- Everywhere I go to do research on architecture schools, how the programs work, etc., I see that people say architecture students have extremely busy schedules and tend to pull lots of all nighters. Some articles even go to an extent where they say architect students "have no social life". While I don't doubt that they have a heavy workload, I don't understand exactly how much they have to do, and I hope I'm correct to say that architects do get /some/ free time. How often do architecture students have schedules so full that they have no time for anything else and/or have to pull all nighters, and how true is the "no social life" notion?
- What is the difference between a B.A. or B.S. in architecture like at UC Berkeley, a B.Arch like at Cal Poly SLO, and an undergrad M.Arch like at Tulane?
Thanks in advance for the help!
The 4.0 year BA or BS in architecture or architecture studies is a non-professional degree. You may be able to get a position with an architecture firm with a BA/BS, but you will not be able to undertake the process to become a licensed architect. (There are exceptions in some States. I believe California is one, but I don’t know the details.)
With a BA/BS, in order to become licensed, you would need to also get an MArch which can take from 1.0 to 3.5 years depending on the individual program.
The 5.0 year BArch is a professional degree with which you can become licensed. The 5.0 year undergraduate MArch is essentially the same degree as the BArch, though for the life of me, I don’t understand why it is allowed to be called a Master’s.
Generally speaking, the BArch is more narrowly focused on architecture than the BA/BS, which allow for more experimentation in other disciplines and electives. Because of the intensity and because it may be difficult for high school students to fully grasp what they’re getting into, BArch programs have a high drop out rate.
Cost may also be a factor: The BArch may be the least expensive option. The BA/BS+MArch may cost more because it takes longer. I say “may” because the total cost depends greatly on the financial aid you may receive as an undergraduate, which varies widely from school to school.
Whether BArch or even BA/BS students have “no social life” depends a lot on the culture of the institution and the dedication of the individual student. There’s no doubt that the studio eats up a huge portion of the architecture student’s time and energy. Whether this precludes the student from exploring normal campus activities like sports, music, partying or joining a fraternity/sorority also seems to vary widely.
@momrath
Thank you very much 
The social life aspect depends heavily on the student’s ability to nail a specific project the first time (fat chance) and the student’s ability to stop when he/she feels it’s good enough. If the student is a perfectionist or prone to last minute redesigns, all nights are not uncommon. If physical model building or heavy duty renderings are involved, all nighters are also typical.
The studio culture and means available to students are also important. If the school is heavier into drafting/sketching/model making that may require more studio presence than a more ‘digital’ school. If there’s more conceptual work vs if there’s more ‘design a building for xxx’, again, all those play into the picture.
In my daughter’s case (graduating in May with a BA Arch and headed to grad school) the first couple years were the ‘sleep in studio’ years then as more and more work was digital studio lost its appeal as a gathering place. At that point, it is paramount that you have your own room in an apartment or dorm because I can’t think of a roommate that would tolerate 3-4 am sleep times… Likewise the first couple years were more into buulding physical models the hard way while year 3 and later was all laser cut, 3d printing, etc…
@turbo93
Very helpful, thank you! 