If you love studying buildings and dream of dedicating your career to designing them, then you are most likely wondering where you can get an architectural education. What choice you make for yourself – a university in Europe or the United States – is up to you, but to make a choice, you need to have an idea about courses in other countries.
What is an architectural school in the United States?
For this article, we defined an architectural school as a school offering a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) degree, which is the minimum degree required to become an architect; however, there are actually several different degrees in architecture. You will need either a Bachelor or Master of Architecture to be able to work as an architect.
The minimum degree for working as an architect is a Bachelor of Architecture. These programs typically run for five years (rather than the four years required for most other bachelor’s degrees), and by the end, you’ll have the coursework and experience you need to pass the architecture registration exam and begin work as an architect. Architectural specialists study, among other things, architectural theory, construction methodology, drawing and structural design.
Some schools also offer Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees in architecture. These four-year programs also teach you the basics of architecture, but they don’t provide enough coursework or work experience to get you started as an architect by themselves.
Some students get these degrees because they want more liberal arts education, they want to work in architecture but not as an architect, or they have not been able to enroll in a Bachelor of Architecture program but want to be well prepared for a Master of Architecture degree.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in architecture, another way to become an architect is to earn a master’s degree in architecture. Architecture graduate programs typically take one to three years, depending on how knowledgeable you are about architecture.
What is an architectural school in the United States?
Do they have a program that interests you?
As stated above, there are several different degrees of an architect, and your first step in finding a school should be to make sure they have one that interests you. If you want to get a Bachelor of Architecture degree so that you can start working as an architect immediately after graduation, a school offering only a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture will not be the best choice for you, no matter how great its program is.
Are specializations offered by the school suitable for you?
Some architectural programs specialize in areas such as eco-friendly design, urban design, or classical architecture. They may also have more opportunities for internships or graduates in certain cities. Your specific interests don’t necessarily have to align with the interests of the school you want to attend, but it can make your classes more interesting and tailored to what you want to learn.
What practical opportunities do they offer?
The best architecture schools offer students practical opportunities to learn what architects do, and you have to make sure that the opportunities offered by the school are consistent with what you want to do. Some schools offer big city experiences, some have international programs, and some require a year-long internship. Think about which options seem best to you and make sure you choose a school that offers what you want.
How do you like the rest of the school?
Even if you specialize in architecture, you won’t be attending an architectural program in a vacuum, so it’s important to learn about the rest of the school. See what dorms are like, what clubs and organizations the school offers, and what you can do off-campus. A tour of the school can also help you get a good idea of whether this school is right for you.
