Interior Architecture to Architecture

Hello Dr. Architect

I have been in the United States for two years. In my country I received certificate in Interior Architecture , which is not a degree here.I just can evaluate two classes.Now I am in a community college and taking ESL courses. As you can see I would like to continue my education in same major which Woodbury University offers that in Bachelor degree.And maybe later continue the same major in UCLA in Master program. As a new student what would you recommend to me in educational, financial and career perspective.And Also, Should  interior architecture has Accreditation? What is it, is it NAAB?

Thanks for your time.

_______________

As you do not have the equivalent of an undergraduate degree (BA or BS), you may wish to consider pursuing an undergraduate architecture degree (preprofessional) with later pursuing a Master of Architecture.  

Or, you could pursue the five-year professional Bachelor of Architecture.

Which you pursue depends on you and your desire.

NAAB is the National Architectural Accrediting Board -- http://www.naab.org.  They accredit architecture programs, not interior architecture.

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.

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.

________________

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
____________

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!

Master vs. Bachelor

Greetings Dr. Architecture,

I heard from a professor that in order to be licensed to design a building, you'd have to have a Master's Degree in Architecture. My question is, if I'm only aiming to be a part of a design team will a bachelor's degree in architecture be adequate? Thank you in advance for answering. 

_______________

To be an architect in the U.S., you must have a professional NAAB accredited degree in architecture.  As stated by NAAB, you may either pursue the Bachelor of Architecture (5 years), the Master of Architecture (2-4 years after an undergraduate degree) or the Doctor of Architecture.

Students reviewing work

Thus, what do you wish to be?  If you wish to be an architect, you can pursue either the master or bachelor degree.

Best!

Syracuse U or Ball State U

I am hoping you can provide some guidance to my daughter.  She is considering two very different schools and programs.  The largest difference is cost.  One, our state school, Ball State is a 4&2 program with the Master's program accredited.  The second is Syracuse, a 5 year B Arch program.  She feels like she fits in better at Syracuse, but the cost is 5x what the cost is for Ball State.  Knowing she wishes to eventually work and live on the East coast, she feels she stands a better chance of interning and working on the East coast if she attends school there.
 
As a parent, the cost difference is huge.  Knowing she will have significant debt following school at Syracuse, and virtually none at Ball State I am having a difficult time endorsing school out east.
 
It is our understanding a B Arch is equivalent to an M Arch in most circumstances.  Or are we in error, is the M Arch more financially rewarding?
 
Any advice would be appreciated.

____________

First, congrats on your daughter being admitted to Ball State and Syracuse University; that is truly great news and you should be proud.

Next, let me explain the differences in degrees -- both the five year Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) and 4+2 Master of Architecture (MArch) are equivalent in one sense as they are both first professional degrees accredited by NAAB (http://www.naab.org). However, as you might imagine, the two degrees are quite different in how they teach architecture.

NAAB dictates the "what" is to be taught in architecture degress, but not the "how."  This is why it is extremely difficult to compare programs.

With that said, neither degree is necessarily better than the other - they are just different.  With my almost 20 years of experience, I would suggest you discuss which is a better fit for your daughter.  The BArch is best suited for individuals who have a STRONG desire to pursue architecture as you pursue studio immediately.  The 4+2 MArch is better for choice and option as you typically do not start studio until sophomore or junior year allowing you to pursue more liberal arts courses.  Plus, many graduates at the undergraduate level may pursue a different institution for the +2 or pursue another discipline.

She is probably right in that SU will have a better reputation for positions on the East Coast, but to what end - large debt.

May I offer the following --

1) As I shared, the 4+2 allows choice - she could attend Ball State at the undergraduate level, do extremely well and pursue SU for their Master of Architecture.  In this way, you save monies but she still graduates from SU.

2) Depending on Ball State, she could attend a community college for a year while living at home to save monies but to allow her to apply to other four year programs; in the region (Michigan, MiamiU, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee).  From each of these she could pursue SU or any other graduate program as her pursuits might change through her studies.

With the details you have shared, option 1 above is probably the best choice for both of you.  Option 2 is a viable option depending on what other programs you considered this past year.  Regardless, have a conversation with SU about her chances for admission at the graduate level coming from Ball State or other undergraduate programs.

If you wish to contact me and discuss, we can do this - do let me know the decision.

Best.

Education Paths

Sir, i am eagerly waiting for your reply to come. hope you can take out sometime to answer them.

