Archinect
anchor

M.Arch: CCA ???

parametric.ego

California College of the Arts (San Francisco, CA)

M.Arch Program

Surely there is someone that can share some insight into this M.Arch program. Yes, it's an expensive private tuition, but at first glance, it offers many things I rank high on my priority list (facilities, location, faculty). Nevertheless, I rarely hear this school mentioned and seldom meet someone who's an alumi.

What is your take on this school's M.Arch program? And, how would you rank/compare to?  

Thanks. 

 
Mar 27, 14 4:42 am
batman

people usually dont go there man.

up north its only Berk or Cal Poly Slo.

Mar 27, 14 8:49 pm  · 
 · 
Photoshopper

I graduated from CCA last year. M. Arch program is very small. The class is usually around 20-ish people for first year and 30 for second year (after adding two-year students). 

I really like the school very much as well all my classmates. Sarah Whiting, Dean of the architecture school in Rice, told us "She would come to CCA if she would study again" in NAAB accreditation review 2 years ago. That said something.

There is a blog from a CCA M. Arch. student: 

http://archinect.com/blog/70815834/march-to-the-beat

You can get a glimpse what they do in the school.

To answer you questions from other thread.

Most faculties are working in SF so you got a lot of practical knowledges from teachers. Also lots of them teach in Berkeley and CCA in the same time. The school encourages push the boundary in design. So, most of students don't make cookie cutter stuffs. We are required to learn grasshopper in second semester. It's highly digital, definitely no hand drafting at all.

It's in SF. If you want to work, you will be in one of hottest job market right now. (Yeah, someone didn't show up for the interview in my firm today. Really odds for architecture) . I know firms in SF send requests to the school looking for interns. Most of people work in bay area after finishing the school. 

It's an art school. Most of design programs are in SF. You got to see people making arts in the buildings all the time. School encourges inter-discplinary between departments. You can take furniture, film or industrial design classes. There are design MBA classes if you are interested in business (MBA mainly focuses on design industry)

School also pays a lot of attentions to student opinions on curriculum of classes. They act very fast if students have any concern for the class. And, they would re-shape it in next year. The evaluations you wrote are actually matter to the school in the end of the semester. As far as I know, that's not the case in Berkeley.

You should to go to open house. Or, contact Nataly Gattegno. She is  the M. Arch chair now.  If you have more questions, you can send me an email too.

Good luck

Mar 28, 14 1:09 am  · 
 · 

Block this user


Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?

Archinect


This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.

  • ×Search in: