| I've not found much talk here on any school that is not at or near the top of the pile. Wonderful places and all, but not everyone can attend. -If you find a forum that discusses other arch programs please come back here and tell us where it is as this place is littered with unanswered requests for info on the 'lesser' schools. There are other valid pathways like what you are exploring. The Arch Dean at (I think) UMaryland told me it's good that there are so many different pathways and different schools or the planet would be covered in identical buildings.... Then he said find what works for you and don't look back.
I looked into BAC, but only briefly as it felt to me that a day job and night school living on my own was a bit more than I was ready for, so I can't really help you on that.
As I understand it (and please any Architects out there correct me if I'm wrong), there are three components to becoming licenced;
1. Education, minimum accredited would be either a BArch, or an MArch after a BS, quickest is a 5 yr BArch. Been told the future industry standard will be MArchI or MArchII.
2. Job experience, I'm not sure on the details but it seems to be three years min. Don't know how it's tallied.
3. Exam, once qualified to sit for the exams you have to pass them. I found and interesting site through the NAAB that gives the pass rates for all the schools for all the different exams. Very interesting. The varying numbers of takers from each for each of the different exams, plus the fails indicates that it's not a slam dunk.
OK, thinking out loud here, BAC overlaps the school and work to get you ready in 6.5 yrs. Are you working 52 weeks a year? Is the school year round also. How does that work?
Plan B could be a 5 yr BArch at a co-op school, have you looked into any?. Working the required co-op semesters plus summers could get you done in 6.5 years as well.
The only kid from my town to get and arch degree did so at UCBerkeley. Got his BS in Arch in 3.5 yrs. (had lots of hs AP credits and took classes at Berkeley one summer). He plans on going back for a MArch, but wanted to get the work experience out of the way first. He's having so much fun working in LA the last four years (lives 2 blocks from the ocean and rides his bike 1 mile to his office) that he says applying to grad school isn't even on his radar yet.
Well, enough for my random thoughts,
-sara |