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Good colleges/universities for Architecture/Industrial Design

TSE

TSE

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
4,061
3,695
St. Paul, Minnesota
I am a senior in high school and have been researching colleges/universities like mad.

Alright, so, I pretty know what I want to do, I am thinking of going into both Architecture of buildings and Industrial Design... leaning towards more Industrial Design.

I am just wondering if any MacRumors members are in either of these careers and could list some good colleges for this career path. I have a pretty good list but don't want to miss a gem, and personal experience is always a plus, so that's why I am asking... plus the community here is pretty damn intelligent. :)

I don't mind going to Canada, England, or anywhere in the US. I have a pretty good sum of money sitting for college.
 
I'm not going to lie, WVU would be my last choice if I were coming from high school and looking to a college, but I can't help you there, but....

I took a couple architectural design classes(3), standard architecture (2), interior design (2), and what I would consider to be random design classes (2), as electives during my college career at WVU and I was extremely impressed. I can probably guarantee that WVU isn't a top of the line school in any of those subjects, but I was impressed.

I think you'd be impressed with some lesser schools that may not make your radar. Maybe do a more mainstream degree that you can fall back on, and take out a minor or take random electives during whatever college you choose.

While I was in college, my teachers were more than happy to point out that over 90% of people that took a major didn't start a career in said major.
 
Architecture:
U of M Twin Cities isn't bad
Cincinnati has a good program (better than The Ohio State University)
Illinois
Iowa State
Illinois Tech
UW Milwaukee is pretty good, and you get tuition reciprocity as a MN resident. So you pay what a Wis. resident would pay.

Good luck. It's a competitive field. Can be a rough profession to survive in.
 
Guys. I need some more advice.

Currently the only two schools that I have found that offer the five year bachelor of architecture program with industrial design are Iowa State University - Ames and Virginia Tech.

Is the five year bachelor architecture really NEEDED?

There are many schools with the 4 year Bachelor of Science - Architecture with Industrial Design... not many with the 5 year Bachelor of Architecture.
 
TSE said:
Guys. I need some more advice.

Currently the only two schools that I have found that offer the five year bachelor of architecture program with industrial design are Iowa State University - Ames and Virginia Tech.

Is the five year bachelor architecture really NEEDED?

There are many schools with the 4 year Bachelor of Science - Architecture with Industrial Design... not many with the 5 year Bachelor of Architecture.
Click to expand...

For architecture you need a Master degree in it to get licences and most major firms will not even consider you unless you have a masters.
So consider the 5 year masters for architecture. Most of the major schools offer them.
Also it has been said time and time before go to a State School. School names get massively over rated. The most important thing is you get an degree from an accredited program. Name of school is honestly pretty far down on the list.

After you get into industry the name of the school on your degree is worth even less. The it really gets you is your foot in the door at some places when you are first starting out. After 5-6 years not worth much.

4 degree of Architecture I will say is not worth the paper it is printed on for Architecture. You need a masters.
I know TTU has a good Architecture school. University of Houston Program is good. Point being made their is go to a state school. Do not waste you money going out of state.

Oh and I figure I would say it. Do not be so dead set on Architecture. I know many people who went in as freshman wanting to be an Architect and many of them said screw it after a short while because they figure out really quickly it was not for them. I wanted to go into it at first and after visiting the campus and learning more I was like HELL NO. Be prepared for that hell no and trust your gut. The amount of work that is required for the degree is insane.
 
Supposedly UNCCs Architecture school is pretty good and has the fifth year component.

I've had a couple of friends go through that program and go on to grad school at Rice, Yale, etc...
 
University of Waterloo, Canada.


I wanted to go here, but didn't get in. Very competitive. In a way, it has turned out for the best, since I've been so many places and done so many things since then. ;)

I think around 3000 people apply each year, and they accept 70 students. I was in the final around of students, but probably failed the portfolio bit.

Their program has changed since I applied. If I remember correctly, it used to be 6 years long, with around 20 months of internship as part of that 6 years. Also, you spent like a year learning in Rome. It appears that they changed that to Rome or Cambridge now. Either way, you're a winner. ;)
 
Thanks for the help guys! Keep the suggestions coming!

One more question:

Realistically speaking, is it possible/realistic to double major in both Industrial design and architecture? Or would it be just too difficult? I am leaning towards going for it.
 
I think it depends on the university, and whether you're allowed to do your 4-year architecture degree in 5 or 6 years. Also, you'll want to do your Masters of Architecture, so add 1 or 2 years on top of that.

However, based purely on speculation, I doubt it. Architecture is supposed to pretty much consume your life (think 70 hours a week, sleeping bags at uni, etc). That's how it's supposed to be at Waterloo, and it's no different in UK and Australian universities, and so I doubt it's different anywhere else. How would you find time to squeeze in an Industrial Design course with so much happening in your architecture course?
 
Abstract said:
I think it depends on the university, and whether you're allowed to do your 4-year architecture degree in 5 or 6 years. Also, you'll want to do your Masters of Architecture, so add 1 or 2 years on top of that.

However, based purely on speculation, I doubt it. Architecture is supposed to pretty much consume your life (think 70 hours a week, sleeping bags at uni, etc). That's how it's supposed to be at Waterloo, and it's no different in UK and Australian universities, and so I doubt it's different anywhere else. How would you find time to squeeze in an Industrial Design course with so much happening in your architecture course?
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Exactly. My brother (who also attends UNCC) has two friends in the Architecture program and they routinely work in the studio (including classes) for 15+ hrs a day. One of them is his roommate and he usually comes back to the apartment around two in the morning and is usually back at the studio by seven.
 
TSE said:
Thanks for the help guys! Keep the suggestions coming!

