SJSU [physics] vs UIUC [architectural studies] [CA resident, prefer ME major with architecture minor, MArch afterward]

College Majors Engineering Majors
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Ideally in college I would like to major in MechE and minor in Architecture, and possibly go on to complete an M.Arch. My goal was to stay in california for in state tuition, however I have been rejected from every UC other than Riverside and waitlisted at Santa Cruz. I am not really interested in either of them since I don’t know much about Riverside and Santa Cruz does not offer MechE or even CivilE and does not have an architecture program. I applied with the thought of transferring to Robotics Engineering however I would prefer to go to a school with more engineering programs.

Right now, I am considering between UIUC and SJSU.
I would rather go to UIUC because I like the campus and the somewhat close proximity to Chicago and other cities, and their social life and opportunities within their engineering and architecture programs are very appealing. The cons are that it is out of state tuition and I have never been to the midwest before so weather may become an issue, also since it is far away it will add to travel costs. Another thing is I was admitted for my second choice, Architectural Studies, but I would like to major in my first choice MechE and minor in Arch. Im not completley sure what the transfer process is like but I assume it is not easy.

My parents want me to consider SJSU since it is very close by and offers the same programs. I still need to tour the campus but I personally don’t want to go here because I would like to be farther from home and would like to leave the Bay Area. I also am skeptical of the social life as I know its a commuter school and I feel like I wont find my people here. I applied to MechE here but got into the physics program so I also don’t know how difficult it would be to transfer to MechE.

If I really wanted to go to UIUC my parents would pay for it and I would probably figure out details with loans as well, but im unsure if it is worth the hassle when I can go to SJSU for a significantly lower price. Also given the name recognition and prestige of UIUC, is it worth giving up for SJSU?

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I hate to lead with negativity, but I don’t think either of these is a good option for what you say you want.

First of all, UIUC. You should assume that you will not be able to switch into MechE. Engineering is competitive there, which is why you didn’t get the major you wanted in the first place. Taking on debt to enroll in a program you don’t want? It doesn’t make sense. (Plus, it’s more than 2 hrs from Chicago - what you’re saying is equivalent to liking UC Merced because it’s close to San Francisco.)

SJSU… same problem. You didn’t want to be a physics major. Switching into engineering is not assured, at all. And the Arch Studies minor doesn’t even include any actual architecture classes. https://www.sjsu.edu/art/docs/forms/undergraduate/2023-24/Minor%20Architectural%20Studies%202023-2024.pdf The campus life is there if you seek it out, particularly if you have extracurricular interests that you could get involved in. But that’s kind of neither here nor there if you can’t study what you want.

In all honesty, I don’t even know where you could major in MechE and also get meaningful exposure to architecture. Was there a school you didn’t get into that had the perfect blend that you had in mind? Do you have any other acceptances?

Even hypothetically speaking… a MechE degree is an awful lot of work, to immediately change course and go to grad school for architecture. Have you considered Architectural Engineering? This would give you an ABET accredited engineering program, but also training in architectural design. The program at U of Arizona, for example, is described as follows: “Courses combine civil, structural, electrical and mechanical engineering principles with architectural theory, history and design.” To me, that sounds like what you say you’re looking for. You could still apply to UofA, and you could still get merit aid that would make it more affordable OOS than Illinois. And it’s a nice flagship campus in a nice city. UA Architectural Engineering Degree | University of Arizona College of Engineering

Let me know if I’m interpreting your interests correctly; there are probably other options you could still pursue, but I don’t want to keep digging in the same direction if I’m misreading what you’re looking for academically.

@MaineLonghorn, who is our resident architectural engineer, may have thoughts for you.

If you want MechE in the CSU system, Cal Poly Humboldt and SFSU are both still taking applications for that major. Also Sac State and Chico. None of these have architectural options, though. (Although, you could pursue summer intensives instead.)

But anyway, no, I do not think UIUC is worth it without the engineering acceptance you wanted, especially if there are loans involved. An arch studies degree presumes that you’re aiming for architecture grad school, which is expensive, and you would already be in debt. (And even after you finish an MArch, it takes a while to get licensed and start making decent money.) This wouldn’t put you in a good position. You should either figure out a plan you could be happy with at SJSU, or look for alternatives - there are more schools, like UofA, that are still taking applications.

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Having majored in architectural engineering, I cannot even imagine majoring in engineering and minoring in Architecture. Is it even possible to minor in Architecture?

Both degrees are SO rigorous. Many, many hours spent in studying for engineering, and many, many hours spent drawing designs in architecture. For my degree, I was required to take two semesters of architectural design, and I can tell you, I got very little sleep all those months!

I can think of only one student who got a dual degree in Architectural Engineering and Architecture, and he was a genius. I don’t know how he did it.

