Architecture Portfolios

momrath
Sun, 13 Jul 2014 23:59:49 +0000

There are two paths to becoming a licensed architect in the U.S.: The BArch which is generally 5.0 years and the MArch which is a 2.0 to 3.5 years on top of a 4.0 year BA or BS.

Your son does not need to major in architecture or architectural studies to get into a good MArch program. As long as he fulfills the admissions requirements your son could major in anything at all and still get an MArch.

Majors are usually not declared until sometime sophomore year and BS/BA architecture programs usually don’t require portfolios, so your son has some time to think about what he wants to major in. Along the way he could attend an architecture career exploration program offered by many architecture schools.

He sounds like a great kid who would benefit from a wide liberal arts education, one that allows for a lot of experimentation across disciplines. He shouldn’t worry about settling on a profession (or even a major) just yet, but concentrate on putting together a list of great colleges that you can afford.

The money is really as topic for another thread, but at this point you should be exploring both need based and merit based financial aid. You will find that private selective colleges are quite generous with need based aid. If need based said doesn’t work for your family, your son should be looking at schools that offer merit aid.

Applying to college can seem overwhelming at first, but as you get into the process, choices become clearer. You should focus on finances and your son should focus on what he wants in environment and teaching style. The major will fall in place later.

A fifth year–gap year-- isn’t out of the question either.