<p>Hi I have some questions about architecture as a major</p>
<p>1.what type of class is it important to do well in to be an architect?
2.is architecture more of an arts or is it also very scientific?
3.what are architecture students like?
4.what should your main interests be so you know you might be good at architecture?
5.what do you think about the best may to become an architect M.Arch
or B.Arch</p>
<p>Oh, and a sixth I was wondering in general what skills are important
Okay</p>
<p>First you might read up on architecture as a field of work, and then on what kinds of training might be needed.</p>
<p>Here are two sites, which I recommend you read completely. The second one also talks about pre-college preparation.</p>
<p>(1) <a href="http://architecture.about.com/od/careers/%5B/url%5D">http://architecture.about.com/od/careers/</a></p>
<p>(2) <a href="http://www.acsa-arch.org/infoStud.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.acsa-arch.org/infoStud.html</a></p>
<p>There are also some ratings/rankings of arch programs, but the basic thing to keep in mind is that a "professional" degree in architecture, which prepares you to intern and ultimately take exams to qualify as a working architect, is EITHER a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree OR a 2-4 year Masters of Architecture (MArch) degree. The two are perfectly equivalent for purposes of qualifying, except that BArch starts in freshman year of college, while MArch is for students who generally majored in something other than architecture as undergrads (e.g., in art, economics, engineering, Spanish, etc.). (There are some developments underway now to change the degree nomenclature to make it clearer -- sort of as they did 20 years ago in law when they changed all the LL.B. [Bachelor of Law] degrees into JD degrees.)</p>
<p>Another site of possible interest:</p>
<p>(3) <a href="http://www.naab.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.naab.org/</a></p>
<p>I know what I want to do...Its just that I'm not sure which classes to take in order to follow architecture. I want to get a BArch...I'm absolutely sure, but what school? which classes? Help!</p>
<p>MorganFay, log onto the admissions pages of whatever schools you're interested in for architecture. Most of them will give you an idea of the course of study you should follow in high school if you're aiming for a BArch. Generally, they'll want you to have taken physics, some advanced math (preferably calculus). You'll also find taking art/drawing classes extremely helpful -- especially when it comes time to put your portfolio together. It never hurts to have as many years of a language as you can manage. The three skills that seem most important, however, seem to be those in math/science, drawing (not drafting or CAD), and communication (writing, etc.). Architects need to be good communicators, so any extracurriculars that you enjoy that play up speaking skills would be a bonus.</p>
<p>University of Texas at Austin has a great architecture program:</p>
<p><a href="http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/%5B/url%5D">http://web.austin.utexas.edu/architecture/</a></p>
<p>Is the first four years of college just about learning more things like math and science and stuff as an undergrad and then studying architecture later as a graduate? Or do you just start school and begin studying architecture right away? I know this seems like a stupid question but...humor me. I really know very little about this stuff.</p>
<p>Assuming you're talking about a 5-year BArch program, I think you should take a look at a couple of such programs. You start with deisgn and architecture-related courses from first (foundation) and second years and keep going. Here's one just as an example: <a href="http://risd.edu/pdf/facts/Architecture.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://risd.edu/pdf/facts/Architecture.pdf</a></p>
<p>When you say studying "as a graduate" you may be thinking of an MArch program, which you can enter from almost any major as an undergraduate (including engineering, classics, art or design, English, physics, theater, etc.).</p>
<p>Savannah College of Art and Design
<a href="http://www.scad.edu/academic/majors/arch/index.cfm%5B/url%5D">http://www.scad.edu/academic/majors/arch/index.cfm</a></p>
<p>I went to UT Austin and it's a horrid program--2nd rate professors, pretense and unfriendliness beyond belief, worship of English accents and of Harvard (the worst prof there duped them into believing he taught at Oxford cause of his accent and their gullibility) and of SAT scores, fellowships to the richest students in the program (buying future potential donors), snap judgements about students' 'talent' level (within 1-2 weeks by Benedikt, for instance), right-wing town that pretends it's 'liberal', constant sucking up to the power-elite in Texas (the Capital building is 2 blocks away).</p>
<p>I wouldn't go there except as a last resort. </p>
<p>A 5 year BA is the best option because you have a professional degree when you leave. Take art classes, drawing, figure drawing, landscape, perspective, and be HARD on yourself to draw well. Go to museums, galleries, buy design books.</p>
<p>Loads of people THINK they want to be architects but the reality is different. So work at a firm during summers.</p>