1.) Doing architecture in USA from top universities would be too costly so i am left with two option either i do only B.arch  from a middle level university in U.S and then work as an architect or doing B.arch from India and then M.arch from a little higher level university in U.S  because the cost reduces as years reduce. Also i read somewhere that b.arch and m.arch from  us is almost considered equal. I would like to ask you according to you which one is better doing it from India and then coming to USA and putting my 3 years extra in masters or rather doing it from us directly and putting those 3 years into my experience.

2.) Sir i am really sorry but reading your article has put me into a new dilemma if i decide to come to us for my b.arch what if somehow my mind shifts because i really cant let this happen. My parents wanted me to pursue engineering but i wanted to pursue this. So i told them they are totally okay with it but still i have no chance of regretting after i come into this career . That is why i have no chance of reverting back from this career.
I wanted your opinion regarding these issues and if any help you can provide me it would be highly grateful .

thank you 
______________

First, your decision on where to attend should take into account many different factors -- some as you suggest - cost, location (U.S. or India) and some you do not mention - reputation, faculty, courses, etc.

Ultimately, you must decide what you see as your career path and decide accordingly.

Do note that there are two different accredited professional degrees in the U.S. - 1) Bachelor of Architecture - typically fives years of study and 2) Master of Architecture - typically 2-3 years of study based on the undergraduate degree of the individual.

Also, there is a Master of Science in Architecture for those with a professional degree (or foreign equivalent) that typically is 1 - 1 1/2 years.

Thus - you could do any of the following: 

1) Come directly to the U.S. and pursue the 5-year BArch

2) Complete the BArch in India and come to the U.S. for either the MArch or the MS.  You would pursue the MArch is you wish to become licensed in the U.S. or the MS if you wish to continue your studies on a focused area of the discipline.

3) Pursue engineering in U.S. or India and complete MArch

As you can see, there are options.  You will need to research them all and decide which is the best based on your criteria.

Best.

Admission Decisions: Where to Go?

My daughter is keen on studying architecture in the US. She has just completed her IB diploma and is an international student.

At present she has secured admission into 3 universities

• Iowa State University for Barch. She has been awarded a $ 7,000 scholarship as an international ambassador for 3 years.
• University of Cincinnati for Bsc in Architecture with a scholarship of $ 5,000 for 3 years. University of Cincinnati offers the co-op program.
• Penn state for Landscape architecture

She is keen on architecture and so our options are limited to the first 2. Since she is an international student with an F1 visa, the ultimate objective is for her to chose a school and a course which provides her the best options for employment when she completes her course. I've read that Iowa State Barch degree is NAAB accredited and this is a big plus point. But I've also heard that the co-op program in Cincinnati is very highly rated and employers rate the students from cincinnati very highly.

My instinct and logic tells me to focus on getting an NAAB accredited degree first and then look for employment thereafter. But I need your advise as the information on the net is getting me confused.

Finally she has also applied to Virginia Tech and has yet to hear from them. if she gets into Virginia tech should she chose this over the other 2?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and kind regards

____________

In this role, I am not in a position to tell you which program is best for your daughter.  However, what I can share is to discuss with her the criteria by which she will make the decision.  In my book, Becoming an Architect, I discuss three categories - You, Institution, and Academic Unit.  Within each, there are criteria to determine which are most important.

Below, you outlined a factor of employment and NAAB accreditation.  You and your daughter need to discuss these criteria to determine what program is best for you.

What is critical is comparing each program against the criteria that you determine are most important.  By doing so, it will become clear which is the program to attend.

I do hope this helps.  Also, feel free to contact each of the programs and ask for either students or alumni that you could connect with to learn firsthand about the program.

Best.

Degree to become licensed

Good Morning,

 

I am an Architectural Technologist looking to study to become a Licensed Architect.

 

I was reading online about M.Arch and B.Arch, am I able to study and recieve a Bachelors in Architecture and become a licensed architect? (If yes, in what areas of the world? - Mainly gearing towards Canada and US)

 

If I could get a bit more clarification that would be great.

_______________

In the United States, most states or jurisdictions require an individual to possess a professional NAAB (www.naab.org) accredited degree.  This NAAB degree could be either the five-year Bachelor of Architecture or the 4+2 year Master of Architecture.