I am curious about why you study ME instead of Arch E or CE with a concentration in structures. ME & Architecture don’t seem to dovetail to me. Arch E is great because you are studying buildings in detail, which would help you as an Architect. You take classes in HVAC, construction materials, construction management, architectural design, etc. that civil engineering students don’t. You can also get involved with the architectural engineering students’ association, which is great because you go on a lot of field trips and meet engineers and architect. All that would help you a lot more than ME classes.

I really know very few people that would excel in both fields. I sucked in architectural design, ha. Structural engineering is mostly doing mathematical calculations to design the structure of a building. Architecture is very artistic and visual.

I would say if you choose to go this route, you most likely won’t finish it. It doesn’t seem very realistic to me. Maybe you’re the one in a million who could do it. But then the question is why? What do you hope to gain by studying both (very different) disciplines?

Good luck to you!

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It sounds like you might be unsure as to whether you prefer engineering or architecture, but you have an interest in both.

As @MaineLonghorn has mentioned, mechanical engineering seems to be an odd pairing with architecture. But if you’re open to looking at some other college options, there may be places where you can study what you would like. Seconding @aquapt’s suggestion of U. of Arizona, but also mentioning a couple other options:

U. of Kansas: ABET-accredited for architectural engineering and NAAB-accredited for architecture. The architecture degree is a 5-year program that leads to the M. Arch. It also offers a design minor and a design entrepreneurship minor, which might mesh well with your interests.

Kansas State: Also ABET-accredited for architectural engineering and NAAB-accredited for architecture.

U. of Cincinnati: It also offers a minor in architectural studies

I don’t have time to link to the departmental pages, but Oklahoma State and U. of Oklahoma are also worth checking out.

All of these are residential colleges that will get your out-of-state, and I suspect that all would come in below UIUC in price. If any of these schools are of interest, make sure to check with the admissions office first to see if the majors are still open or if they’ve been filled already. I know U. of Cincinnati used to offer a list, but maybe they don’t start posting it until later in the year.

ETA: All the schools mentioned are NAAB-accredited for architecture and ABET-accredited for architectural engineering.

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Of course, UT-Austin has excellent Arch E and Architecture programs, but they are very selective, even for in-state students.

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Absolutely! Can’t forget the Longhorns! But I decided not to include any schools for which I was 99.99% sure would not accept an application this late in the game from a senior, and UT definitely fell into that bucket.

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Yes, based on the OP’s admissions results, I’d say UT would be too selective even for an on-time application.

Oregon State has ArchE as well as other engineering disciplines (but not architecture), but is no longer accepting fall applications for the Corvallis campus. (Potentially a good option if a gap quarter or year would be acceptable, though.)

Portland State (rolling admissions - still possible - and cheaper than UC with WUE) has both MechE and CivE, as well as an architecture program (4-year BA or BS, plus MArch). They also have a terrific architecture summer intensive program, although it’s cancelled this year for some reason.

U of Utah has MechE, CivE, and Construction Engineering, among others, as well as an excellent studio-based Arch Studies program that offers both a major and a minor (plus MArch and Master of Arch Studies programs). The Construction Engineering curriculum already includes an intro course in architecture - that could be a good combination with the arch studies minor. BS Construction Engineering - Civil & Environmental Engineering It’s still possible to get into UofU for this year - probably too late for WUE, but the first-year cost would still be less than UIUC, and then the path to residency could bring the cost down to the same range as the CSU’s for years 2-4.

But OP needs to let us know what does and doesn’t resonate.

Since OP is evidently local to SJSU, another good option to consider would be West Valley College, which offers AA programs in both Engineering and Architecture (on a lovely campus that’s nicer than many 4-year colleges, with great faculty and advising). This could be a great way to sample both fields and get clarity on a path (tuition free!), and then all options would be open for transfer (including, for example, Cal Poly SLO, which has both Architecture and Architectural Engineering in addition to MechE, CivE, etc.). There’s enough coursework available at WVC to really get a sense of what architectural and engineering study are like.

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Oh, good point!

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I am pretty sure that UC Riverside is ABET accredited for mechanical engineering.

What major were you accepted into at UC Riverside? It might be worth taking a closer look at this university.

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Agreed, if straight-MechE is desired and if that’s the program offered, then UCR is a great option. There’s just a lot going on here with the way the OP wants to combine interests. The “Why MechE+architecture?” question needs to be answered. It seems to me that Architectural Engineering at UofA or Construction Engineering + Arch Minor at UofU could make more sense. If (s)he hates MechE at Riverside, I don’t see a clear off-ramp of interest there.

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Hi, thank you for all the advice! The reason I chose to do mechanical engineering with a minor in architecture is because I want to study engineering and go on to work in an engineering field, I chose mechanical because I believed it would be the best foundation for taking classes in multiple engineering disciplines, and then from there I could figure out what interests me most (EE, Civil, BioE, etc). The reason I chose an architecture minor is because I have a huge passion for art, and enjoy studying and drawing structures, so I thought this would be a viable way to continue that interest, and I also was interested in possible study abroad programs that would come with studying architecture. With engineering, I am more interested in design, but I am still figuring out which discipline I would like to work with, for example with mechanical engineering I would get to work with designing automobiles and aircrafts, but I still wanted the opportunity to design structures as well. I considered studying structural or civil engineering, however I was scared that would shelter me into one side of engineering and not give me as much room to explore. Also more realistically, I figured getting a degree in engineering vs architecture would land me a better job after college, and if architecture still interested me then I could pursue in M.Arch in the future to become credited. Another reason for doing an Architecture minor was so that I could build a portfolio to apply to schools with for a Masters, im sure this isnt necessary but I still want the exposure to studying architecture.

