Chicago Architecture + Design College Day - Saturday, October 19, 2013

Chicago Career Day 2013 for

Architecture, Interior Design, Construction Management

and Landscape Architecture to be held at Harold Washington College

CHICAGO – The Consortium for Design and Construction Careers is pleased to announce the Chicago Architecture + Design College Day. Held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 from 11:00 am to 2:00pm at Harold Washington College (30 E. Lake St.) Chicago Architecture + Design College Day is a free event open to high school and college students, parents, teachers, and counselors interested in learning more about opportunities in architecture, interior design, construction management, and landscape architecture.

From 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, the College Fair will host almost 50 colleges and universities with degree programs in architecture, interior design, construction management, and/or landscape architecture. Representatives will be available to provide information, distribute materials, and answer questions on their respective degree programs. For further details including a complete list of colleges in attendance on the Chicago Career Day 2013 or to register for the event, check out the following website www.chicagocareerday.org.

Degree prior to Master of Architecture

Greetings Dr.  Architecture,

I am currently in a community college and i am pursuing the career of architecture. I have all the minimum requirements for cal poly pomona and i'm still taking more classes to have more skills. Due to that the major is impacted in cal poly pomona, i'm considering other options. I am deciding to apply this fall as landscape architecture to cal poly pomona and later on do a master in architecture. My main goal is that I want to end up being an architect. Although, i have a passion for design and interior design as well... I was considering applying to other universities as a design major. Would having a bachelor degree in design will help me to obtain a master in architecture? 

Thank you for your time. 

___________________

If you are thinking of pursuing the Master of Architecture without a preprofessional degree, you may pursue any major / degree at the undergraduate level.  In most cases, the MArch would take between 3-4 years depending on the institution.

Of course, I would recommend that you pursue an undergraduate major that is related to architecture such as landscape architecture, art or design as you suggest; by doing so, you develop materials for a portfolio that is required when applying to a MArch.

Also, to the extent possible, I would suggest attending an institution that has an architecture degree offering as you may be able to take courses or possibly even transfer to architecture.  You say that the major of architecture is impacted at Cal Poly Pomona, but have you talked with any administrators within the academic unit about options.  Can you transfer in after a year?

It is worth a discussion.

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.
______________

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.

______________

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.

________________

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.

Community College to Architecture

I am going into my third year of community college. After changing my major twice, I just found out that I want to become an architect. However I'm not really sure how to start out? I realize I'm a little bit behind as far as obtaining a degree is concerned so I'm really looking forward to progressing quickly through my classes and catching up. Are there any suggestions such as classes or programs I should be taking to sort of jump start my career? I hope to hear back from you soon and thanks for the help.

Gateway Community College / SmithGroup JJR

____________

Congratulations on your decision to study architecture.  You may think you are behind, but you have plenty of time to complete the degree.

The best place to start is to first learn how to become an architect with its 1) education, 2) experience, and 3) exam.  The best sources to learn this is -- http://www.archcareers.org -- or the book, Becoming an Architect, 2nd ed.

From there, determine potential architecture programs (schools) that you wish to attend and contact them to determine what courses would be needed for transfer.  In many cases, you may need calculus and physics prior to admission.

For a list of programs, review both http://www.naab.org and http://archschools.org --

Aside from academic preparation, consider shadowing an architect in an office to learn more about the profession.  Keep a sketchbook - draw for 30 minutes everyday of the world around you.  Eventually, you will connect your brain (creativity) with your eye (seeing) and your hand.

Send me more questions as you have them.

Best.

Mechanical Engineering to Architecture

I graduated just over 2 months ago and got my 4-year degree in mechanical engineering.  I've wanted to be an architect since my junior year, but my school didn't offer an architecture degree so I stuck it out and got my engineering degree.  I'm hoping that my BSME will provide the math and physical science background I need to continue to pursue a degree in architecture.  Is this true?  Could I have the pre-reqs to get my master's in 2 years?  Or should I pursue a bachelor's in architecture?