Architects are licensed by the state in which they are licensed; thus, an architect would only be able to practice architecture in that state.  For more details on licensure, I suggest you access NCARB - www.ncarb.org.

As I understand it, an accredited architecture degree from the U.S. meets the requirements for licensure in Canada and vice-versa.  Again, contact NCARB or RAIC.

http://www.raic.org/architecture_architects/becoming_an_architect/provincialassociations_e.htm

Best!

Where to attend for school?

My son is getting ready to go to college.  His goal is to become an architect and he would like to work for a large firm.  He has applied to several universities and has been accepted to 3 so far.  He has been getting conflicting information about what employers might want regarding the type of degree.  He has been told that most firms would rather have someone with a 5 year professional degree rather than a 4 year pre-professional plus a 2 year masters.  

He has already been accepted to Penn State (but the cost is high) which has a 5 year program.  I has also been accepted to University of Arizona and Texas A&M (AZ offered him a $10,000 a year scholarship).  He is  waiting to hear from Syracuse, Drexel and Cooper Union (my top picks).  Drexel is a 6 year program which includes a 4 year apprenticeship.  He is a hard working straight A student and is very goal driven.  I know that no matter where he attends he'll do well, I just want to make sure he has options.

Can you give me some advice so I can pass that on to him?

______________

As for advice, I truly think a student should pick a school because of what the school/program has to offer not on what potential employers might want.

For education, there are two basic degree paths - 1) 5 year Bachelor of Architecture and 2) 4+2 year Master of Architecture.  The biggest advantage of the BArch is the time it takes to complete the degree - shortest.  For the MArch, it provides the student an opportunity to attend two programs (undergraduate and graduate) as well as take time between two degrees to work.

All of the schools you list except Texas A&M are 5 year BArch.  Thus, he seems to be leaning towards the BArch.  

One option is to contact employers in your area to see what they would prefer.  Most will tell you that it is not the degree that matters but what the graduate can do.  Which program will best prepare him for the profession.

Where are you in the country?  I would suggest you have attend the school/program that he feels is best for him and worry about the work after graduation for later.  Obviously, if possible have him obtain summer internships in a firm.

I hope this helps!

Preprofessional vs. professional

Why would a student pursue a pre-professional program in architecture vs. a professional program? Is it for someone who's not sure if they want to pursue architecture? What kind of job would they get upon graduating? I realize they would need a Master's program after that to pursue a career in architecture.
_______________

First, let me put your question in another context.  Instead of asking preprofessional vs professional, a better question is professional vs. professional.

NAAB (accrediting board) accredits three degrees - 1) Bachelor of Architecture (5 years); 2) Master of Architecture (4+2/3 years); and the Doctor of Architecture (only at Hawaii).  So, students can choose from any of these three paths to a professional accredited degree.

Thus, students pursue the 4+2 preprofessional degree + the Master of Architecture because it provides a broader undergraduate education; it provides the opportunity to pursue studies at two institutions/programs - one for undergraduate and one for graduate -- as well, it allows the opportunity to take time off between the two degrees.  Finally, many of these 4+2 programs do not require studio in the first year allowing a student to ease into architecture compared to the five-year BArch.

Students with the four-year preprofessional Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies can secure any entry level position with an architecture firm; just because they do not have the professional degree, does not mean that they cannot contribute their skills to a firm or any employer.

Ironically, in the early 1980s, there were about 90 BArch degree and 50 MArch; not it is opposite with about 90 MArch degrees being offered and 50 BArchs.

I hope this helps.  Thanks!

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.

Transfer to Architecture

I'd really appreciate any information you can provide me with. The story goes: I just finished my first year in architectural engineering at Penn State this past May and am currently taking a year off after my family ran into financial issues over the summer. I'm looking to transfer to a Florida school (being a Florida resident it would be much cheaper), but I want to go into architecture. I just started researching all this information a few weeks ago, so I'm not really clear as to what it is that I'm looking for as far as architecture programs.

I found that there are only three schools offering a NAAB accredited B.Arch, one of which is an expensive private school, one of which is in a fairly bad area, and the other a school that I'd never heard of until starting my research. There are other larger name schools that offer Bachelors of Arts or Science in Architecture, but I'm wondering what the difference is. Will one allow me to begin my career out of undergraduate school and the other require more years? Should I be applying to these non-accredited programs or is that not a bright idea? I'm just very worried that I'm already missing out on a year of school and I don't want to waste any more time. I apologize for taking up you any of your time.