I have heard getting a job in design for engineering is a very long road, but I just want to explore all my options which has turned out to be very confusing.

As for schools, I am considering going to community college and then transferring to a UC, but am still waiting to hear back from a couple more places: UC Berkeley, Cal Poly Slo, San Diego State, and Cal Poly Pomona. I am also considering appealing to some UCs as I applied to most of them with physics/applied physics. I know transferring into engineering colleges at UCs is difficult but I would be willing to take the risk if I can still take engineering courses and explore the different disciplines. I also am not totally against studying physics since I enjoy it very much I just am unsure of the career paths it leads to compared to studying engineering.

I know UC Berkeley offers a program where you can major in a program from the College of Environmental Design, and minor in structural engineering, so for example I could major in Architecture and minor in Structural Engineering. I know architecture is a very hard major especially at berkeley, but I believe I am passionate enough to pursue it, however I am stuck wondering if a degree in Architecture will provide me with good job opportunities in the future. I unfortunatley do not really have any exposure to people studying architecture and how they are doing after college, but am trying my best to understand with online sources.

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I was accepted into their physics program, however to be honest I am not really interested in going to Riverside if I have the option to go to a community college and transfer to a UC like Berkeley or San Diego.

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Thanks for the clarification.

Some of what you’re saying makes a lot of sense, but there are also some misconceptions mixed in.

Most significantly, a MechE program is not a general engineering program that allows you to dabble in other disciplines. Some schools have First Year Engineering programs that give you exposure to multiple fields before you have to decide - that might be ideal for you, but I don’t think any of the schools on your current list work that way.

It’s true that MechE can have a strong design component. But to be honest, what you’re describing - particularly the passion for art - sounds more like Industrial Design to me. SJSU actually has Industrial Design - have you looked into it? All Design students start out in Design Studies; ID students are then admitted to Industrial Design by portfolio review. Design Studies does not have a high impaction index; it is possible that you could switch into this major:

(SFSU also has Industrial Design, and is still taking applications.)

I also don’t think study abroad opportunities are a good reason to pursue architecture. You can study abroad - and take arch history courses and the like - regardless of whether you’re majoring or minoring in architecture. (There are some architecture-specific programs abroad, but a minor wouldn’t give you access to those. Meaningful Architecture minors are relatively rare - Utah’s is an unusually good one. SJSU’s really isn’t.) Architecture has a high attrition rate, in part because it’s very hard for people to know what it will be like until they’re in it. This is why programs like summer intensives are so useful. The studio courses at West Valley are also quite good.

You seem as if you really need time and exploration to figure things out. There’s nothing wrong with this! But it’s all the more reason not to commit to an expensive school like UlUC. It might really be in your best interests to go to the other extreme and spend a couple of years at community college while you figure out what you really want to do. Right now, you’re hoping to keep a lot of options open by doing multiple things in college, but I don’t think it’s actually realistic to combine all of the things you want in the mix. You risk getting bogged down in indecision and taking expensive extra terms to graduate. Doing CC would allow you to “dabble” more, and even take a little extra time to figure things out, without blowing your college budget.

But if you think Industrial Design might be a fit, that path may very well be possible at SJSU. (From the website: " Applicants must indicate BA Design Studies as their major of first choice. All Industrial Design majors are admitted as BA Design Studies students. If you were admitted with a major other than BA Design Studies, please email us at design@sjsu.edu ) And I think you’d find a lot of community there, in a cohort that shares your passion for art and spends many hours in a shared studio environment. It might be something to consider.

Another SJSU major you’d be able to switch into, that might appeal, is Packaging. The name doesn’t make an exciting first impression, but it’s actually a very interesting and very well-paid field that combines a lot of your interests. SJSU: BS in Packaging

FWIW, SLO has a Packaging major too - it’s excellent but often overlooked and thus easier to get into than many other programs, just as it is at SJSU. Cal Poly SLO: Packaging Technology

One other thought… since you’re very interested in studying abroad, another approach would be to do a gap year abroad next year (i.e. with AFS - living with a host family and doing a “super-senior” year of high school), and reapply to better-chosen programs for the following year. Depending on how many AP’s you’ve already taken, you might be able to take more college-level classes during a year abroad, which would cover more college requirements and give you more of the elective time you are hoping for, to explore in college. I just mention this to say, you don’t have to wait until you’re in college, to study abroad - you could do it first, and buy yourself more time to sort out your plans.

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