best southern arch colleges

<p>I am planning to transfer soon from a college w/out an arch program to one w one. I was wondering what ya'll think is the better ones between these: Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Lsu, Tulane, Univ Arkansas, OSU, OU....i already know abut where UT and Rice would stand. but im wondering about these other universities. And I know that some are BArch and others are MArch programs.</p>

<p>I’d put Tulane above the others in a heartbeat for architecture. Granted, I went to TU (not for arch) so I’m biased. Being in New Orleans as an architecture student is like studying cooking in france. The city has so much Spanish and French architecture and great representations of Italian, German, French, and Spanish cathedrals. One of my favorite things is when you come to streets where the different cultures meet and on one side of the brick street you’ll have Spanish structures and on the other side you’ll have French structures. The quality of the schools aside (where I believe TU still has the edge), New Orleans is too good to pass up. Best of Luck.</p>

<p>The University of Virginia has an outstanding architecture program. These are the degrees they offer:</p>

<p>Undergraduate Programs</p>

<p>Bachelor of Architectural History
Bachelor of Science in Architecture
Bachelor of Urban and Environmental Planning
For more information regarding Undergraduate admissions, please visit Undergraduate Admissions. </p>

<p>Graduate Programs – Apply Now!</p>

<p>Master of Architectural History
Master of Architecture
Master of Landscape Architecture
Master of Urban and Environmental Planning </p>

<p>Also WUSTL, though St. Louis may be considered more midwest than south.</p>

<p>If you still are open to other options, Virginia Tech is definitely another southern school with a tremendous architecture program. Theirs is a 5 yr. B. Arch. program. The problem is in the transferring into architecture. At VT anyway, you are most likely looking at another 5 yrs. added onto your schooling. </p>

<p>I have read a lot of good reports about the Landscape arch program at LSU, but not as much about straight arch. Good luck to you!</p>

<p>Design Intelligence ranks undergraduate and graduate architecture programs, and the 2010 rankings just came out a couple of weeks ago. If you’d like to be in the southeast, you may want to consider Clemson and Auburn, too. Both have good programs.</p>

<p>The only thing which we found with Clemson is that it is a 4 year program that is NOT pre-professional. This means you have to do a 3 year masters vs. a 2 year masters progam which you would do after UVa.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone who has replied.</p>

<p>Benetode thanks for your input. One of the top reasons I am considering Tulane, despite the costs, is because of the city’s architecture. Granted, I have only really visited parts of the French Quarter but I still love what time I have spent there.</p>

<p>KandKsmom- I have also heard about how good LSU’s Landscape arch program is, but not as much as just regular architecture. It’s good to know I haven’t missed anything.</p>

<p>Psi thanks for telling me Design Intelligence’s 2010 rankings have come out, I didn’t realise it. In the rankings (at least without buying it), I have only been able to find reference to the quality of UT, Rice, and Auburn. So if anyone knows/has an opinion about any of the other colleges I posted I would greatly appreciate earing your opinion.</p>

<p>Thanks again to all that have replied.</p>

<p>southerngrl- last year’s DI report included the Cramer report on architecture programs. Without going into detail on the methodology, this report scored programs on various factors, maximum score possible was 485. The top-scoring schools were grouped into the categories listed below, which may give you an idea of relative ranking of some of the schools that have been mentioned in this thread (at least based on this particular report). </p>

<p>With Highest Distinction (score 468-477) Auburn, UT-Austin, Va Tech, UVa
With High Distinction (455-467) Tx A&M, Rice, Clemson
With Notable Distinction (441-453) Arkansas, OSU (and Miss State)
With Distinction (435-440) OU (and U of Houston)
Not listed: LSU</p>

<p>You might check out posts from rick12, an architect in Dallas, who frequently commented on the quality of several southern architecture programs based on his firm’s experience in recruiting and hiring. His posts were very informative in this regard.</p>

<p>I will comment on what I see for the schools in the SW area;</p>

<p>UT and Rice are at the top.
Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Kansas State are very solid schools.
Texas Tech, Arkansas, and LSU, are OK.
I would not recommend either Texas A&M or Oklahoma.
Don’t see enough Tulane graduates to make a judgement.</p>

<p>Further East I have a lot of respect for Auburn, Clemson, and Florida.</p>

<p>I have not mentioned this before, but I have two sons who are entering college next year and one wants to be an architect. Great kid, but he is not like my daughter who pretty much had her choice of any architecture school in the country. He is applying to Oklahoma State, Clemson, Texas Tech, and Tulane. I am not crazy as a parent about Tulane and its $52,000 a year tuition, however he knows how much money he is going to receive from us. I have never shown him the architecture school rankings and have let him make his choices based on the campuses where he feels he will fit in and be happy. As I have to keep reminding myself, it’s not my life…</p>

<p>rick</p>

<p>Forgot to mention UT Arlington. Very solid program, currently led by the former Dean at Tulane; Don Gatzke. Two of the three best designers I have hired over the last 17 years have come from this program.</p>

<p>rick</p>

<p>Thanks a lot rick. I just recently learned you were an architect in Dallas, and I really wanted an employers perspective from the schools’ region. So many thanks, your comments have helped me alot.</p>

<p>southerngrl</p>

<p>University of Texas has a ton of great profs and they are collaborative with MIT.</p>