<p>I'm sorry if this had been asked before, but what exactly is the difference?</p>
<p>I adore architecture for the life of me, and I love designing, so I thought this would be perfect.</p>
<p>I'm currently in high school (Junior) and I want to know if it is possible to go into an M.arch program straight from high school? I want to get a masters in the field, or at least what I need before I go through the 3 years required of interning/ training and then the exam. So what's the best course?</p>
<p>Lydia, The route to an M.Arch is variable and it seems still in the process of changing. Each school offers different combinations.</p>
<p>The two major paths are </p>
<p>1) Start in a professional architecture program right after highschool. Get a B.Arch only, get an M.Arch only or get a B.Arch then an M.Arch.</p>
<p>2) Get an undergraduate BS or BA degree in architecture studies, art or any thing else that interests you. Then get a separate M.Arch.</p>
<p>All you need to be is an architect is a B.Arch (plus the licensing process). Some schools have eliminated the B.Arch and only offer an M.Arch. Some schools don’t have undergraduate architecture and only offer a 3 or 3.5 year graduate M.Arch. Some schools offer both the B.Arch and M.Arch.</p>
<p>None is best. They are just different paths to the same end. Some take longer (and are therefore more expensive) but you get to study other things along the way. Some are more shorter (and therefore less expensive) but are intensively focused on architecture.</p>
<p>My son has an undergraduate BA degree in art studio/art history. He’s now in a 3.5 year M.Arch graduate program. His fellow M.Arch candidates have a wide range of backgrounds: B.Arch, BS, BA, even Masters in other fields. There really is no best way; just what’s right for you.</p>
<p>So if you’re confused, you can see why. </p>
<p>If you’re sure you want to go directly from highschool into a professional architecture program, you should concentrate on colleges/universities that offer undergraduate programs. If you’re interested in a particular school or schools you should find out what degrees they offer.</p>
<p>For an MArch you can go a lot of different ways;</p>
<p>4+2 BS Arch + MArch
4+3.5 Anything + MArch
5+1.5 BArch + MS Arch</p>
<p>If I had to do it over again I would get a BArch, work for a while, make money, and decide what I wanted to do in the profession before heading back for a Masters. That way you have the only degree you really need for practice and if you get a Masters it is because you want to teach or there is something (or a school) that particularly interests you.</p>
<p>However there is no wrong answer, and the school that most appeals to you may determine the program you end up in.</p>
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