Basic Information On Architecture Degrees

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There are 125 schools offering professional architecture degree programs in the United States and Canada. Out of necessity you will need to limit carefully the number of schools you wish to investigate. Since these programs look primarily to prepare students for potential careers in architecture, you should also consider issues of architectural licensure as well as many educational variables. Some of these issues are personal and others pertain to the schools you are considering. We will begin here with the basic facts about licensure.

Routes to Licensure. To begin with, you should understand the overall routes to becoming a registered architect. Regulation of the profession of architecture, including the licensing of practitioners, is a function of each US state/territory or Canadian province exercising its power to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people. The entire path to licensure requires eight to ten years - five to seven years in school plus a three-year internship. The internship years are spent as a salaried employee in an architectural or related practice working under the supervision of registered professionals. After you meet the internship requirements you will be required to pass a comprehensive examination. Once you fulfill the education, internship and examination requirements of a jurisdiction, you can become a "licensed" or "registered" architect.

You should be aware that each state or jurisdiction registers architects by its own set of requirements. The requirements are generally consistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but there are variations. These variations should not be an influence in your selection of any architectural program. All jurisdictions have an education requirement which may be satisfied by earning a professional degree in architecture accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) in the United States or the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) in Canada. Many registration boards requiring a professional degree in architecture from an NAAB/CACB-accredited program also accept other education assessed as equivalent (e.g., a professional degree in architecture from a foreign institution). Not all boards require a professional degree from an accredited program to satisfy their education requirements. Some boards require a pre-professional degree in architecture, while others require a bachelor's degree in any subject. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) in the US and the Committee of Canadian Architectural Councils (CCAC) have established standards and criteria that most licensing boards have adopted as their standard for admission to licensing examinations. Satisfaction of these requirements facilitates initial and subsequent reciprocal licensure. For the most up-to-date information regarding particular state requirements, contact NCARB or CCAC.

In general, it is best to pursue your professional architectural education in the country in which you intend to practice and be registered. However, in the past several years discussions regarding reciprocity between countries (such as essentially exists between the United States and Canada) have been promising and may lead to an easy transfer between countries in the near future.

Accredited Degrees. The final issue to understand before you begin your selection process concerns the issue of an "accredited professional degree program." The NAAB and the CACB, the national architecture accrediting bodies in the United States and Canada respectively, determine whether schools of architecture meet certain minimum education criteria.

It is worth emphasizing that schools of architecture are not accredited - only specific professional degree programs are accredited. Most schools offer only one or two accredited architectural degrees, but may have other related degree programs. For example, a school of architecture may offer a program in historic preservation or architectural engineering as well as the accredited professional architecture degree program. Much of the course work may be the same, but if you plan to pursue licensure, you may encounter registration difficulties later in your career unless the program in which you are enrolled is the NAAB- or CACB-accredited professional degree program.

Having a degree that is accredited is important for meeting the educational qualifications necessary to take most states' architectural licensing examinations. The requirements vary from state to state and province to province, even from year to year, despite attempts by NCARB and CCAC to achieve uniformity. For up-to-date requirements, check with your jurisdiction's registration board. Generally, the schools will know the advantages or disadvantages of their degree programs relative to the law in their state.

Accreditation does not mean that all schools are the same. Every program has its special features and unique philosophy. Some schools offer many options while others have a more defined program. A single school may offer several accredited professional degree programs-for example, it may offer both a five-year undergraduate degree for high school graduates, and a three-and-a-half-year graduate degree intended for people who already have a degree in another field. A professional degree program is accredited by the same standards whether it leads to a Bachelor of Architecture or a Master of Architecture degree.

A new school of architecture cannot have a program accredited by NAAB until its first professional class has graduated. If the program is then accredited, most state registration boards will consider the accreditation as retroactive for two years so that the first class can benefit from accreditation. If you are considering a school that is not accredited, check with the registration boards in the jurisdictions in which you plan to practice about their rules. A few simple questions put to the schools you are considering will give you a very clear picture of their accreditation status. Suggested questions are listed at the end of this section.

The basic information above applies to everyone pursuing a career as a registered architect. Now the selection process becomes a little more difficult because you must also consider personal variables. For example, not all students studying architecture will become registered architects. Some may decide during their studies that they would rather be landscape architects or perhaps manage an architectural office rather than practice architecture in the traditional sense. The good part of considering these and other variables is that choosing a career in architecture is not just choosing a single track; many career options are available because schools of architecture celebrate and encourage diversity.