In addition to education questions, I also have employment questions.  I may not have the proper degree to be an architect now, but what about architectural engineering?  Am I qualified to do that, or do I need architectural experience?

My degree may be in engineering, but my true passion is for architecture.  My favorite classes were physics, statics and dynamics, vibration analysis, and computer-aided engineering; anything that had to do with structural analysis.  My senior project was 90% structural analysis, and I loved it.  I know I've asked alot of questions, but architecture is my dream job and I want to know all I can and what to do to start moving towards that dream.

Thank you for your time,

________________

First, congratulations on your recent degree and desire to pursue architecture.

As always, you will need to check with potential graduate programs to determine if you have met required prerequisites.  With that said, you will have definitely completed calculus or physics requirements but some programs require drawing and/or architectural history.

As you have a BSME degree, you should definitely pursue the Master of Architecture and not the BArch.

Architectural engineering is truly civil engineering with an emphasis on buildings; as to whether you are qualified to enter the workplace will depend on your skills and background.

What is most crucial to applying for a MArch is your portfolio.  Do you have any creative background?  If not, you may wish to consider taking a art/drawing course to generate materials for your portfolio over the next year while you apply for F14.

Also, as you appear to enjoy structures, you may consider the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as they have a focus on structures as part of their MArch and also have a joint degree with civil engineering.

Best!  Feel free to contact me with more questions.

P.S. Consider the book - Becoming an Architect, 2nd ed.

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!

Chemical Engineering to Architecture

Dear Dr. Architecture,

I am a student from Saudi Arabia, I have just finished my bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering with first honors (3.8/4 CGPA).

I have always wanted to study architecture and become an architect, and so I've been looking and reading about the professional masters in architecture programs available in the US.

I have a couple of questions that I would greatly appreciate your help with.

• Q1) Regarding the Portfolio, I'm wondering what to include in it. Is it okay if it is a mix of drawings and photographs for example? I'm asking this since I'm coming from an engineering background. I would greatly appreciate if you would mention some examples of portfolios that you found to be well done.

• Q2) While I see myself as a very creative person, I admit that I have no background in drawing buildings. Will the professional masters program provide me with some education (i.e drawing techniques/courses) on this matter? or is it taken that anyone going into architecture should have such background.

• Q3) I'm a young graduate, turning 23 years old this August. What is the average age of people admitted in such programs, based on your experience.

• Q4) Since this is a major career change, I would like to know, based on your experience, the main things that would change with this move from chemical engineering to architecture. (For example, I know that architects usually get paid less than engineers, and I accept that fact with the thought that I will be making a name for my self in the architecture business, thus working on mega projects and getting paid more.)

I have a lot of other questions, but I won't like to swarm you with all of them.  I will be reading your book soon enough, as it looks as a valuable resource in this matter.

Lastly, I thank you in advance for helping people interested in architecture, and apologize about the length of this email.

Best regards,

_________________

Answers to your questions --

1) First and foremost, always inquire with the programs to which you are applying as what to include.  Typically, they wish to see creativity through drawing, art, etc.  You may certainly including photography, but do not let that be the only medium.  I would suggest the website -- www.portfoliodesign.com -- for ideas on your portfolio.  Also, you can see examples at issuu.com.

2) As your background is not in architecture, a graduate program will certainly provide instruction in drawing and the basics of architecture, but I would encourage you to take an additional course prior to beginning.  Also, consider drawing everyday (30 minutes) in a sketchbook.  Start with drawing what you see (household objects).  Eventually, draw what you cannot see from your imagination.  It is all about connecting your brain, your eye and hand.

3) I have no idea on the average age, but I would guess that you are younger than it at age 23.  Many graduate students are older (mid to late 20s) and some are even older (30s and 40s).

