M.arch 1 programs (landscape or architecture) are designed to accommodate students with no background in the major and will generally run 2-3 years. The M.arch 1 degree is the accrediting degree that counts towards your architects license.

M.arch 2 programs are for grads who already hold an accredited bachelors degree and want to further their education. This degree usually only runs 1-2 years.

So for example, if you have a 4 year non accredited architecture degree (like my dumbass does), you'd have to take the 3 year m.arch 1 degree where you get to do fundamentals and build unrecognizable forms for the frist year all over again. yay! 45k down the drain. However, the second and third year will probably be challenging as everyone with no background has already caught up to the same level of skill sets.

Thanks!

It's differently structured in Europe, where the bachelor is three years, and usually points directly towards the masters which is always two years. So if I were to go to the States, I guess I'm stuck with the dilemma: do I want to receive a master's degree after only 4 years total and hope that I'm then ready for  professional life, or do I want to do 6 years in total, where one or more of them is repetition with students who have no background in the field.

If you can shed a light on that dilemma for me, then I'd really appreciate some advice. Otherwise thanks again for clearing this up for me!