Architecture Degrees

All degrees outside of the field of architecture are referred to as non-architecture degrees. This title generally describes degrees in fields such as philosophy, biology, engineering, and also undesignated Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees. These undesignated BA or BS degrees often provide opportunities for a major or minor in architectural studies or environmental design offered through a liberal studies program. The proportion of architectural studies in the BA or BS major usually does not exceed 50% of the four-year program and may or may not provide for advanced standing in a professional architecture degree program. Architecture degrees fit into one of the four following categories:

1. Pre-professional architecture degree.
This term refers to architecturally-focused four-year degrees that are not professional degrees (and thus cannot be accredited). These degrees have such titles as BS in Architecture, BS in Architectural Studies, BA in Architecture, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Architectural Studies, etc.; the amount of architecture work in the program varies and will determine the length of time required to complete further professional architecture studies.

2. Professional architecture degree.
A professional architecture degree is one that may be accredited by NAAB or CACB. Accredited degrees are required by most jurisdictions for licensure as an architect. These degrees are either the Bachelor of Architecture (B Arch) degree or the Master of Architecture (M Arch) degree. The Bachelor of Architecture normally requires at least five years to complete. The Master of Architecture requires from one to five years to complete depending on the individual student's previous education. When the master's degree follows a four-year, pre-professional architecture degree, it represents the "two" in the term "four-plus-two" program, and is the final portion of the professional phase of the study program.

3. Post-professional architecture degree.
This is a graduate degree offered to students who already have a professional degree in architecture. Such degree programs are not accredited by NAAB and CACB. The degrees may be in highly specialized areas of study such as design theory, health care facilities, preservation, interior design, solar design, etc. This type of degree can be either a master's degree or, in a few cases, a PhD or other doctorate.

4. Non-professional graduate architecture degree.
This title refers to graduate degrees in architecture offered to students who do not have a professional degree and wish to pursue non-professional graduate work in architecture. These programs vary widely in duration and degree title.

Paths To The Professional Degree

There are three usual paths to obtaining the professional degree in architecture:

1. Obtaining a Bachelor of Architecture degree;
2. Obtaining a pre-professional degree plus a professional Master of Architecture degree; the program commonly referred to as the "four-plus-two" route falls in this category; or3. Obtaining a four-year non-architecture degree plus a three- to four-year professional Master of Architecture degree.

The majority of students enter architecture through the first two routes; however, an explanation of all three options is merited:

The professional bachelor of architecture degree is often the most expeditious means of obtaining the professional degree required for licensure. This route normally requires a minimum of five years of study followed by a three-year internship.

Although a five-year program provides the quickest route to satisfy the academic requirements for licensure, speed is not necessarily synonymous with what may be best for every individual. Many Bachelor of Architecture programs begin with a concentration of architecture courses in a fairly prescribed manner, although some schools begin with a general course of instruction. Electives tend to be few and exposure to other fields limited. As a result, the approximately 50 percent of entering students who do not complete the program may have difficulty moving into another area without some loss of credit.

Many Bachelor of Architecture programs, however, have devised curriculum structures which allow for quite a bit of flexibility. These programs are broken into yearly components of 2+3, 1+4, 3+2, 4+1, etc. These breaks indicate logical entry and exit points from the various phases of the full five-year program. In most schools the student's work is carefully reviewed before advancement to the next phase. Such points provide a relatively easy means of transfer into an architecture program; transfer to another institution, particularly between degrees; or transfer to another academic discipline. The logical break points may also be used by the faculty to transfer out students who have demonstrated little progress. The early segments of the curriculum mix "pre-professional" design courses with liberal arts and often serve as a common base for several different environmental design disciplines such as architecture, landscape architecture, industrial design, graphic design, etc.

Most professional degree programs also accept transfer students at the designated break points, but transfer credit is usually evaluated on an individual course-by-course and case-by-case basis. While the structure of some programs makes it relatively easy for a professional school to accept transfer students from both junior colleges and other colleges, it is recommended in most instances that a student considering an architecture degree start directly either at the professional school or at a school with a pre-professional program (many "feeder" programs cannot match the academic depth, library and faculty resources, and extracurricular activities of the professional schools). Cost should not be an automatic deterrent, because most schools are able to offer financial aid. Although some students may find it financially necessary to begin their college education at a community or junior college, for students who are sure that architecture is to be their chosen career field, the five-year professional degree programs offer excellent opportunities. Students seeking slightly more flexibility should also examine five-year programs offering logical curriculum decision points.

The pre-professional degree plus professional master's degree is the other predominant route to obtaining a professional architecture degree. This route normally requires six years to complete, followed by a three-year internship. The flexibility in the program is readily apparent. At the end of four years the student has a college degree and may decide to continue in architecture and get the professional master's degree, spend a year or two working for an architect, or change disciplines and pursue study in other design-related fields. Or the graduate may decide at this point to shift careers completely and/or seek an advanced degree outside the design field.

