Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
Pratt Institute
University of Southern California (USC)
Tulane University
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Temple University
University of Oregon
Cranbrook Academy of Art
New York Institute of Technology (NYIT)
Kansas State University
PrattGAUD vs. SCI-Arc Edge
Hi,
I just finished a Masters Degree from Univeristy of Montreal and was looking to hone my skills further with a 1 year post grad program.
I just got accepted to both PrattGAUD's 1 year postgrad program, and SCI-Arc's Edge 1 year postgrad program.
I like both schools and didn't expect to get into both. To consider is the fact that i've got a scholarship from Pratt and not from SCI-Arc, and even though SCI-Arc's fees are a bit lower the scholarship makes it a fairly even price tag in the end.
My main concern is that SCI-Arc's program, even though it is cutting edge, doesn't really prepare you to the real world and gets lost in pure creativity with less concern of the built result than Pratt's. I was impressed with the parametric cutting edge side of Pratt as well even though it's a bit less futuristic than SCI-Arc's.
It seems to me like Pratt's program is great as well and even though it may be a bit less cutting edge, it seems more balanced.
I'd like to consider the cities as little as possible in my choice, because I feel like NYC would win against L.A. but for one year, i'd rather go to the better school than choose the one that happens to be in the city I'd prefer. I feel like both places would offer nice contacts and opportunities.
I'd like to have your thoughts and impressions, and even perhaps the program you'd choose and why :)
Thank you
I'm not sure what the facilities of Pratt are like, but I just visited Sci-Arc.
I got a walk-through from a current EDGE student and as someone who comes from the building side of the business, I got to say their fabrication shops are out of this world. I mean, if you were so inclined, you could really sink your teeth into exploring the tactile. And not just the CnC/3D/Lazer cut world. Their welding and wood shops were 1st class IMO. I think this gets overlooked a little when people talk about Sci-Arc (or at least as I have read as I explored the internet). And it seems like the EDGE program has some flexibility for you to explore what you want. If you want to go deep into built results, just find a theoretical agenda that emphasizes your desire to cross the boundaries and they'll cut you loose to TIG weld space trusses.
Again, this was my impression after visiting.
And,on a side note, as someone who has detailed and built a thousand roof to wall connections and flashed a thousand windows and poured god awful yards of concrete, I think 1 year, regardless of where you spend it won't make the difference if your worried about experience in "real" world. I think budgets/timelines/CD sets etc will find you regardless.
After all, I think you have articulated one of the core concerns about Sci-Arc, and I'm just expressing one set of rationals that I've created to justify my own interest in it.
That's just my opinion for what its worth.
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