about differences in programs but rather focus on the program that best fits YOU.

With regards to mathematics, it has been my experience that many programs do require students to take calculus, but not all.  Architects need to know mathematics, but in many situations, will consult with engineers for calculations.

Be aware that you may end of taking a longer path to licensure with a BA degree instead of a BS degree at the undergraduate level.  I suggest you be in touch with each program and inquiry where there graduates pursue graduate studies.

Best and feel free to ask more questions.

BArch vs. MArch

Dear sir

My son has done 2 years in Architecture.

He has now to decide between  4 yrs BS Architecture and 5 yrs B.Arch(NAAB certified).

Please let us know which program has a a better job demand.

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In one sense, comparing these two degree is not appropriate because one is accredited (BArch) while the other is not.  It is more appropriate to compare the BArch against the MArch (also accredited which is done after the BS).

To properly determine which is the best degree to pursue, there are many factors to consider - one of which can be the pursuit of employment after the degree.  I will hope that after reading the descriptions below, you can make the best decision.

Thanks and best!

Below are detailed descriptions of the two professional NAAB accredited degrees: 

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)
The bachelor of architecture is an undergraduate five-year degree for students coming directly from high school. It is the oldest professional degree offered at the university level in the United States. Some schools, including Drexel University offer the B.Arch., but completing the degree may take more than five years because of work programs required by these schools.

At most schools, enrolled students begin intensive architectural studies in the first semester and continue for the duration of the program. If you are highly confident in your choice of architecture as your academic major, pursuing a B.Arch. may be the ideal choice. If, however, you think you may not ultimately choose architecture, the five-year program is not forgiving, meaning that changing majors is difficult. Slightly more than 50 programs offer the B.Arch.

Recently, some programs offer a NAAB accredited non-baccalaureate Master of Architecture degree; in some cases, these programs transitioned from a B. Arch. to this “new” M. Arch.  While parallel to the B. Arch., these M.Arch. degrees may require an additional summer or semester of study resulting in either five+ or five-and-a-half years.  Some institutions may also provide an undergraduate pre-professional degree after four years.  For more details, contact each institution.

Pre-Professional Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)
Sometimes known as a four + two, this path to the accredited degree involves first obtaining a pre-professional architecture bachelor of science (B.S.) degree followed by the professional master of architecture (M.Arch.). Pre-professional degrees are four-year degrees that prepare candidates for pursuing a professional degree. These degrees may have different actual titles—bachelor of science (B.S.) in architecture, bachelor of science in architectural studies (B.S.A.S.), bachelor of arts (B.A.) in architecture, bachelor of environmental design (B.E.D.), bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) or bachelor of architectural studies (B.A.S.).

The amount of architectural coursework in these pre-professional programs may vary from school to school and determines the length of time required to complete further professional architectural studies, the M.Arch. Most pre-professional degrees are within universities that also offer the professional M.Arch. degree; however, others are offered within four-year liberal arts institutions. Your undergraduate degree may dictate the eventual length of your graduate program. Some graduate programs may be three years in length even though you have a pre-professional degree, although you may receive advanced standing or course waivers. Contact each graduate program for more details.

Another viable option for this particular route is to begin your studies at a community college. Often, the first two years of a B.S. degree are predominantly general education courses that can be taken at a community college. It is important, however, to be in touch with the institution at which you plan to continue studies about what courses to take and when to apply. Depending on the institution, it may be worth transferring early rather than receiving an associate’s degree from the community college.

Note that if you graduate with the pre-professional degree, you will not be eligible to become licensed in most states. Therefore, if you desire to be a licensed architect, you should continue your studies and pursue the professional M.Arch. degree program. There are a few states in which you can pursue licensure with a pre-professional undergraduate degree, but you would not be able to obtain the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) Certificate (see Chapter 3) necessary for reciprocal licensure.

The professional M.Arch. is a graduate-level degree that typically lasts two years and offers a comprehensive professional education. The combination of the B.S. degree with the M.Arch. offers flexibility, as you can choose to take any number of years off to gain experience between the two degrees. Plus, you may choose to attend a different institution for your graduate studies. Of the institutions offering an accredited degree in architecture, approximately 75 offer the pre-professional architecture degree and accredited M.Arch.

A handful of schools offer an M.Arch. lasting less than two years that follows a pre-professional undergraduate degree. However, these degree programs may be limited to candidates from the same institution. For example, The Catholic University of America (CUA) offers a master of architecture with advanced standing (one and a half years) for select individuals who graduate with the B.S. in architecture from CUA, but those with a B.S. in architecture from other institutions must take two years to complete the master of architecture. At other institutions, the M.Arch. may be less than two years in length because of a switch in the nomenclature of their accredited degree from B.Arch. to M.Arch., but it may require either intersessions or summer sessions.

Finally, a few institutions offering the M.Arch. for individuals with the pre-professional architecture degree will require three years of study; these include most of elite institutions, but candidates may be eligible for some advanced standing.

Master without Bachelor?

I visited your blog and I am really touched by the way in which you guide people to cope with difficulties. I am from Madagascar and I have done an International baccalaureat. Right now I am doing Bachelor degree in Interior Design, I have done foundation year and now I am in Second year and due to some reasons I will not be able to do my Third year.   I really like this field and want to do Masters in a developped contry like US, Australia or Italy. Is it possible to do it without a bachelor degree? 
Hope to read you soon,
 
Thank you
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First, thanks for your kind words on my blog.

As for your question, you would need to check with potential graduate programs to which you are interested to determine if it is possible to pursue a MArch without a bachelor degree -- my experience tells me that is unlikely.

However, given that you will have completed two years of bachelor degree in interior design, it would be possible to transfer to an undergraduate degree in architecture to either the BArch or the preprofessional BSAS.

