"I realized too late that architecture was my real passion"

It's never too late to get ass fucked by architecture....

No but really, do some damn research... Dead career field

Wow, thanks! I never thought of it like that before.  Time to take the LSATs!

Willekes, law school grads took a massive hit post recession too, but unlike architecture, you get into trouble, you need a lawyer. You want to buy a house...you dont need an architect. This day and age most common ppl looking to build a house only see an architect as another middle man that they need to hire. 98% of the time design is the last thing on a clients mind. It's more about, "how do I build this structure for the cheapest amount possible, and make the most profit off it once it's built". It's really not about design. You will most likely end just another sad bottom dwelling Revit muppet with massive debt.

Josh, could you please elaborate on your opinion of Harold Washington?  I've heard generally positive, albeit vague, accounts of their drafting program and figured I could at least walk away with some practical technical competency.

Well, you probably won't learn the same things at Harold Washington that you would at any architecture program, because it is a drafting program, not an architecture program. The same way that capitalizing Chicago University is suggestive, but noncommittal. 

Go to your faculty first. Tell them what you think, and ask for advice resources, and introductions. Ask your peers, probably one of them has a friend who has an uncle who will give you an hour of their time, and who knows who is willing and able to teach just now. at a pinch, your university has someone in career services who will, if you pester them, find you a link.

if none of that works, take a class with Karma Choul at SAIC Extension.

I'd recommend applying to a large variety of 3-year MArch programs. Maybe look at taking summer Intro to Arch classes at local schools or whatnot. Go out, take some photos, draw some pictures, show your creative side and your passion for the built environment. It is never too late to get into architecture, enrolling in a drafting program sounds pretty monotonous to me, would that be your end goal? (hope not). I know at least for me, I could not take a lifetime of CAD and Revit being the focus of my career. Theres a large variety of programs throughout the states and there has to be one that caters to your interests and skill levels. Maybe go talk to an arch adviser at IIT, SAIC, or UofC.

Unfortunately the only faculty member at my university who's ever built a building is too busy jetsetting to Austria and Istanbul to sit down with his students.  Our "architecture" department has two members, neither of whom has given me contacts outside of academia.  My career advisor literally suggested I talk to IIT and Columbia College's career services, who in turn simply recommended applying to their undergraduate institutions.  A visiting professor in our visual arts department once taught a CAD course but, due to discrepancies in departmental requirements, I wasn't allowed to take it and he's gone now.  My soon-to-be alma mater puts up a good front, but its actual graduate support is about as noncommittal as my evidently too suggestive attempt at some anonymity.

And I realize drafting isn't architecture but, as of now, I haven't found a big boy architecture program that would accept me without at least some demonstrated applied experience, which is precisely what I'm trying to get.  But no one, not even my friend's uncle, has given me advice more substantive than "try harder," "express yourself," "be creative," or "don't do it" and, frankly, I'm grasping at straws.

I know I'm complaining but I don't think I'm asking for too much.  I don't expect a handout.  I realize I'm not special.  I just want an opportunity to work hard and develop myself as a strong candidate for a competitive postgraduate architecture program.  I have an excellent academic resume but I'm missing practical experience and every opportunity to gain it seems unpromising or unaffordable.  And, before someone says that its all about self-presentation, that all I have to do is be creative and demonstrate promise, I honestly wouldn't want to attend an masters program that accepts someone who knows as little about architecture or design as I do now.

Thank you very much for recommending Karma Choul; it looks like she's teaching a night class starting in late May that I should be able to take.

The 3-year masters programs don't expect previous coursework in the architecture. I graduated with a BA in English. I took a few drawing courses at a community college after undergrad to help beef up my portfolio which consisted primarily of self-taught graphic design work. In retrospect, I'm sure it wasn't the strongest portfolio in the world, but I had good grades in undergrad and made a number of connections with faculty members at the school I eventually went to. My feeling is that the personal connections to faculty members had a lot more to do with me being accepted than my portfolio did. BTW while not an ivy, I graduated from one of the better public universities. 