4) For your last question, I am not sure how to answer because I no very little of chemical engineering.  Aside from less financial compensation, you will be involved with creativity where there are no right or wrong answers to the problems.  I would suggest shadowing an architect if possible and keep asking lots of questions.

Feel free to ask additional questions after reading Becoming an Architect, 2nd Edition.

EESA Becoming an Architect

Dear Dr. Architecture

 

First in first: I’ve to say that I’m glad that I found your blog because is quite interesting and exhaustive and when I started to read all your answers I understood that is a matter of heart!. Then, I bought your book and I found a lot of answers, interesting comments and point of view about our profession, about how to do and the best way to do it , about architects with different experience...but my questions are still there without an answer...

 

I am a foreign italian architect. I have been reading for the last six month everything about the NCARB, the NAAB, the EESA but I have to confess that I’m still confused and I’m not so sure the best path for me to do. Can you help me?.
My credentials are:

- a Bachelor Degree in Architecture (Architettura U.E. – Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”): it is a five year degree with 300 credits (150 US credits)

- a Master II Level Degre (Master P.A.R.E.S. – Master in Architectural Design for the Recovery of Historical Buildings and Public Spaces): it is an one year degree with 60 credits (30 US credits)

- and to conclude, I’m a Licensed Architect (My Proffessional Association: The Order of Roman Architects: Albo dell’ “Ordine degli Architetti Pianificatori Paesaggisti e Conservatori di Roma e Provincia”, member since 2011)

 

What should I do to start my process of accreditation?  I read that for a Licensed Architect the best thing to do is the BEA/BEFA Program but I don’t have seven years of experience like a Licensed Architect, but just two...and even if I have five plus years of experience, before, I worked while I was studying to present my board test.

 

While the process of accreditation goes ahead and/or before I present all the documents, can I start to submit the IDP hours?! Is it possible?!

Do you think there is a better way to do?  I am reall confused about all the process and I’m having some problems with the University of Rome due to the certified Academic Course Description so I’ll really apreciate if you can give some advices and how can I proceed to make my path easiest.

Than you, again, for your kindness. Best regards,

_______________

Before I answer your questions directly, allow me to provide an overview of the formal process of becoming an architect in the U.S.  To become an architect in the U.S., you need to accomplish three tasks:

1) Education - For most, this is accomplished through obtaining a NAAB accredited professional degree in the U.S.  As this can only be accomplish through a U.S. institution, NCARB (http://www.ncarb.org) does allow an individual to have their foreign education evaluated against the NCARB Education Standard; this process is done via EESA - Evaluating Education Services for Architects (https://www.eesa-naab.org).

What is the NCARB Educational Standard?

The NCARB Educational Standard is established by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. NCARB determines the minimum number of credits which are required for coursework taken in five major categories and sub-categories within each major category. The five categories are (1) General Education, (2) History, Human Behavior and Environment; (3) Design, (4) Technical Systems and (5) Practice. 

The Education Standard further stipulates that an applicant must have a minimum of 160 semester credits, overall. Please refer to http://www.ncarb.org/en/~/media/Files/PDF/Guidelines/EDU_Guidelines.pdf

2) Experience - To satisfy this task, one my fulfill IDP (Intern Development Program - http://www.ncarb.org/idp2); basically, you must work under the supervision of an architect for a period of time (5600 hours) gaining experience in different training categories.

3) Examination - For the last task, you must take and pass all seven exams of the ARE (Architect Registration Exam - (http://www.ncarb.org/en/ARE.aspx).

With the above stated, your first step is to pursue EESA - having your foreign education evaluated.  I would suggest you read the NCARB Education Standard (see above listing).  It is likely that you will be deficient in an area requiring you to take an additional course or two.

You may wish to contact EESA for more direct answers to your questions.

However, I think that you can start your NCARB Council Record to begin recording your IDP Experience - you will be limited to how much time can be under a foreign architect (again review the materials listed above).

At minimum, if you have more questions contact NCARB or the registration board of the state in which you wish to become licensed.

I wish you the best.