Pre-professional programs are not professionally accredited and vary widely with respect to title, emphasis, electives, requirements, and specific architecture offerings. They are, however, preparatory for advanced architectural or other environmental design fields. The four-year pre-professional program may be subdivided into two phases, usually of two years each. The pre-architecture program may have only basic introductory courses in architecture with the majority of the course work focusing on the arts, humanities, and sciences. The typical program, like the subdivided five-year professional programs, offers a highly flexible program that matches individual levels of achievement by providing a general education in the early years. While this may frustrate many who want to immerse themselves quickly in architecture, it does provide time for experiencing a wider range of subjects, allowing the maturing student a better opportunity to make career choices. Ideally, the extra courses in the humanities and social sciences will give students a broader background from which to start their professional education.

For those who ultimately receive advanced degrees in design areas other than architecture-or in non-architecture subjects (such as business or structural engineering)-the four-year degree may be preferable to the five-year professional program in minimizing course work and time. One other advantage of a four-plus-two program is the potential for earning the professional degree at an institution other than where the undergraduate work was completed.

The graduate degree component of the four-plus-two path is the professional NAAB- or CACB-accredited degree. This degree is most appropriate for students who have a four-year, pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture. The course of study generally takes two years; however, at some schools, up to three years is required. These programs are designed to provide the professional education of the student as well as provide an opportunity for independent and creative exploration. It is imperative that the master's degree be accredited if the student wishes to obtain the professional degree and licensure.

In addition to the standard four-plus-two path, the NAAB has recently recognized a five-and-a-half-year Master of Architecture program, which may be entered directly from high school. In this case, students enroll in a program that may lead directly to a Master of Architecture degree, following a curriculum that is similar to that of a Bachelor of Architecture program. Students must be expressly accepted into the university's graduate school in order to pursue the final phase of this degree. Those who do not qualify for graduate study have the option of completing a non-professional undergraduate degree, with the possiblity of pursuing the master's degree in one of the more traditional paths at another institution. Several schools are now considering converting their B Arch programs over the coming years to M Arch programs, either along the lines described above or by offering a bachelor's degree and an M Arch simultaneously at the end of a five- or five-and-a-half-year period of study.

The non-architecture degree plus professional master's degree path is the third route available, but is the least travelled option. This route normally requires seven-and-a-half years of study (a four-year undergraduate degree plus a three-and-a-half-year Master of Architecture degree), followed by a three-year internship. This route is usually taken by those who have embarked on a career other than architecture and later decide to study architecture. Many people enter the profession this way; their average age is in the late twenties and their undergraduate backgrounds range across every imaginable discipline. Students entering the profession this way are usually quite mature and serious about their studies. This course of study requires three to four years beyond the undergraduate degree. The immersion into architecture is quick and very intense. Some schools provide all of the education at the graduate level, while others will admit degree holders into their professional master's program with "deficiencies." This means that preparatory undergraduate course work must first be successfully completed before formal admittance to the graduate program. Like the two-year Master of Architecture degree, however, the three-and-a-half year M Arch may be a fully NAAB- or CACB-accredited professional degree program, and successful graduates have professional education credentials equal to those with a B Arch or other M Arch.

Course Work

Now that the degrees have been described, the next step is to understand what courses you will be taking. There exist as many curricula as there are programs in architecture, and in many schools there are a number of options that lead to the completion of the degree requirements. The following illustrations are not intended as ideals. They simply describe the more common components of the study of architecture at most schools.

In a B Arch program, and to a lesser extent in the four-year non-professional degrees, the primary concentration is design, in both credit hours and time. In some schools "design" may be a required course every semester. It is almost always a studio course, and certain aspects of an actual or hypothetical architectural problem are emphasized. The student, either individually or as a member of a team, working with a faculty "critic," finishes a project with a preliminary design solution for the problem, which is graphically (and often verbally) presented. For centuries "juries" of faculty and professionals have been used to discuss and evaluate the student solutions-undoubtedly the best-remembered experiences of nearly all students. Ideally, knowledge from other courses is applied in the design studio.

Typically, several non-architectural disciplines play key roles in determining architectural solutions-the behavioral sciences, engineering (structural and mechanical), and economics, to name a few of the more obvious. While some schools have made concerted efforts to teach these and other disciplines in an integrated studio situation, in many programs the actual instruction is still provided in discrete courses-sometimes in the architecture department, sometimes in other colleges.

