kjofkw

Lori,
Miami Ohio is accredited -- but the Masters degree not the undergrad degree (It is a 4+2 program). I'm not sure about double majors, but they REQUIRE a concentration in an area not related to the major with the thematic sequence. They also require a lot of LAC type courses with their Miami Plan, which you can sometimes focus into a type of concentration.
It is not ranked up there with the other schools, but seems to have a very solid program, especially for anyone who is not 100% sure about architecture. While they stress a LAC education, there will still be 4 full years of studio at the undergrad level, which will help with assembling a portfolio for grad school admissions.

Lori1122

rick12
i know what i'm getting into.. I work (intern w/ pay) at m local civil engineering, surveying, and architecture firm... When i spoke to an admissions couselor at cornell, she said it was one of the most popular double majors for arch... i just can't pick a school...


kjofkw

LAC?? whats that? the only problem i have with the 4 +2 thing is, i know a girl who went to umich for 4 years of arch and couldn't get in anywhere for the masters program... what if i can't get into the program later? that would suck

sashimi46

Lori1122,

I am a cornell arch student and I don't know anyone in the school who double majors in both architecture and engineering. architecture is already a very intensive major and I cannot imagine myself doing engineering as well (engineering at cornell is also very tough).

Tzar

yeah-- I agree, the problem is that they are both very hard majors. I have a lot of friends going into engineering and I know for a fact that engineering in general- (don’t know about civil) is one of the hardest majors to have (along with arch). I too would like to have a strong engineering background, however I think the most prudent thing to do is just take more electives in structures or some type of engineering course.

soozievt

Lori seems deadset on going the BArch route (and double majoring in engineering....which does sound unusual to me as each major is way more than what a BA major entails in terms of amount of courses for the major). However, she COULD do an engineering degree in Architectural Engineering....for instance, my alma mater, Tufts, offers an engineering degree in Architectual Engineering (and I think you can double major or minor in Archictectural Studies which is a BA), and then go onto grad school somewhere to get a MArch degree. She would then have an engineering degree and an arch degree. For that matter, her undergrad could be in Civil Engineering instead of Architectural Engineering.

snipanlol

Penn is very flexible in terms of double majoring. It would probably require an immense amount of work and a pretty substantial drop in the engineering GPA to be able to produce good architecture work though.

I don't know anyone who has gotten a dual degree with engineering. However, I do know many who have gotten an undergraduate degree from Wharton and architecture. It really did put a heavy strain on them though, and they couldn't devote the time they wanted to the architecture projects.

Here is the link for the undergraduate program at Penn:
http://www.design.upenn.edu/new/arch...rad/index.html

soozievt

snipanlol....you are talking about what I was suggesting basically....combining a BA in architecture with an engineering degree. Penn's undergraduate arch program is a BA. It seems that Lori is firm about wanting to do a BArch and somehow combine THAT with an undergraduate engineering degree.....two highly intensive and heavy amount of coursework degrees that each go beyond a normal BA major requirement. I do think she may wish to look at undergraduate BA in arch programs if she wants to also study engineering and then do a MArch later.

My daughter got into both Penn and Tufts to study architecture which is a BA degree. At Tufts, she could have also major or minored in Architectural Engineering if she wanted or vice versa in Architectural Studies. At Tufts, you can do a double major of engineering with something else. Also, they have Architectural Engineering which combines both of Lori's interests. My D didn't end up going to Penn or Tufts, but this route might be appropriate for Lori.

fencersmother

IIT in Chicago. BArch, 5 years.... forget the double major. They are so good there, you'll pass the exam on your first try.

kjofkw

Lori,
to answer your question:
LAC = Liberal Arts College. Miami stresses the Liberal Arts type of education (well-rounded, focused on teaching rather than research, etc.) To me, Miami's architecture program is a cross between the 5 year bachelors degree programs and a typical LAC type degree. Their 4 year degree leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. Before sitting for the Architectural exam, their 4 year degree is not enough. In addition to the IDP program of work experience, you must add 2 years in an accredited Masters program (at Miami or elsewhere). However, unlike the Architecture program at Tufts, or Barnard, or Brown for example, Miami's program is very studio-focused. The first year is general design, but the remaining year studios are concentrated in architecture or interior design, and is quite similar to the format in a 5 year Bachelor's program, with regard to studio work.

I was surprised to hear that someone from UMich could not get into a graduate program elsewhere, especially because of the general reputation of UMich. However, I don't know anything about UMich. architecture program. Does UMich not have a 2 year masters degree?

Lori1122

kjofkw
they do.. and the girl that couldn't get in anywhere else actually works for the same company i work for. my boss (the head architecture dude) told me about her.. thats why he thinks the 5year plan might be better... they hired her last summer.. don't know where she is now...

sashimi46

i cannot imagine having to do an architecture thesis and take engineering courses at the same time. just the thought of that is unbearably painful

UriA702

Lori - I'm from the engineering forum and might be able to shed some light on the situation.
If I can add something - I believe it would be close to impossible to complete a double major in these two perspective fields within anywhere near 4 years for dual bachelors. Not to mention, CivE and Arch differ Immensely. Structural Engineering alone usually requires a masters to get a real comprehensive understanding of the theory that goes into putting up these massive pieces of architecture.

Not to mention, that your career would benefit minimally by obtaining a degree in CivE, and Arch as well. Architects do their thing. Engineers do theirs. They are two completely different breed and differ very much in profession.

CivE may be one of the least "intense" (lets put it that way for now) of the engineering majors; all engineering students regardless of discipline take the same classes throughout freshman & sophomore year - This is difficult enough for most students. A lot of engineering students take 4 1/2 or 5 years to complete the 130+ credits required for engineering degrees. Now take that into consideration, plus the two majors don't have very many classes that meet each others requirements = not very practical, not at all.

One more thing, if you overwhelm yourself with a double major, especially with Arch considering how intensive Arch programs are, you would be robbing yourself of the creativity you need to excel exuberantly in architecture due to time restrictions. You will not find Architectural inspiration doing problem sets and studying the physical properties of reinforced concrete. Take it from a CivE major who has had a profuse fascination with MDU/ large office buildings and real estate development since the age of about 5.

Tzar

Lori- I think your answer is staring you in the face. I know at this point it seems impossible to chose, and that very well might be the case, however you are going to have to make a decision some time in the near future. It is impractical to believe you will be able to do both without one of your studies suffering. If you are like me- which it sounds like you might be, you are just a little on the stubborn side. Take a few weeks or even your first year in college to figure out which one you want to proceed in and then make a commitment. Understand that no one here is saying all this to try and discourage you in any way and that it may be possible to do what you want. Yet I would advise you to open your mind to the possibility that you may be happier and more successful if you truly think about what you are trying to gain from your degree before committing to your current plan.

soozievt

Just because the person who did undergrad at UMich didn't get into the MArch program there, doesn't mean that that route is not a viable one. I have a kid who is doing a BA in arch, not a BArch, and is applying to MArch programs, possibly including UMich. While I obviously do not know her outcome yet, peers of hers from her college who did a BA in Arch Studies have gained admission to MArch programs such as Harvard and Columbia and Berkeley. So, I would not go by the one example you were told about.

You could do a BA in architecture as an undergrad or a degree in civil engineering or arch engineering (taking some courses or a possible minor in architecture - BA - as well) and then go onto a MArch degree program.

For someone who is a bit undecided, a BA path may be perfect for you.

NJ113

If you are interested in schools in NYC: Cooper Union, private school that offers free tuition to all accepted students. Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.