Aspiring Architect help

College Majors Architecture Major
1

<p>Hello everyone, I am currently attending a local Community College in Massachusetts. I don't have the best grades in the world(sitting around a 2.9 GPA)(also looking at about a 65% completion rate.) This is due to the fact that I didn't know what I wanted to due with my life, plus some life crisis that really should go unspoken. I entertained a few different majors and started pursuing a Computer Science Degree; my heart just wasn't that into it. I realized that Architecture is what I have always wanted to do. I never really found out why I took another path, when my entire life I wanted to be an Architect. But enough with the back story, I guess my questions are </p>

<ol>
<li><p>What Associates Degree should i be taking for a Bachelors in Architecture? Or should I be taking advantage of a Liberal Studies Degree, to set up courses for my upcoming degree?</p></li>
<li><p>Due to my lack of GPA and completion rate, I know an Ivy League is kind of out of the question. Should I still be applying to see if I get accepted anyways? </p></li>
<li><p>How good is a degree from UMass Amherst in Architecture? It seems it is more of a arts based degree, which I am not against, but would like to avoid if it isn't the best option to pursue.</p></li>
<li><p>Which Architecture programs in the Northeast should I really be focusing on to make the best out of my higher education? I am looking to stay in the Massachusetts or New Hampshire area. I may be looking to be a commuter, due to the lack of funds I will be receiving from my family.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I didn't start off too great, but I am as determined as ever to become an Architect. I spent the last year practically going in a circle to finally come back to this point of pursuing an Architecture degree. So I have some catching up to do, but I am set on making this my life's work. </p>

<p>Thanks you in advanced for reading this and will be on this forum a lot to get as much information that I can and eventually start helping others with questions like myself.</p>

2

<p>My son wants to be an architect and we have been looking at schools and talking to people. I will tell you what I have learned. </p>

<p>We had a chance to talk to some grad students last summer who were studying architecture in places like RISD, Harvard, Wentworth. Most of them had not studied architecture as undergraduates but rather decided later to do graduate work in architecture.
There is almost no way to become a licensed architect with just a bachelor’s degree. There are only a few bachelor’s programs that are certified. After completing a certified program, usually Masters (MArch), you have to sit for a series of tests. I am pretty sure you get to take them over again if you have to. It literally takes years to complete the tests. You are licensed only when you have completed all of them.</p>

<p>You can work under a licensed architect with just a Bachelor’s Degree without having taken the test but most firms will want people who intend to eventually become certified. </p>

<p>Some architecture programs are very “artsy”. At RISD and at UMass, freshman take a year of visual arts before beginning to take architecture courses. Other programs are more on the construction and technical side, places like Wentworth. There you probably need a little more math and will learn some drawing and some CAD.
There are a lot of ways to get into architecture so what you want to do is take courses you like.
If you are doing an Associate’s now, you may want to ask yourself which credits will transfer to a Bachelor’s. Most architecture programs are very rigid and you are not likely to be able to transfer a lot of those credits to an architecture major. But that is just my opinion and you should ask someone in guidance to help you find out if that is true.
However, if you take the path that you can get a bachelor’s in something else and then get a Master’s in Architecture, it may be a faster path for you.
If you are interested in city planning, for example, you may be able to transfer your credits to Worcester State or Westfield State where they have some planning courses or to Bridgewater where they have a Geography major and study land use and environment. Or you can do more with CAD now and get a more technical undergrad degree, maybe civil engineering at UMass Lowell.
Any of those would be good beginnings for architecture.
If you are only starting the Associate’s, and you find that the credits won’t transfer to a place like Wentworth or UMass, then you may want to stop and think about just applying to architecture schools.
I talk too much. I hope I have not overwhelmed you.
One more thing…some of these schools are going to be having open houses where you can go to get more information. Check their websites and go. The open houses at UMass Lowell, WPI, and Wentworth were very helpful. You can ask them about how hard it is to transfer credits and what they would suggest.
Whatever…good luck to you and follow your dreams.</p>