Most architecture graduates do not become principal designers in architectural offices, and there is some criticism that too much emphasis is placed on the design studio without enough attention given to technical instruction. Others fervently argue that the role of the architecture school is not to develop technical skills; rather, it is to provide a broad framework of knowledge and a basic understanding of the desired objectives-realizing that five or six years of formal education cannot possibly provide all the necessary training an architect will ultimately need. But nearly everyone working on an architectural project will at some point be required to make a decision about what materials should be used or how they will be applied. Literally thousands of details must be resolved before the building is completed. To this extent everyone is a "designer," and this in part explains the emphasis on design in architecture schools.

A typical architecture program will recognize the importance of graphic skills and early instruction will be given in freehand drawing and graphic delineation. Various media will be explored, including pencil, ink, color, and often computer graphics. Common to many schools is an introductory course in architecture, which may range from a sampling of various aspects of the profession to an overview of the historical development of human building activities. In a sense it is a preview of future courses. Many programs will require at least one course in basic design or composition preparatory to architectural design, sometimes offered by the art department, to develop a fundamental understanding of both two- and three-dimensional forms. This course or courses may conclude with direct applications to a specific architectural problem, beginning the transition to more complex design problems. In addition to its use as a presentation medium, computer-aided design (CAD) is also taught as an increasingly important design tool that may be integrated into later design studio courses.

The problem of designing a structure to withstand the forces of gravity, wind, and earthquakes is usually addressed through another series of courses. Beginning with algebra, trigonometry, and physics, most schools require at least one course in calculus and descriptive geometry before the introduction of engineering statics (a development of the study of vector forces, from elementary physics). There may be an additional course on structural materials, particularly in engineering-oriented programs. The actual structures courses may proceed in various sequences by reference to the type of structural element (beam, column, etc.) or the structural material itself (wood, steel, reinforced concrete). Each material has different characteristics and requires separate considerations, but the ultimate objective in the engineering sense is to determine the most efficient and economical system that can be coordinated with the design solution. Obviously, the design affects the structural system and vice versa. Today, most final structural calculations are done by engineering specialists. A mastery of structural calculations is not essential for the architect, but an understanding of structural principles and material properties is. Again, the emphasis in this area will vary widely.

Specialists exist for nearly every aspect of professional practice: programming, specifications, contracts, cost estimating, construction supervision, site planning, interiors, acoustics, lighting, heating and air conditioning, and electrical and structural design. If you look through the offerings in the catalogs of several academic programs you will probably find courses covering each of these and other subjects. They may be either required or optional, or may be integrated into a broader course such as "architectural technology," "professional practice," "contract documents," or "building systems."

Fundamental to most programs is a sequence of courses in architectural history, sometimes including theory. In a few instances these courses are taught in art departments, but nearly always include discussion of not only what humankind has constructed since the pyramids, but how and why. A thorough understanding of the differences in style and technologies of our predecessors provides the foundation for understanding our present culture relative to its building needs.

Communication is essential to human endeavor. Some schools may require or suggest a speech or writing course in addition to native language requirements; in any event, a good command of language skills is indispensable. Most architects spend a great deal of time communicating their ideas in both written and spoken form. You might be surprised to learn that it is not uncommon for senior architects in a large firm to have offices without drawing boards!

Interspersed with architectural or technical support courses are electives. Most programs offer a solid rationale for a strong education in the humanities and social sciences to parallel the professional offerings. While the demand for skills often tends to crowd out the so-called liberal arts offerings, most educators and professionals realize that architecture should not and cannot be practiced in isolation from the rest of our culture. A school may require the student to select a "directed" sequence of perhaps three courses in one field as well as attempt to provide a diverse exposure to some of the many studies important to architecture-such as psychology, philosophy, history, geography, economics, urban studies, literature, sociology, and political science. The first two years in undergraduate architecture programs typically have a greater emphasis in the elective areas to establish a student's academic breadth. It is not uncommon to find programs that have few, if any, architecture courses in the first two years, particularly in the schools whose first degree in architecture is pre-professional.

The actual number and designation of courses, their prerequisites, and sequences are the subject of many hours of discussion in virtually every faculty. Some schools will have far greater concentrations in some areas and offer little, if anything, in other areas.

The general study described above, however, is basically descriptive of most programs, whether they lead to the five-year professional degree or the four-plus-two Bachelor of Arts (or Science) in Architecture or Environmental Studies, followed by a Master of Architecture. Despite the major differences and minor nuances in the programs of the professional schools in the United States and Canada, their graduates collectively have fundamentally similar attributes with, of course, a wide variance in achievement across the range of graduates.