Choosing Between Admission Offers for M.ARCH

College Majors Architecture Major
1

I am a senior bachelor of architectural engineering candidate from Iran seeking graduate studies in architecture in the US, and following my applications I’ve been admitted to a number of universities. I’ve been acquiring for some time about the rankings, faculty and other related information, and I would be thankful for any further insight which would help me make the best choice.

This is the list of universities that I’ve been admitted to, with the financial aid descriptions:

Master of Architecture - Professional:
1 - Arizona State University (TA + full tuition for either fall or spring)
2 - Clemson University
3 - University of Cincinnati (25% scholarship = 8000 $) for first year

Master of Science in Architecture - Post-Professional
4 - Cornell University - 14000$ for first year
5 - Art Center College of Design - 8000$ for each semester until the end of studies
6 - Penn State University - TA + Full tuition for first year
7 - Illinois Institute of Technology

Priorities:
*Like many others, I and my family can’t afford a hefty sum of money. Therefore a rather safer choice would be preferred. Basically my family could offer about 10,000$ a year, but increasing that to 30,000 would be freakishly burdensome!

  • You may wonder why I have applied to both M.ARCH and M.S. My main goal in pursuing graduate studies in the US is deepening my understanding of architecture in my areas of interest (which mainly includes advanced architectural design, architecture and media studies, conceptions of space and research-based design) and strengthen my designing abilities as well. I have been told by senior graduate friends of mine in the US that upon starting an academic career in the US I would broaden my range of interest of even move to another area of specialization. That’s why I thought it would make sense to keep my options flexible and open. That is to say, I am not necessarily looking to become registered, or study for a PhD, but consider myself capable of doing, and enjoying both. Although, a professional career in a specialized area of design is a much more interesting prospect to me.

Thank you in advance for your replies. Any Info would be appreciated.

2

Congrats on your acceptances. :slight_smile:

Are the programs the same length? I mean are they 2, 2.5, 3, or 3.5 years? That can make a big difference on your total cost. I would compare the costs for all the years and see which one is the most feasible for you. Also, merit (if any) vs. FA is a big factor too.

In case you’d like to see how Design Intelligence ranked the Grad schools in the US - here it is: http://i.imgur.com/oExlqSH.jpg

From what you’ve said, Penn State seems to be your best offer since it seems to be the only one that will cost $10K or less per year. I’m assuming that you received FA from Penn State - usually the FA should be the same for the future years but you ought confirm that.

Also, I don’t think it matters too much if you pick Masters in Architecture or Masters of Science in Architecture. They are both professional degrees to where you can obtain your license in Architecture in the US. I don’t know what the rules are for outside the US though. in addition, you ought to look at each program to see what concentrations they offer.

Good luck!!

3

@TheOutlawScholar, I would agree with @NewJersey17 that your first step would be to quantify the cost of each school (including room and board) over the duration of the program and to determine how much debt you would have to incur for each. If you’re not American citizen, your access to loans may be limited so you have to work out how to make up for the cost gaps.

After cost of attendance, the major factor influencing your decision would be your career objective and where you intend to work.

Your MArch choices are all solid, reputable options. I wasn’t able to access the link above but I believe Cincinnati and Clemson are both in Design Intelligence’s top 20. Arizona must be close.

None of these schools has particularly high name recognition outside of their geographic areas. That isn’t to say that their graduates don’t get jobs all over the world: they do, but internships which lead to permanent employment would tend to be more regionally based. Again, you’d have to compare the total costs and think about where you are likely to end up living and working. I believe you could offset some expense through Cincinnati’s co-op program.

I’m less familiar with the MS architecture degree, except that it usually focuses on a subfield of architecture like technology or engineering. An MS that leans toward design technology is a very valuable degree in today’s world, and the salary might justify a hefty loan position.

I’m not sure I understand how Cornell’s MS works. (The information on their website is particularly opaque.) They don’t seem to offer an MS in Architecture per se, but rather an architecture concentration within the program of computer graphics. Cornell, which is highly rated in architecture, is also a leader in architectural technology with interdisciplinary programs among computer science, mechanical engineering and architecture. Professor Don Greenberg is a pioneer in this field. If you can make the money work, Cornell would be an excellent choice, but my guess is that you’d be looking at a shortfall of around $50K a year, and the second year grant may be less than the first.

If, on the other hand, you’re more interested in building design than tech design, then you’d be better off with an MArch. You might also consider working for a couple of years after you get your BArch then reapplying to MArch programs when you have a better idea of your career path.

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Whatever you choose make sure the plan of study is feasible. 2 years could mean 2 years with impossible course load, and given that you’ll have TA duties to deal with and some minimum GPA to keep the scholarship… things could get ugly. Also find out the renewal process.

I concur with Penn State suggestion. The professional degree would be more useful for practicing in the US. The Penn State program is 30 credit hours which is doable in 4 semesters easily, so that’s another benefit of the program. The catch is to find what’s the renewal process?