<p>I’m considering picking up a minor after talking with a practicing architect who adamantly encouraged me to do so. This fall I’m starting my second year of majoring in architecture, and I’m in the honors college & have a job which already adds to my course/work load, so I’m not really even sure if I have enough time or sanity to pull this off, but I wanna try. Mostly, I’m thinking about business minors and these are the ones that my college offers:</p>
<p>Business (General)
Accounting
Computer Information Systems
Economics
Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Majors
Finance
Healthcare Systems for Non-Business Majors
Human Resource Management
International Business (requires a lot more credit hours than the rest)
Management for Non-Business Majors
Marketing</p>
<p>If anyone could help me out by letting me know what they think are the 1 or 2 best options & why, that would be great and so incredibly helpful. Also, if there are any minors in a discipline other than business that you think would be a good choice then please include that…Thanks!!!</p>
<p>I looked at minors in the College of Technology just now and found that they have a minor in Construction Management and “Innovation” (which is like business+technology courses, which I thought sounded kinda cool…to minor in innovation. Ha.) Idk if either of those would be good, just thought I’d throw 'em out there.</p>
<p>A business minor would be a nice thing as you progress in the profession, giving you better insights into the running of a practice and the financial issues that go into the commercial projects that you build. Would it get you a job with a developer? I don’t know, you would be competing with a lot of candidates with considerably more experience and/or MBA’s, but it might make you more attractive. Would it make you more attractive for an architecture position? Probably not a lot, but it wouldn’t hurt unless the time taken for business courses affected the quality of your portfolio.</p>
<p>A construction management minor sounds pretty interesting. The entire profession is starting to think about integrating architecture and construction and students who have an understanding of both are becoming very attractive to both architecture and construction firms.</p>
<p>So long term either one could be beneficial, short term I think construction management would provide more benefits.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks for the insight into the architecture/construction integration…I had no idea that was being considered by the profession. So I think I’ll do the Construction Management minor - seems like the best choice to me! I already registered for my first course for the minor - construction document reading - and was sent an application to join the Construction Management Student Organization, along with optional memberships in the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, National Association of Home Builders, and Construction Specifications Institute of a nearby city.</p>
<p>Would any of these be beneficial for architecture? Or would they just be a waste of money?</p>
<p>Also, I’m not sure if you could really answer this, but I looked at all the members in my class (because you can do that once you’re registered), and every last one of them is a guy. So, would a girl with knowledge of/a minor in construction management actually be taken seriously…? In the classroom and the field?</p>
<p>I think I would join DBIA; Design Build Institute of America. That will expose you to companies that are integrating design and construction. They hold regional design build competitions among the various schools with teams consisting of joint architecture and construction management majors.</p>
<p>I don’t think being a woman will present any handicaps in getting a job in construction management. I would say right now out of school we hire about 30% women for our construction management positions.</p>