Do a summer architecture prep program such as Harvard or any other programs then apply directly into a 3 year M.arch program for people without undergraduate degrees in architecture. In my program several people came from an art history background it is quite common. But beware architecture is a hard field and low pay and hard work. However, the education is actually quite good, you actually learn a lot.
 

@lacalr: Yes, the Drafting program at HWCC seems really fucking boring.  But, my reasoning is if I learn the skills in school, I can get creative with them and make a portfolio in my own time.  Is that misplaced ambition?  And I do want to throw my application to many different Masters programs and seeing where it sticks, but I'd like a little outside assurance that its not total garbage before I start racking up application fees.

@won and done: Thanks for sharing.  I think I'm in much the same boat you were so your success is reassuring.  When you reached out to faculty members, was it explicitly as a prospective student or through more informal or incidental networks?

Trying to put together an "architecty" portfolio is a losing bet. You'll be competing with people who actually went through architecture programs as undergrads. Better to showcase your own strengths.

Your best bet is to do some drawing (if you have the resources to do a few extra classes, go with drawing or sculpture,) and to figure out ways to express your experiences and interests through projects that you can document. Take pictures of everything you do as you go along - arch. schools looove process. Learn the Adobe creative suite.

DeTwan's wrong. Plenty of people making a good living in architecture. But, arch grad school can be a really shitty experience - don't do it on a whim.

"I honestly wouldn't want to attend an masters program that accepts someone who knows as little about architecture or design as I do now."

This would make a great t-shirt.

I think your view of 'good living' and mine are a little different. Your $45k a year pay check is not a "good living" especially if you want to grow up and have a family, house, children. Even if you make more than that, it's still not that much.

I wonder what percentage of architects/ppl in the architecture industry make more than 90K a year. I bet it is below 20%...maybe below 10%.

So instead of working your way to a better salary you choose to complain? Whatever floats your boat man, but your view, just like Balkins, are not correct representations of the profession.

DeTwan - I'm still not that far out of grad school, so my mid forties salary combined with the same from my wife mean that there's plenty for a mortgage, retirement,organic produce, etc. And when she wants to drop out of the workforce for a few years to raise a kid, we'll still be making about the median household income in the U.S. Since I'm living in a mid-density, mid-sized city and don't require gold plated faucets, I'd say that my professional choices have the potential for providing a great life, with the bonus that I'm doing work I enjoy (mostly.) 

 Im trying to give naive ppl insight into the ridiculousness of this industry. If you thing that I have no clue what I'm taking about, it represents you much in the way I see Balkins, again clueless. I understand that I come off as complaining, but guess what, I DONT CARE.

Im sure it sounds wierd, but Im trying to at least initiate the idea that 'architecture' is not the pipe dream most ppl want to believe it is. Im all about working for a real goals, but most of the ladders up in architecture are made of hot air blown through a staw into some ppls asses. I wonder what the ladders up in architecture will be made of once the next recession comes to visit like the moon rises.

And it goes back to why you see so many "small person firms", the risk is huge, but it is better to risk it than play along in the ridiculousness of working for large corporate firms

And it is good to hear that you are feeling good about things, I once had plans too in architecture. Keep that chin up!
 

Thank you for reinforcing Ano's and my points above.

wilks, I reached out to faculty as a prospective student. I think the first faculty members I reached out to were actually in the architecture history department because I was coming from a more academic background. Through them I started talking to grad students and TAs in the architecture program, and they introduced me to other faculty. Rather than approaching the dean who iss likely too busy to talk to every prospective student, I singled out faculty that I shared common interests with. Anyway, good luck!

just like most lawyers aren't atticus finch, most architects aren't frank gehry.    doesn't mean you cant have a rewarding career doing school retrofits and tenant improvements.  i personally get as much satisfaction from helping a client with limited scope and a small budget as i do on high end residential.

OP, you can listen to grouchy DeTwan or you can look at some real data: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/architects.htm

i come from a liberal arts background and will be getting my masters degree in the fall.  I have many friends who have done or are doing the same thing.  the most important thing will be to find a program that fits your career interests and goals. 

