<p>My son is trying to decide between RISD and Pratt for Architecture. All other things being equal , what do people know about the programs? RISD arch. students start with a foundation year (with all other students) At Pratt, students jump right into the Arch.program. I noticed that Pratt has quite alot of "visiting instructors" or "assistant instructors". What does that say about the quality of the teaching (a professional in their field does not always = a professional teacher!) RISD also has a fair amount of visiting instructors- though not as many. RISD's program includes a 6 week "wintersession" a time when students can step out of their major (or not) and concentrate on another interest (can also travel, intern). I've heard that RISD's program is heavy on hand drawing and lags behind in teaching/use of technology based methods. (stuck in the old days?) I don't know about Pratt.
I am biased towards RISD. My perception is that it has a better rep. Of course there is also the fact that I went there (for fine arts).I will say that RISD's public relations is FAR superior to Pratts- RISD has returned every call, email etc. within hours- Pratt has not returned ONE query- in days, weeks. kinda frustrating.</p>
<p>I’m not too familiar with the difference between the programs (Though I applied to and got into Pratt), but I’ve heard that Pratt gets you the best connections in NYC - So think about where your son wants to work after graduation.</p>
<p>When I was in NY Pratt had a reputation for producing well prepared technical and production architects. RISD students were more art and design focused. The reason Pratt has so many visiting critics is because of its location in NY where it is very easy to bring in outstanding practitioners as critics. Pratt however, was located in a pretty rough part of town. Personally I would rather be at an art focused school next to Brown, but I’m sure each school would provide a solid foundation.</p>
<p>rickdm</p>
<p>I have a B.Arch from Pratt. However, I did earn it back in 1989, so my experience might be a bit different than someone going through the program today.</p>
<p>Pratt has made very good progress in updating its facilities. The School of Architecture building has been renovated and expanded so that you can work there 24 hours a day, as is the case with many schools of architecture.</p>
<p>Rick’s statement that Pratt is in a rough part of town is a bit dated. The neighborhood has gone through a real transformation and is now an expensive part of Brooklyn. Myrtle Avenue is full of trendy shops and cafes. I was really impressed with the way the area and the campus had improved since the 1980’s.</p>
<p>At Pratt, you didn’t learn much in the way of technical stuff (except maybe for structural calculations), but you came out a very good thinker and conceptual designer. All the technical and project management aspects of the profession I had to learn on the job.</p>
<p>If your son would like to be in NYC, then Pratt is definitely the choice to consider. </p>
<p>Honestly, I feel that all architects should have to go to NYC to get some practical experience. There’s really no place like it for architects. Really.</p>