3

<p>TT, architectsmom has given you some good advice, but I’d just like to clarify a couple of points. </p>

<p>The Bachelors of Architecture (B.Arch) is an undergraduate degree that allows you to practice architecture. The B.Arch usually takes 5 years to complete and there are dozens of programs at US universities. Wikipedia has a good list of B.Arch programs.</p>

<p>The B.Arch is different from a bachelors of art or a bachelors of science in architecture, architectural studies or any other major. You cannot practice architecture with a BA or a BS. No matter what your major you would need to get a Master’s of Architecture (M.Arch). </p>

<p>The M.Arch takes between 2 to 3.5 years depending on your undergraduate program. You can be admitted to an M.Arch program with a B.Arch, a BA/BS in architecture studies, or a BA/BS in any thing else. You do need to submit a portfolio and to have taken courses in art, art history and in most cases calculus and physics.</p>

<p>The licensing process comes on top of the B.Arch or M.Arch. It can take 4 to 5 years and includes a series of exams and specified work experience in various architectural areas.</p>

<p>Some firms will only hire B.Arch/M.Arch holders who have completed or are in the process of completing the licensing process. Some firms don’t care. </p>

<p>Many architects, including some very famous ones, are not licensed. This restricts them from signing off on plans and other legalities, but don’t prevent them from designing. I think getting licensed is a good thing, but it isn’t strictly necessary for a career in architecture.</p>

<p>So, for you TT, the first step is to decide whether you want to pursue a B.Arch or a BA/BS + an M.Arch. The B.Arch is more intense but is faster and less expensive. But because you already have undergraduate credits you may be better off finishing your BA or BS and going for an M.Arch. At this point you should explore both options.</p>

<p>For the B.Arch I’d look at Boston Architectural College and Northeastern. For a BA/BS, choose any college/university that you like and can afford, even if they don’t offer an architecture major. You can major in art, art history or anything else and still get into an M.Arch program.</p>

4

<p>First off, I want to thank Architectsmom and Momrath for their time in replying to my post with such detail. You both have helped me a TON! You both have made it very clear on what the path will look like and what I have to start thinking about to pursue a career in Architecture.</p>

<p>I think the best step for me would be just trying to get into a B.Arch program. but having the back up of going into a BA/BS in a related field and then applying to a M.Arch program is nice to fall back on if my credits don’t transfer over too well. </p>

<p>Now i just need to start contacting different schools admissions office and get all my questions answered about my credits that apply to which programs. </p>

<p>Thanks again, best of luck to you both!</p>

5

<p>Just a warning–if you are able to transfer into a BArch program, you will most likely have to start as a first year student even if all your credits transfer. When my daughter started the BArch program at Penn State, a few students that were not freshmen joined the program. A few were sophmores or juniors at Penn State, at least one transferred from another school’s BA or BS architecture program. They all had to complete 5 years in the BArch program. One reason is that there were a series of 10 studio classes that had to be taken sequentially, so it took 10 semesters. I think you are likely to find the same at other schools, so going the route of finishing a BS or BS in something else (art-related, possibly) then going for a MArch may take you the same amount of time as the BArch. Also, admission to BArch programs is very competitive. If you are interested in UMass Amherst, you should contact the architecture department there to discuss your situation and get advice on the best way to get into their program and contact the other schools (as you have stated.) Good luck.</p>

6

<p>Good luck, Tony. And work on the study skills. Whether you go the BA/BS plus masters route or the BArch route. You have to convince another school that you are up to the task. Several, bit not all, architecture programs require applicants so submit a portfolio. If you are not big into art, you want to make sure you can do the math in a more tech focused program or an architectural engineering program. Go to the bookstore and sit in the architecture corner. Make sure you enjoy the reading, not just the photos. It is not going to be an easy road but people who follow their hearts come out way in front in life. And if you are looking at maybe transferring credits, look into landscape architecture at UMass Amherst. It is not architecture but it is interesting and what you learn there will only help when you do get an MArch.</p>