You all are sick, you just feed them to the machine for sport...sounds like some of you have post-starchitect careers as college advisors

@wilks, I think it would be more beneficial to maybe just learn Adobe Creative suite and sketchup via youtube tutorials, there are a lot of good ones out there! You could then create some "studio like" projects and put together drawings. Its probably one of those things that sounds easier then it is though. You'd probably only need one "architecture" project in your portfolio. Then try and take some drawings or sculpting classes at your local art school, nowhere special just a place that is offering classes. I took a "beginners drawing" class and a "figure drawing" class to bolster my portfolio. 

Knowing photoshop and inDesign are very important for a portfolio, at least in my experience. Try and download them before you graduate so you can get the student discount! 

Also let me know if you want someone to look at your portfolio whenever you get a draft laid out, I would love to help and im sure youll find others on this site who will do the same. 

@wilks also, I dont think the drafting course would be a bad one to take, especially if you dont have any alternate route to pursue. But try not to get bogged down in the CAD world, theres more to architecture then that, as you know. Taking a class like that would also be beneficial to your networking, im sure you would meet a lot of people who ccould give you more perspectives and ideas. 

You could then create some "studio like" projects and put together drawings... You'd probably only need one "architecture" project in your portfolio.

To reiterate: this is bad advice. If you try to make a "studio like" project, it will be compared to the studio projects of people who have 4 years of experience. You'll won't compete well on their terms. Better to highlight your strengths. I came into arch. school with an art background, no problem. Accepted at 4 out of 5 schools. Classmates came in with social science degrees, business, etc., also not a problem.

Call the admissions departments at schools you're interested in, get their advice. Anonymous message boards are the worst place to figure things out.

@anonitect- do you think smaller light studies and site collages would still be a bad idea? I'm not saying to tackle a full semester long project and come out with a full board. But I think somehow combining the OP's interests with the architecture visualization realm is a good thing. This could be as small as collages mixed with diagrams or sketches. I guess mentioning sketchup was misleading, you dont need 3d modeling skills to make a portfolio, but sketchup is probably the most intuitive modeling software and very fun! 

I thnk you have a really good undergraduate degree even though it might not be valued highly as far as starting salary goes. It is much better than having a psychology, sociology, anthropology, or all of the whatever-studies degrees. You are at the point where you can go many directions, some of which require additional schooling and some of which do not. In many states you can skip the architecture school altogether and start as an apprentice wih an existing firm. Besides architecture, some of the fields you might consider are landscape architecture, interior architecture, industrial design, historic restoration, civil engineering, construction management, architectural engineering, and real estate development. You could also do some graduate work in art and architecture history with the idea of teching at the college level, although that would be a long shot. I would take some time off and investigate all the possibilities before throwing a ton of money at a graduate program.

Architecture is a great hobby but a lousy profession.  Don't compound a dumb undergraduate degree with a dumb graduate one.  And whatever you do, avoid debt like the plague.

Geezer's another one with a nasty chip on his shoulder, and it makes him a mean jackass.

Art History is a great undergraduate degree. The purpose of college is education, not vocational training. 

Yeah, just tell that grocery store cashier and mortgage company that your educated little self just can't quite come up with the coin this month, but damn you sure are educated (whatever that is supposed to mean).

"it makes him a mean jackass", okay...you sound like an 8 year old on a playground. You dont even know the shoes geez has walked in.

Geezer - from How Liberal Arts and Sciences Majors Fare in Employment , a study compiled from census data:

At peak earnings ages (56-60 years) workers who majored as undergraduates in the humanities or social sciences earn annually on average about $2000 more than those who majored as undergraduates in professional or pre-professional fields. These data include all college graduates working full-time, including those with only a baccalaureate degree and those with both a baccalaureate and graduate or professional degree.

DeTwan - Geezer called the OP's major dumb, which was rude and uncalled for. He is, in fact, a jackass, a fact he proves time and again on this forum. 

> You dont even know the shoes geez has walked in.

That's rich, coming from the guy who thinks he can predict career failure over an anonymous internet board. 

