Tulane
Penn State
Clemson
Washington University in St Louis
D is pursing an Architecture degree next year. She has been accepted to these schools and I am trying to help her with her decision. Thoughts…
@Mopep, congratulations, all solid choices. I would consider the following factors:
What degree she’s pursuing (BS/BA or BArch)
How the financials compare (especially if an MArch is in the picture)
Where she’s likely to want to work, for summer internships as well as after graduation
Her reaction to the environment and culture of the schools (assuming she has visited or plans to visit)
School specific features, such as study abroad programs, other options just in case architecture doesn’t work out
She was going for a BArch until she was accepted into WUSL. Tulane was her top choice with her getting a scholarship for her portfolio. She will visit WUSL to fully visit the campus. We are in the NE where she thought she wld always come back to. Are architecture schools going to a MArch?
@Mopep, Could you please re-phrase your question?
Sorry it made sense at 7am. Are architecture schools starting to get rid of BArch and go to MArch? I believe that was said during our visit to Tulane.
Yes, I think as architecture becomes more complicated (more technology, more sustainability, more specialization) schools are moving away from the BArch toward some combination of a BA/BS/BED+MArch. A handful of schools now offer a 5.0 year undergraduate (non-baccalaureate MArch) but that is not as common as the 4+2.
As long as you fulfill the requirements for admission you can major in just about anything – architecture, art, history, biology etc – and still get into a good MArch program, though the time to complete the degree may vary.
It’s also increasingly common for architects with a BArch to work a few years then go back to school for an MArch, especially at the more design driven firms.
Licensing is a different situation. Although firms encourage licensure, plenty of people with BArchs or MArchs work in architecture but never complete the licensing process.
I would like to throw USC in the mix of schools. Any thoughts of USC?
There is a lot of spread between types of schools, regardless of school degree awarded. A school that is strong in history and theory will be a different experience from one focusing on technical details or one focusing on digital stuff. The 5 year programs (Barch or March) simply don’t have the time to cover all bases in 5 years, so you might only get a couple semesters H&T. My daughter ended up with 7 H&T courses during her BA Arch. Also figure where study abroad and co-op fit into all this - some schools like Drexel, KSU, Northeastern, or Cinci seem to fit a good amount of internship or co-op into the program. Then there’s accelerated licensing which is supposed to be deployed in a select group of schools.
From your student’s schools, depending on her interests and final cost of attendance, I would say Auburn or Clemson, or, as someone mentioned about UMiami and Tulane, if money is no object, awesome schools and awesome cities. But again, it depends on what she’s interested. Clemson has a very strong program in health care design which seems to be very popular these days. Auburn would be an awesome choice if she’s interested in rural architecture, and so on,
@mopep, USC School of Architecture is a very strong option: highly rated, well regarded for design and technology, prestigious alumni, excellent global reputation. Of course your daughter should visit to see how she likes the culture and environment, which would be different from Tulane or WUSTL, but if it’s affordable, then I would think it would be a serious choice.