______________

First, thanks for reaching out to me to gain some insight on "becoming an architect."  I would very much suggest you obtain a copy of my book, Becoming an Architect, 2nd ed., as it will answer many of the questions you have but I will address what you ask below.

Next, to meet the educational requirements of becoming an architect, you need a NAAB accredited professional degree; this can be accomplished by the traditional 5-year Bachelor of Architecture or the 4+2 years Bachelor of Arts/Science in Architecture + Master of Architecture.  In other words, it is OK to pursue the four-year undergraduate degree as long as you recognize that you will need to pursue the two-year Master of Architecture.

Given your year at PSU, it is unlikely that you will be able to transfer into the 2nd year of the Bachelor of Architecture because of courses you will have missed; it will probably take a full five years to complete.  For this reason, the 4+2 route may be better for you.  You would still have five more years of school - three years to complete the four-year undergraduate degree and two years for the Master of Architecture.

To view all of the accredited programs in Florida, visit NAAB.org -- see below.

Florida A & M University	School of Architecture
Florida Atlantic University	School of Architecture
Florida International University	School of Architecture
University of Florida	School of Architecture
University of Miami	School of Architecture
University of South Florida	School of Architecture and Community Design

Now, one program to consider is the University of Central Florida - http://svad.cah.ucf.edu/students/degrees/BDes-Architecture/ -- They have a new four-year degree that is public which would feed to a Master of Architecture

http://www.architecture.ucf.edu/ -- below is from the website.

In collaboration with Valencia Community College and the University of Florida (UF), UCF offers the Bachelor of Design in Architecture. Through the 2+2+2 program, you can complete your associate’s degree at Valencia, your bachelor’s degree at UCF and your master’s degree at UF. It’s convenient, affordable and flexible.

So, you might be able to attend Valencia next year, proceed to UCF and move to UF for the Master of Architecture.

Also, do not eliminate the other programs just because they are private or you do not know anything about them.  Sometimes, private institutions provide more financial aid.

During your year off, look to take a few preparatory courses based on conversations with these potential programs.  Draw, sketch, draw what you see.  Visit architectures - look at your surroundings.

Have fun and feel free to contact me again if you have more questions.

Education in India vs. United States.

I am a student from India. I have completed my higher secondary education and I want to study architecture (5-year B.arch ). I want to ask you that will it make any difference to me if I do it India and if I do it from USA.

What will be the difference between a student graduating from India  and from USA? I am confused about  studying architecture in India or in USA . Will you please guide me?

________________

Given I know nothing of architectural education in India, it is difficult for me to answer your question.  One issue to consider is what you wish to do with regards to architecture longer term.

Instead, I suggest you visit the following websites to learn more about the institutions that offer architecture programs in the U.S. --

http://www.naab.org/ - National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
http://www.acsa-arch.org/schools/guide-to-architecture-schools/search-the-guide - Guide to Architecture Schools.

You should know that the BArch is not the only path to pursue the accredited degree in the U.S.; you can pursue the pre-professional degree and afterwards pursue the Master of Architecture.

Another resource is Becoming an Architect, 2nd edition.

Dr. Architecture

Degree Path - Which Choice?

I stumbled upon your blog and website when I was doing some research on architecture programs and only wish I could have found it earlier. Better late then never though. I have learned quiet a bit from reading questions that others have asked you on your blog and am in the middle of reading Becoming An Architect: A Guide to Career in Design and will continue to read both. I did though have some indivdual questions for you that I hope you can answer or guide me towards one. 

I am currently a student at Georgia Southern University and just finished my second year. Even though GA Southern doesn't have an architecture program I chose to go there to complete my core classes, its close to home, and financial reasons. Now that I am finished with my core I am a little lost at what to do next.I had my heart and mind set on transferring to GA Tech next Spring (2013) but after this past semester it might not happen.  

My standing GPA is a 3.40 and when I chose my classes at GA Southern I made sure that they were the ones that GA Tech require transfer pre-architecture students to take but after this past semester and my low GPA I might not be able to get into GA Tech.

