Help with Architecture Interest

Not necessarily extra classes before you start a MARCH, but an MARCH is two years after a BA.

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BAs usually do not include Physics and Calculus; both are needed before enrolling in Graduate school. I don’t see a structures class in this curriculum either BA in Architecture Curriculum | CCA - Miami University

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Here is the MArch prerequisites for Texas Austin Advanced Standing Degree Requirements | School of Architecture

Thank you for the link! It appears that the Direct Admit option is only for students who did their BS in Architecture at UVA.

All UVA School of Architecture undergraduate students who complete their degree in good academic standing are invited to continue their graduate education at the UVA School of Architecture with guaranteed admission based on:

  • 3.3 cumulative GPA or higher following a student’s 7th semester.

  • 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher in design studios following a student’s 7th semester for students applying to graduate programs in architecture or landscape architecture.

  • Eligible students are guaranteed admission up to two years following their undergraduate graduation from the UVA School of Architecture.

If you don’t mind sharing, where is your D doing her BS and plan to continue with her MArch?

Yes, perhaps BAs in architecture do not have all the prequisites for MARCH. Most BS architect programs will however. If you do a BS in Arch at a school with MARCH programs, then it is often a one year extension. That is what my D did at Northeastern. Those who do the BA track for sure need more prereq work before entering an MARCH. If you do a BA/BS at any other school than your MARCH program, the MARCH will be at least two years depending on your undergrad degree.

I think this discussion really highlights the many variations among MArch programs.The architecture accreditation board dictates the minimum curriculum requirements, but there is still a lot of room for variation in how each school structures its MArch. It’s therefore really important to read the fine print and not assume that the requirements for admission or the time required for a degree are standardized.

Some MArch programs specify that undergraduate courses in physics and calculus are required. Some don’t. Some require one or the other. Some require none. Some offer “catch up” courses in the summer prior to the start of the official program.

There are different designations for compacted MArch programs: advanced placement, advanced standing, equivalency credit. The decision to allow a student to “place out” of a required course is totally at the discretion of the university, and decisions can be arbitrary and inconsistent.

Programs that allow students with undergraduate architecture degrees to continue on to an MArch at the same school tend to be black & white on the time and courses involved. However, moving from one school to another from undergraduate to MArch may involve some grey area as to the time and courses required.

I wouldn’t agree that a BS in architecture would necessarily lead to a better chance of admission to an MArch program (or a faster completion) than a BA in architecture or any other discipline. It really depends on how the MArch is structured.

MArch programs seek to assemble a diverse and balanced class or students from different educational backgrounds and life experiences.

I wonder if you could explain a little further. A year’s tuition for an Ivy MArch runs in the range of $55 to 60K. What kind of grants/scholarships did your daughter’s friends receive that reduced their tuition to $11,000-12000/yr? In my son’s experience, yearly grants of around $10 to 15K, plus teaching assistant stipends are commonly awarded, but funding of $45-50K a year for an MArch would be really, really exceptional.

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Ivy’s give incredible money for M.Archs. Her friend at Princeton is paying $11000/yr tuition. Another at Harvard is paying a similar amount. Not sure if IVY still meets needs. But they are very affordable. Not all will offer great prices. The common award at Yale is like 50% off tuition. Ivy’s are competitive to get into (not like UG), because just about everyone applies. A killer portfolio is a must.

I will not share her current school, but it is a small state school. The kids get into great programs from there, several got into Yale yesterday (mine did not apply to ivy). We are still waiting to hear from several Master’s programs, her first offer was full tuition at another small state school, which was a combo scholarship/assistantship. This one maybe the way to go. Every architect has advised her to not run up debt. She also heard from Tulane with a $35000/yr scholarship, but she is waiting on FA. She has seven more she is waiting on, including her current school.

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Are merit scholarships the norm for master’s programs for architecture? Or is it competitive? Are these scholarships listed on each school’s graduate admission websites?

I am still researching architecture programs for S24.

As parents, are you concerned about how architecture is often described as ‘long hours with little pay; overworked’?

Not listed, but most programs will have some sort of scholarship or funding. It is all about the portfolio. She needs to start researching and getting that together. Competitiveness depends on the year. If your student has teaching experience, it helps immensely. Am I concerned? No, My DD loves it; it is her passion, her happy place. We need to be smart about costs.

In my son’s MArch experience, grants in the amount of $10-15,000 per year were common as were teaching fellowships in later years. Beyond that, the process for awarding grants, scholarships, need based aid (i.e. who gets how much based on what criteria) seems to me to be annoyingly opaque.

For BArchs and any undergraduate degrees my understanding is that need based aid and merit scholarships follow the same guidelines as any other major/program, though decisions may vary by school.

The portfolio is certainly key, but diversity factors also come into play. Both BArch and MArch programs seek to admit students who can bring diverse perspectives to studio discussions, critiques and collaborative projects. In balancing the class, they not only consider gender and race, but also undergraduate institution and major, economic background, age, life and work experience.

I wouldn’t say that a career in architecture means “little pay.” Salaries can be comfortable, albeit lower than other professional careers (e.g., engineering, tech, medicine, law) that require similar expensive and lengthy educations.

Architecture is a broad and varied field with many different types and sizes of firms building many different types and sizes of buildings. Some company cultures are more stressful and pressured than others.

The common factor is that designing and building is a collaborative effort that involves not only other members of the firm but also partnerships, civic agencies, specialists and, of course, the client, so adherence to agreed deadlines is critical to keep the project on track. Hence, some long hours and late nights.