WaffleMan22, I completed Tufts' Bachelor of Science in Engineering/Program in Art and Architectural History/Minor in Architectural Studies program, 20 years ago. Is that still how they organize the degree? I found it a great combination of structural engineering and art history, very intense, like 8am classes 5 days a week and the same amount of classes my friends doing double majors took, but with only one degree to show for it. Tufts uses (at least they used to) a different credit hour system then every other college, which makes it hard to compare, but suffice to say it was a lot of work. I sometimes, accurately, describe it as 3/4 of an engineering degree and 3/4 of a history degree. With only a few more classes I could have graduated with two degrees.

The program was a good foundation to go on to grad school for architecture or engineering, and many of my classmates did just that. Many of them did the summer program at Harvard's GSD to make sure they really wanted to pursue architecture, and to beef up their portfolio, as the program is (or was) weak on studio design. 

Although I did well, graduating with honors, I never liked school and took a different route after graduation. I won't say I have any regrets, but if I could do it over again, I would have pursued an architecture degree from an accredited program. Partly because it would have been more studio time and less engineering and history, but mostly because for the vast majority of successful, professional architects, that is the route to take. 

On the other hand, if you aren't sure that you want to be an architect, the Architectural Studies program (at least the version that I took) was, to me, an ideal liberal education. Lots of writing and history, but also a ridiculous amount of math, physics taught by a Nobel prize winner, chemistry classes intended for pre-med students, etc. A challenging and thorough education.

Wood Guy so people that have completed the Tufts program have gone onto getting their Masters at schools like Harvard Princeton and Yale (examples off the top of my head)? I just want to make sure that the Tufts program would adequately prepare me for graduate school.

Yes, those schools are possibilities, though for some reason a lot of my classmates went to Rice for architectural grad school. The Tufts program, if it is the same as when I was there, gives you a broad base of knowledge and how to learn, but like I said, it was weak on studio. You need a portfolio and there are only a few opportunities to put one together in the Tufts program; you either do it on your own time, or you do an intensive summer program such as the GSD at Harvard.

If you know you want to be an architect, it would be more efficient to go to an accredited architecture school for undergrad instead. There you will have a lot of opportunity in studio classes to build a portfolio, and professors more geared to the architecture world. But I know a lot of architects and very few have a strong grasp of engineering, which to me is an important aspect of designing buildings. The Tufts program is strong on engineering.

The Boston Architectural College, Wentworth, Harvard and MIT are all nearby and have accredited architecture programs. I'm sure many other Boston-area schools do as well. Why do you want to go to Tufts?

I like Tufts a lot as a school, but I guess their architecture program leaves something to be desired. I am pretty sure that if I get in, it will probably be where I end up going. 

The total list of schools that I applied to is:

• UPenn (deferred early decision)
• Northeastern (accepted early action)
• Case Western (accepted early action)
• Miami of Ohio (accepted early action)
• Maryland
• UVa
• Harvard
• Princeton
• Yale
• Boston University
• University of Michigan
• WashU 
• Tufts
• I don't have a portfolio, so I only applied to four year programs. HYP are highly unlikely

It's just that it's an "architectural studies" type of program - it's not designed as a studio-based "4" component of a "4+2" track toward an NAAB-accredited M.Arch.  What this means is that most M.Arch programs don't consider Tufts grads as candidates for their 2 or 2.5 year M.Arch tracks, as those are intended for students with undergrad pre-professional studio-based architecture majors.  Instead Tufts grads are usually candidates for the 3 or 3.5 year M.Arch tracks for those without studio-based architecture majors.  This means you'd start grad school along with others from similar architectural studies programs, but also with those who didn't major in architecture or design related fields at all as undergrads.

There's nothing inherently wrong with that path - it takes a year or so longer, but may be the right choice for someone who wants a more traditional, broader undergrad experience, or for someone who isn't entirely sure about whether they want a career in architecture.

Some M.Arch programs don't offer a 2 or 2.5-year track in the first place, or very rarely place anyone into it, so depending on what M.Arch program you choose you wouldn't necessarily be on a different footing than those who come from studio-based programs. 

It can be more challenging to develop a portfolio in an architectural studies type of program than if you do a more design-based undergrad architecture major - but on the other hand some of your grad school competition will be coming from majors with little to no visual design coursework (English, sciences, business...) - so it's all relative.

Some of the schools on your list accept undergrads without portfolios and then allow (or require) them to develop a portfolio during their freshman year, or freshman + sophomore years, to apply for entry into the pre-professional architecture major or to the 5-year B.Arch program.  It's important to talk with any of the schools you're considering and find out what the current policies are re their undergrad architecture programs, because in some admission into the school does not guarantee admission into the major, which may not be determined until after your 1st or 2nd year.  This can be difficult for those not admitted to the major, who have to scramble to select a different major at that point.

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