After doing some research I have looked at some options. Because I  want to complete my bachelors in arch in state to keep from being in debt, I have four options: GA Tech, Savannah College of Arts and Design, Southern Polytechnic State University, or Major in Interior Design at GA Southern University. After I complete my bachelors, I want to get my Master in Arch from out of state, possibly ****

In doing my research, I discovered that GA Tech's B Arch is not NAAB Accredited and SCAD's and Southern Poly's B Arch are. This past spring, at Ga Southern, I took Interior Design Graphics to gain some basic knowledge on drafting and using the tools to create plans. I ended up making an A in the class after putting a lot of hard work and all nighters. 

I would like to ask you to help me figure out and narrow my options.

___________

Actually, the Master of Architecture at GA Tech is the accredited degree; their undergraduate degree is a pre-professional degree; this is different than the BArch offered by Southern Poly.  SCAD offers a BFA with the accredited Master of Architecture.

http://www.arch.gatech.edu/undergraduate/program_of_study
The four-year undergraduate program in Architecture at Georgia Tech is a pre-professional program that fulfills the preparatory requirements for admission to most two-year professional architecture programs.

With that as introduction, you must decide which is the best path for you to obtain the professional accredited degree in architecture.  Given that you have completed two years at GA Southern, you have choices - 1) complete the degree at GA Southern and attend one of over 90 Master of Architecture programs across the country; or 2) transfer to GA Tech or another program to either complete the BArch (Southern) or the pre-professional degree to later attend the Master of Architecture.

It has been my experience that most students want to start architecture as soon as possible.  Towards that end, apply to GA Tech while still completing your degree at GA Southern.  If you gain admission, you can make decision.  If you do not you can continue your degree.

Regardless, be in touch with the program to which you wish to apply and ask lots of questions.

I wish you the best and feel free to ask more questions if needed.

Making a Decision

Thank you first of all for your website and all it's truly helpful information. I was wondering if you could provide some insight from a professional standpoint. Currently I'm deciding between Penn State and Virginia Tech. 

I was accepted into Penn State's architecture program, but only university studies for Virginia Tech. I'm very interested in attending Tech however, and trying to decide whether or not transferring in would be a suitable option for me. I'm willing to work hard, extremely hard, but it is a risk to try to get in, especially when I've been accepted to Penn State and Rensselaer. 

Could you give me your opinion on any of these three colleges? I'm very interested in city design (especially working for a firm such as SOM), although I also am open to designing houses. Thank you for your time!

_______

Thanks for you kind words on the website and its helpful information.

Having previously worked at an institution that had a two-tier admissions process, I would strongly advise you to pursue you top desired program despite what obstacles there may be -- If you are interested in VTech, contact them to best learn the process of switching from University Studies to Architecture; I found the following website, but contact the actual architecture program.

http://www.registrar.vt.edu/registration/restricted_majors.php

Ask how many students they accept from University Studies?  Are you able to meet the requirements as listed above?

Unfortunately, I do not have personal insights on the three institutions that you mention.  Instead, think of the criteria by which you wish to determine your decision -- location, cost, facilities, reputation, size, etc.  Compare each program against your criteria to determine which is the best for you.

Ironically, the three programs from which you are deciding are in rural locations yet you are interested in city design.  Which of the three will provide the avenue for you.

I wish you the best and do let me know what you decide.

Sense of Direction?

i am a big follower of your blog and i want to say thanks for giving aspiring architects a direct contact with you. My reasons behind writing you is because I am totally lost. I love architecture for its design sense and want to go in that direction only. What should my major be at school and do I have to go to a NAAB school to be successful? These questions may seem really remedial, but I know the field of architecture is very broad and I just want to head in the right direction. 

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You say that you love architecture, but do you wish to be an architect?  If so, I would advise you to pursue a NAAB accredited degree as it is necessary in almost all jurisdictions to become an architect.  With that said, you could pursue architecture as an undergraduate (BArch), graduate (BS + MArch) or graduate (BA + MArch).  The last route allows you to pursue any major as an undergraduate; select a major that you will enjoy and succeed.

Also, to help, visit the blog - http://archcareers.blogspot.com/ and search on topics of interest.

Another resource to help you is Becoming an Architect, 2nd Ed.

Best - Dr. Architecture

BArch vs. MArch

I am an aspiring architecture student and want to make it into a profession after years of studying and working in the wrong field. I would like to ask you for advice, if I may, since I am finding it difficult to chose the right path for myself at this point in my life (now a mature student -since I am now 26). 