Why is no one telling the OP

Drafting is 90% of what you will be doing in architecture. If like you just said above "drafting is fucking boring" don't do architecture. Being an architect creating great well designed spaces has the same success rate as being an actor and making it in hollywood, or being a musician and becoming famous. Honestly what will most likely happen even with a shiny expensive degree is you'll be making blue print drawings of other people's designs (not even architect's) other people as in some developer who has the money and wants to play architect or home owner who hired a contractor and googled some floor plans. You will be sitting there day in and day out making handicap accessible restrooms, waterproofing at windows and accessible path of travel plans. Get a degree in something useful and do it as a hobby BUT DON'T DO IT AS YOUR CAREER. Oh yeah you'll also never get time off....ever and you'll be fighting against others to get a meager paying job drawing accessible toilet grab bars. Seriously research research research and don't do it. Honestly, do you want to a be a drafter, and poor and work more hours than any of your other friends?

Thank you Strach for speaks some truth. That was my experience too, for eight years. I probably would have stuck with it longer but I could not find a job that would pay more than $40k. I know, my fault...SO I GOT THE FUCK OUT...after 8 years of hearing all the BS.

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=is+architecture+a+bad+major+for+college%3F

The AACU does a study that concludes---brace yourself----that, yes, a liberal arts education is "worth it".  Wow, that's impressive and completely unexpected.  They certainly wouldn't be grinding an axe, would they?  Sort of like asking the National Association of Realtors if people should try to sell their houses themselves.

The article goes on to contradict itself:

They conveniently don't separate out people who hold liberal arts undergrad degrees only from liberal arts majors who then went on to get a more practical graduate degree.

They say unemployment rate for liberal arts majors is "low", but acknowledge that they are higher than the rate for professional or pre-professional majors.  They say it's "only" .4 points higher (3.9 vs. 3.5) but that is a significant difference.  And it ignores what you mean by employed.  The 22 year old engineer and 22 year old Starbucks person are both employed, but only one is working at a college graduate level.

They acknowledge that the boost in earnings for liberal arts majors ($10,000) occurs after they get an advanced degree, presumably in something more marketable.  And the boost for science/math majors is $30,000 after an advanced degree.  Meaning, the softer majors are still at an earnings disadvantage.

Conclusion:  If you want to earn more money, you have to know how to do something useful in a commercial sense.  

 Correction:  I should have said the graduate degree earnings boost is $20,000 for soft majors versus $30,000 for science/math majors ( net difference of $10,000), but my point is still the same.

My best advise to the OP is do what makes you happy. I can assure you sitting behind a computer moving lines and windows, day in and day out, for decades, to make nothing, is not going to make you happy.

But that's easier said than done, most of us don't know what makes us happy, and the other part have commitments.

Do architecture if you know you want to draw toilets at Fosters & Partners after getting your license for 3 years.

Geezertech has a good point on the study quoted. A valid comparison would be a salary study between four year liberal arts majors and four year STEM graduates. Having people get a four year liberal arts degree and then going back for a three year professional degree in order to make a decent living is absurd. A better case could be made for a dual major.

To the OP:  If my calling your art history major "dumb" was rude, then accept my apology and substitute the word "impractical".  It sounds from your post that you have regrets already, since your school is giving you nothing in the way of help.  Gotta love the academy.

Before you do anything, do your homework on the reality (not just the dream) of architecture as a profession, and the requirements for getting in.  If you want a full blown professional career you will have to have a license, requiring an accredited degree.  Anything less is a waste of time.  If your portfolio won't get you into a masters program, you will have to go the B.Arch route.  Many years and lots of money.  You don't sound like a trust fund baby, so avoid debt as much as humanly possible.

Architecture is poorly compensated, insecure, and often boring work.  Passion fades and frustration builds.  Be careful and good luck.

Geezer, You're operating under the assumption that the purpose of education is to maximize earning potential. It is not. The statistic I cited simply demonstrates that majoring in liberal arts allows people to be competitive in the job market. No, they're not making as much as engineers, but they make enough to live happy, fulfilling lives.  

There's value in thinking critically, knowing history, philosophy, art and literature, and learning to write well. The kids in pre-professional programs don't get much of that stuff, which puts them at a cognitive disadvantage, and is a detriment to our democracy and culture(s.)

Art history is a great major.

