My son wants to go to arch school!
Got accepted to
UC DAAP
Penn state - landscape arch
Miami university Ohio- arch
NC state -arch
Drexel -Arch
Help- please any input!!!
Congratulations to your son on some fine acceptances!
You may be aware that there are different ways to approach a career in architecture, and that in order to practice in most states (there are exceptions) you need to have either a Bachelor of Architecture or a Master of Architecture.
[I’m not familiar with the requirements for a career in landscape architecture, so I’ll put the Penn State BLA to the side for now, except to say that it’s a highly regarded program, #2 in the Design Intelligence rankings.]
Each of the others has its own professional degree path.
Cinncinnati DAAP is a 4.0 year BS + a 3.0 year MArch (including 1.0 year of co-op)
Miami Ohio is a 4.0 year BA + a 2.0 to 3.0 year MArch
NC State is a 4.0 year BED-A (Bachelor of Environmental Design-Architecture) + a 1.0 year BArch or a 2.0 year MArch.
Drexel is a 6.0 year BArch which includes internships.
So in addition to considering the prestige and culture of each school, you have to look at the endgame, whether it’s a BArch or an MArch and the total cost. There’s also the possibility of getting an MArch at a different school from the undergraduate degree, which may add to the cost.
Drexel, NC State and Cinncinnati offer what is called the “Integrated Path” which intends to shorten the time it takes to get licensed. This is a new-ish program, and I don’t know how effective it has been.
All of these schools are well regarded. BA/BS/BED programs are not ranked, but among MArch programs, Cinncinnati probably has the best country-wide reputation. Internships and industry networks tend to be localized so the location of the school would also be a consideration. I hope your son will be able to visit to get an idea of the culture and environment of each.
Landscape Architecture is very different from regular architecture. Your son is aware of this right?