I am writing to you in hopes of simply seeking for advice, as I can see you are a professional Architect. Any advice or pointers you can offer would be greatly appreciated. With time being of essence to me, I was wondering if you`d recommend doing an undergraduate in Architecture and then applying to a Masters in Architecture (graduate school) or if you`d find it equally as efficient to apply to graduate school for Masters in Arch. (with an undergraduate degree in another program).

 

Do you find them to be the same or one to have precedence over the other in terms of credibility/experience and preparation?

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For the U.S., the most critical aspect of the degree which you pursue is that it is accredited by NAAB - http://www.naab.org -  This could be either the Bachelor of Architecture (5 years) or the Master of Architecture (4+2 years from high school) or (3+ years from a college degree). 

Thus, which degree you pursue depends on your current education.  You state that you are 26 but do not provide whether or not if you have a degree (in any discipline).  As a result, I would suggest you consider the degree which will provide what you need in the shortest amount of time given your comment, "..time being of essence to me" -- the Bachelor of Architecture.  Instead, if you have a degree, you would be eligible to apply to the Master of Architecture (3+ years).

Both degrees are the same with regards to accreditation but do differ in terms of overall curriculum.  Contact programs (http://www.archschools.org) to learn more about what they offer and which is the best fit for you.  Even programs with the same degree can be quite different in the way they teach architecture.

For more details, refer to other questions I have addressed in my blog - http://archcareers.blogspot.com/

Transfer Questions

Dr. Architecture, first let me say your blog is very informative. 

 

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions for those of us who are clueless. I am in need of some advice. I am currently a first semester freshman at a local public research university. I am strongly considering transferring to a different university next fall to study architecture. My problem is that I have absolutely no art or design background, though I do have a strong musical background and am well acquainted with the creative process. 

 

My grades are excellent (I already have 9 hours worth of credit from dual enrollment classes I took in high school, and I have High A's in all my classes this semester so far. I expect to maintain my 4.0 gpa), but all of my credit hours are just general education. I am very driven, and I know I will do well wherever I go, but I really have no idea If this is a feasible plan, or what to take next semester. I still have some general education classes I could take, but I don't know what sort of classes are necessary to have already taken in order to transfer into an architecture program. 

 

I guess my question is, what are the steps I need to take in order to make a successful transition into an Architecture program? Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

_________ 

Thanks for your compliment!

As one who works within a School of Architecture at a Big Ten Research I University, I would not worry too much about your lack of art or design background.  Research the programs to which you wish to transfer but many may not require a portfolio.  Our program is a 4 + 2 which has almost all general education courses (liberal arts) in the first year and one required architecture course.

The best way to determine what to take next semester is to contact the respective programs to which you are applying.  Have you done Calculus and Physics?  Can you take art/freehand drawing courses at your current school?  Are there more general education courses that you can take?

Granted, you may NOT be wish to transfer to a five-year BArch program because you would be behind, but I know of many 4 + 2 MArch programs that would be just fine for you.

To successfully transfer, you need to contact and talk with the architecture programs directly.  Review what they have their first year students (freshmen) take and parallel it.  Talk with an academic advisor in the architecture program and the Office of Admissions. 

Keep in touch.  Best.

Transfer to BArch or pursue MArch

I recently stumbled upon your blog while searching for information on Architectural degrees. I am currently a sophomore at DePaul University in Chicago studying Environmental Studies but I have since been thinking of majoring in Architecture.  Unfortunately, DePaul does not offer any degree in Architecture so I have been contemplating transferring to a school that offers a B.Arch.  

Is it possible to transfer into a B.Arch program as a junior or do you suggest I just enroll in a M.Arch after my undergraduate studies?  What are the pros and cons of a B.Arch compared to an undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and then pursuing Architecture at graduate school?  Any information is greatly appreciated and I plan on ordering your book as soon as possible because I believe that it would definitely send me in the right direction.  

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You could certainly transfer to a BArch program, but you will need to start in the first year as you would not have the design studios; most of credits from DePaul would not transfer except general education.  Most likely, it would take you five years to complete a BArch.

Instead, you could transfer to a 4+2 program (BS + MArch) like at the University of Illinois directly into their sophomore year as studios start in the 2nd year.  If you went this route, you would be a five year college student to obtain the BS degree but would still need to complete the MArch (2 years) afterwards.

With the above said, I would still recommend considering the MArch for those that have an undergraduate degree in another discipline (3-4 years).  As your degree is in environmental studies, you may wish to consider this route, but do you like DePaul?

Best!