<p>Hi,
I can’t find my last post with this question anymore…so I’ll try it again…
Is somebody in this forum majoring in architecture at Smith? I read what smith has on the homepage about the program, but this doesn;t give much information? There aren’t many architecture realted classes in the course catalog either.
Studying at Smithis my dream, but when my parents started asking me questions I started having trouble with replying…
What do you know about the program? Is it more theoretical or practical?
Thank You
Johanna</p>
<p>Give a prof a call. They will be of much more help.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.smith.edu/art/faculty/Farch.htm[/url]”>http://www.smith.edu/art/faculty/Farch.htm</a></p>
<p>I agree - my d. contacted the profs directly before making her choice, and found out lots of stuff that would have been almost impossible to get haphazardly from other students (or their parents! ;))</p>
<p>Thanks, I would have never thought about calling a prof. I will go to open campus at the end of april I i will make sure I am able to talk to a prof…and hopefully I will be able to meet some students who major in architecture too…</p>
<p>I would recommend emailing or calling a professor before open weekend. That way they will know you want to meet with them and they can possibly get you in contact with students in the dept as well.</p>
<p>Right. Call in advance so that they’re expecting to meet you and have a fixed time/place. It’s like making an appointment…because it is. For D, meeting the orchestra director was a major plus along her decision-making path.</p>
<p>The “professional” undergraduate degree in architecture is an NAAB-accredited BArch degree. This is a 5-year degree which is not offered by Smith or other LACs. Smith will give you a 4-year BA degree with a major in architecture, but this is not equivalent to a BArch degree and will not qualify you to practice professionally.</p>
<p>The Smith BA will qualify you to enrol in a professional NAAB-accredited MArch degree program, which normally takes 3 additional years. If you can take enough architecture classes as an undergraduate, you might be able to qualify for “advanced standing” in grad school, in which case you would be able to get the MArch in only 2 years (instead of 3). </p>
<p>UMass has an MArch program, and also offers architecture courses at the undergraduate level. Possibly you could supplement the offerings at Smith with those at UMass.</p>
<p>The LAC BA-degree route obviously takes longer than the professional BArch-degree route. In the long run, however, the broader-based LAC route should help you with the non-technical aspects of practice (writing, management, finances). It also gives you more options if you decide that architecture is not the right field after all.</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that architecture is the right field for me, but i still want to go to a LAC because I have so many other interests and in my opinion it is important to also have a good education in the LA to become a good architect…I already called Smith and set up a meeting with an architecture professor…Now I am looking forward to go to the open campus …
thx</p>
<p>My d. says there are several architecture majors joining her on the JYA program in Florence.</p>
<p>Nice job usjo…way to take control over the situation! The prof will be much more helpful to you than any of us could be. I read in another thread that you are looking for some help and advice on moving here…sorry I can’t help because I’m new to this as well, but there are lots of parents on the Smith postings (and students as well) that could and will certainly help. Sounds to me like you’re a very mature young lady, and you will be fine. Your one year out of your country will be helpful to you upon arriving at Smith. You’re ready. Also, your desire to attend a LA college is wise. From what I’ve read about you thus far, you have numerous interests that you wish to pursue. Architecture being just one of those. The more I read and hear about you, the more I see you as a perfect fit for Smith!</p>
<p>i would recommend contacting kirin. gretchen is on sabbatical, though you might try e-mailing her, too. kirin or john davis will be your best choices.</p>
<p>I got really good news:-) Over a architecture forum I found several smith alumnae who graduated recently and who are now studying at Harvard GSD. They could give me great information about the architecture major at Smith, and could reply to all my concerns…the only con they could neme was that Smith is small and thats all woman…well that won’t be a problem:-)
At the same time my dad met the first person in Austria who knows Smith College…and she was telling him…forget about all the other schools. He is now really excited about Smith too…
WEll, I guess there isn’t anything left that can keep me away from Smith…Smith Class of 2010…WE will have a great time…starting this fall!</p>