One more question:

Realistically speaking, is it possible/realistic to double major in both Industrial design and architecture? Or would it be just too difficult? I am leaning towards going for it.
Click to expand...

why would you do this? what would be a benefit of such a double major? What kind of job do you expect you could get once you're finished with school? These are two different professions that have very little overlap in the work world.
 
It seems like in the universities as far as credits go, Industrial Design and Architecture have very similar and overlapping credits, so would it be that much harder to double major in them?

Otherwise what would be a good way to decide between them?
 
NathanMuir said:
Exactly. My brother (who also attends UNCC) has two friends in the Architecture program and they routinely work in the studio (including classes) for 15+ hrs a day. One of them is his roommate and he usually comes back to the apartment around two in the morning and is usually back at the studio by seven.
Click to expand...

it was a running joke at TTU that if your roommate was an Architectural major you had your own room as you would never see your roommate. Sad part is it was a pretty true statement.
 
TSE said:
It seems like in the universities as far as credits go, Industrial Design and Architecture have very similar and overlapping credits, so would it be that much harder to double major in them?

Otherwise what would be a good way to decide between them?
Click to expand...

chances are you do not have to lock yourself down in either one until later on and by then you will know which way you want to go.
 
TSE said:
It seems like in the universities as far as credits go, Industrial Design and Architecture have very similar and overlapping credits, so would it be that much harder to double major in them?

Otherwise what would be a good way to decide between them?
Click to expand...

1) you need to talk to some people who are working in those two professions. Ask around in your circle of family & friends.

2) you should talk to some instructors in different programs at different schools, don't just look at course requirements.

A 4 year architectural degree is not considered a professional level degree. You should look at the course requirements for a professional degree program (a 5 year B. Arch. or a M. Arch) and not what you're seeing as requirements for a 4 year program

TSE said:
....Is the five year bachelor architecture really NEEDED?....
Click to expand...

If you want a career as an architect, then yes, you need to get a professional level degree. A 5 year B.Arch. is the shortest program. You wont be able to get a license with just a 4 year degree.

TSE said:
....There are many schools with the 4 year Bachelor of Science - Architecture with Industrial Design... not many with the 5 year Bachelor of Architecture.
Click to expand...

that reflects the realities of a non-professional degree program vs a professional degree program
 
TSE said:
Guys. I need some more advice.

Currently the only two schools that I have found that offer the five year bachelor of architecture program with industrial design are Iowa State University - Ames and Virginia Tech.

Is the five year bachelor architecture really NEEDED?

There are many schools with the 4 year Bachelor of Science - Architecture with Industrial Design... not many with the 5 year Bachelor of Architecture.
Click to expand...

If you're going into architecture without a focus on industrial design, then yes.

As for industrial design, I have no idea - is that even a required emphasis, or could you simply major in architecture and learn your specialty on-the-job instead of limiting yourself by your field of study in school?
 
Tomorrow said:
If you're going into architecture without a focus on industrial design, then yes.

As for industrial design, I have no idea - is that even a required emphasis, or could you simply major in architecture and learn your specialty on-the-job instead of limiting yourself by your field of study in school?
Click to expand...

I was looking up stuff on industrial design. I can see why so few schools off a combine in those fields. They have some over lap but for the most part not much use.
Now interior design and architectural or as know by some architorture go pretty well together.
 
Architecture and Urban Planning would go well together. Both programs would overlap a bit, but if you majored in architecture AND you had a good (i.e. better than other architects) understanding of the struggles of cities to adapt to rapid growth without suffering from urban sprawl, then you'd be well ahead of the game, I'd think. Most architects would understand this topic anyway, but probably haven't explored a great number of specific examples intensely.

Understanding what people want, and what people think they want, is important.
 
I've heard a lot of (claimed to be) architects posting on the net about how awful a career architecture is. I don't know if what they said is true, but I don't recall ever hearing an architect talking on the net about how great it is to be an architect.
 
motulist said:
I've heard a lot of (claimed to be) architects posting on the net about how awful a career architecture is. I don't know if what they said is true, but I don't recall ever hearing an architect talking on the net about how great it is to be an architect.
Click to expand...

I've worked with architects my entire professional career and I can confirm this.
 
motulist said:
I've heard a lot of (claimed to be) architects posting on the net about how awful a career architecture is. I don't know if what they said is true, but I don't recall ever hearing an architect talking on the net about how great it is to be an architect.
Click to expand...

I can confirm it as well. The all the archetechs on the job I was on said they did not want their kids following them. The amount of work and crap archs have to put up with is not worth what they get paid. The job I was doing I would get paid more, work less hours, put up with less crap and not have to go threw as much hell.
 
Tomorrow said:
I've worked with architects my entire professional career and I can confirm this.
Click to expand...

Rodimus Prime said:
I can confirm it as well. The all the archetechs on the job I was on said they did not want their kids following them. The amount of work and crap archs have to put up with is not worth what they get paid. The job I was doing I would get paid more, work less hours, put up with less crap and not have to go threw as much hell.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the stuff I've heard them all say, and even more. I've also heard them complain about how the vast majority of architects spend their entire lives working in a cubicle in front of a computer doing crap like drawing up the plans for fire escape stairs and other horribly uninteresting and non-creative work like that. I've also heard them complain that when they work directly with clients that the clients are always huge pains in the backside that will interfere with your work constantly. And other stuff like that too. By all the things I've heard architects say on the net, they certainly make it sounds like a really awful career. Unless you have a burning undeniable urge to go into architecture to the point that you couldn't see yourself being happy any other way, then otherwise I'd say you might want to seriously reconsider your career choice *now*, *before* you commit all those many years of hard work and accumulate all that school loan debt.
 
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