You make a good point archiwutm. And to that point, I think that is why may ppl flock to architecture, they have this idea that they can be creative, and change the world, do something they love.

But in reality it isnt that way. It all comes down to money. The colleges and even ppl practicing in the profession poach off this idea that 'being an architect is so amazing'. When in reality, it is like saying, I wanna play for the major leagues, I want to be an actor, etc...

There are just too many obstacles that make it a reasonable statement to say...

I don't know why so many ppl on here foolishly spew information that becoming an architect isnt that hard (one that actually stamps there own drawings), here is how to do it, sign up for massive debt, and viola!

It not that easy, it's not what you want to believe it is (naive ppls ideas of architecture), and these are the next poor souls that will be replacing you (sad souls in architecture) once the next recession hits....so why are you ( not you archiwutm) trying to enlist an army of CAD monkeys to join the already crowded ship?

Anon:  I'm operating on the assumption that it is very difficult for the vast majority of people to be happy if they are constantly worried about money.  When a college education can commonly run $100-200K for a four-year degree, often through heavy debt financing, a middle class (or below) person simply doesn't have the luxury of ignoring economic realities.

Trust funders can ignore the above.

The problem is that a lot of liberal arts majors are seeking out graduate schools like architecture and law thinking that if they devote three years if their life and upwards of $200,000 they will be reliably rewarded with an upper middle class lifestyle.That is simply not the case in today's environment. The good jobs aren't there and the debt load is crippling. In many instances they would be better off going back for a bachelor's degree in engineering, math, finance, or whatever bests suits their temperament and will provide a good income.

Geezer,

- The average debt for someone leaving college is $27,600. (source)

That sucks; it's way too much, and hopefully we'll get national leadership interested in fixing the problem next year -  but it's certainly not $200,000. 

- What do we really need to be happy? I'd say that having intellectual interests goes a long way to making a fulfilling life. Money's important, too, but only to a point:

I didn't say the debt level was $100-200K.  The average figure of $27.6K doesn't sound that daunting, but remember it is only an "average".  Meaning, a lot of grads with full ride scholarships or full ride parents are built into that number.  There are plenty of graduates with six figure student loans.  If they subsequently end up at low end 30-hour barista jobs, even $27K is a real bite.

If you look at the map, it takes almost six figures to be happy in the higher priced states, and still takes $65K+ to be happy in lowest cost places.  Those jobs aren't that plentiful that you can assume getting one without being able to actually do something commercially useful.

The next question to ask is whether the $100-200K would be better spent buying and paying off a house versus a Russian lit degree.  $75K a year and a paid off house sounds better to me than $75K and a rent receipt.

As for intellectual fulfillment, let's be honest.  Most college students at that age are more interested in drinking beer and getting laid than the life of the mind.  And who says you need a college experience to be an intellect?  The public library is full of knowledge, and you can check out books for free, rather than shelling out $$$ trying to stay awake listening to some tenured blowhard droning on in some required course which has no interest to you?

You're right about the marginal utility of money leveling off after a certain point.  My point is that it is a fairly high point.

Geezer-

You insist on equating liberal arts degrees with employment in the service industry, which just isn't the case.

Those numbers aren't the minimum needed to be happy. They're the level at which additional income doesn't make you any happier. 

I loved college. I had very few "blowhard droning on" experiences, and I'm willing to bet that there's a correlation between going to college and checking out books at the public library - intellectual curiosity is a habit taught through education. If you hated school, you shouldn't have had to go. I wish that there were other options available for those who are only interested in vocational training. But, as it stands, people with degrees (across the board) do far better than those with only a high school diploma. 

You insist on equating liberal arts degrees with employment in the service industry, which just isn't the case.

No, I'm just observing that liberal arts majors are, on the whole, less job-ready when they graduate except for jobs that are relatively generic in nature as opposed to specialized fields which generally pay better.

Those numbers aren't the minimum needed to be happy. They're the level at which additional income doesn't make you any happier.

Meaning, they are the level below which you are less happy than you otherwise could be, all else being equal.

But, as it stands, people with degrees (across the board) do far better than those with only a high school diploma.

I won't tell Mark Zuckerberg or Bill Gates you said that.