At this point, I would suggest you contact some potential programs -- for a list of programs in the U.S., visit -- http://www.naab.org --.

Best!

Transfer to BArch or MArch

I am currently attending a junior college to complete all of my core requirements to transfer into an accredited college in Architecture.  I live in Illinois and am interested in IIT and also Southern Illinois University. I was accepted at SIU but decided to attend a Junior college this year for many reasons.  I want to transfer but am still a little confused about the  Architectural studies vs. the  BArch programs.  My understanding is to bypass the architectural studies and focus strictly on my BArch, this is the more focused approach.  Some clarity would be greatly appreciated and will provide me with the correct decision making when applying in December 2012 for the fall semester.

Thank you for your time and information,

__________

To fulfill the education requirements of becoming an architect, one must complete the NAAB accredited professional degree; this is done via the 5-year Bachelor of Architecture such as IIT offers or the 6-year (4+2) Master of Architecture that either SIU or UIUC offers.  In this latter case, you first pursue a pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (BSAS 4-years)

Given that you are first attending a community college to complete your core requirements, you will still probably begin the studies at IIT as a first year student because of the studio and other required architectural coursework.  Thus, it will still take you five years to complete.  This may or not be the case at SIU or Illinois; you would need to check with them directly.

In some respects, a BArch is more focused because it completes the degree in a shorter duration, but there are other criteria that you will want to consider when applying.

I would suggest you visit both programs to learn first hand the transfer process.

Best.

Architectural Engineering - More Questions

Is it possible to do a masters in architectural engineering (Masters in science in AE I believe) after I get a B.arch? Is that a good idea? That way I can do my internship while I do my Masters in AE? And how many years does it take for the masters in AE?

 

Or I can take the 4+2 years route, with 4 years in architectural engg and 2 years in masters in arch if i feel capapble of doing the engg part right?  Although this isn't very significant to my choice of choosing the major, but I'd like to know if the pay is higher with the AE graduate degree.

 

And I am also interested in architectural jounalism so another option I was considering was a minor in journalism. Could you suggest if that's a good idea? 

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Once you receive a BArch, you can pursue any further education you desire include a Master of Science in Architectural Engineering.  Whether or not that is a good idea depends on your longer-term career goals.  As for length, you would need to be in touch with a particular program.

The 4+2 route is for those that have completed a pre-professional Bachelor of Science in Architecture.  a four year architectural engineering degree is NOT a pre-professional degree.  If you pursued a four year architectural engineering degree, you could pursue a Master of Architecture, but it would take you between 3-4 years.

As for pursuing a minor in journalism, you should pursue it if you have an interest in it.

I suggest you obtain Becoming an Architect, 2nd Edition as it will answer many of these type of questions.

Best.

BArch vs. MArch - Follow-up!

I have two last questions: With the 4+2 program, do people usually continue on to grad school right after undergrad? I've heard that it is beneficial to first gain experience in the real world through years of internships before acquiring an MArch, but this is just what I've heard (Or is it yet for another path??)

The BArch and MArch are professional programs and accredited for licensing purposes. What does this "professional" part mean, and to employers, is a person with a professional degree (specifically the BArch) with no license on the same plate as a person with a nonaccredited degree (BS Arch for example)? 

_________

Your question on what graduates in the 4+2 program is the million dollar question.  In other words, it is truly up to you as to what is best for you.  Truly, I think that most graduates from a four-year pre-professional BS in Architectural Studies degree will continue their studies in a Master of Architecture upon graduation.  Another question for you is whether you stay at the same institution or pursue graduate studies at a different one.  Personally, I did six years of study consecutively, but I entered a different institution for my graduate studies.

However, some graduates will take time between their degrees to enter the workforce and gain experience in the profession.  They do so to earn monies, determine their next step in their career, or simply take a break from their studies.

Still others will depart from architecture and pursue graduate studies in another discipline (urban planning, landscape, law, to name a few) or seek employment in another field.

As to your other questions -- professional means that the degree program (BArch or MArch) is the degree for which you need to enter the profession.  Lastly, someone with a BArch would have an advantage over someone with the BS Arch (pre-professional) degree because they have the degree necessary for licensure.

Think of it this way; you are an employer that has two employees, one with a BArch and one with a BS Arch.  At one level both employees can do parallel tasks, but the BArch has the professional degree and needs no further education to obtain the license.  The BS Arch candidate does need further education and may depart after a certain length to pursue the MArch. 

This does NOT mean that the BArch is better than the BS Arch.  It is just one more aspect of the degrees to consider.

BA in Architectural Studies vs. BS in Architecture

I am an Architecture Pre-major student at Kent State, OH and I am not sure whether I should declare my major as a BA in Architectural Studies or BSc in Architecture. These are the only two Architecture majors that my school offer. I know that the Bsc in Architecture+MArch (4+2 program) at Kent is NAAB accredited but I do not want to necesarily read for my Masters degree at the same school. Since I realize that both the BSc and the BA in Architecture are of Pre-professional level, I would like to know which is a better choice if I am to pursue a MArch at a different school.
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Upon review of both programs from the Kent State University website, it is clear that you should pursue the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree if your intent is to pursue the Master of Architecture at Kent State or any other institution.

You would certainly be eligible to pursue the MArch with the BA in Architectural Studies, but the length of time would be longer (see statement below).

Architectural Studies Program Mission Statement

The program, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies, is committed to prepare graduates to seek employment in the construction and development industries, develop careers in cultural theory or pursue a three year graduate professional program in architecture, as well as a variety of other professional programs in areas such as landscape architecture, urban planning, law, and business.

Another method to determine the answer to your question is to contact a handful of graduate architecture programs.

Best to you in your decision.