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How much does location of Canadian MArch affect future employment?

Manitoba

Asking a question for a Winnipeg student who has been accepted into the MArch programs at Manitoba, Carelton, UBC and U of T.  

Student is debating between staying in Manitoba or going to Carleton. I assume the school's location would have advantages for making local contacts but if the student trained in Ottawa but wanted to apply for a job after in Manitoba, would training location make a difference? Or, is it all about portfolio and experience?

 
Mar 27, 23 4:34 pm
Non Sequitur

Location matters little in terms of future job prospects but a larger city will have more options... with that said, Manitoba is not very attractive so there could be less competition for jobs if everyone else fucks off to the GTA...  But your career options will largely be based on your portfolio and the skills you bring to the table, not the name of your school.

Mar 27, 23 4:38 pm  · 
2  · 
Almosthip

Lots of work in Alberta and Surprise! University of Calgary is  an accredited program

Mar 27, 23 6:10 pm  · 
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ahjun

How does it work for an international student? For example , studied at mcgill and can find work elsewhere in canada?

Mar 28, 23 3:44 am  · 
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Non Sequitur

Works the same, just get your visa sorted. It’s a big country tho, with lots of empty gaps between a few cities. Not easy to hop around from job to job if you’re relocating.

Mar 28, 23 6:01 am  · 
1  · 
whistler

Good schools always have a strong representation from the local architectural community, tutors, advisors, critics etc. Always a good way to connect and network especially when you are fresh out of school. I connected that way on several summer internships and got work after graduation from the same.  Those jobs never became my "forever" job but a good way to get experience. Once in the local community it's easier to see which other firms are hiring or interesting options for future consideration.  Even if the connections made through the school provide recommendations it's likely easier than starting cold and having to knock on doors.

Mar 29, 23 8:13 pm  · 
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School doesnt matter that much IMO.

Winnipeg has more options now that it did when I graduated in 2002 with MArch. Thanks in part to offices like 5468796, who stayed in the area and built a formidable office and culture of design (disclosure that they were my classmates).

Myself and a large cohort of my classmates went out into the world after graduating. Some to Vancouver, others to TO. A lot of us were in the UK in 2003 because the economy was booming. Then we went off to the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe, etc. Some of us came back to Canada. I now split my time between Tokyo and Toronto and teach at TMU. All with a degree from U Manitoba (and to be fair, a PhD from U of Tokyo)

There is a benefit to staying in one place and the connections that professors and schools have usually are local (less so with the newer profs at TMU since we are all international), but currently at least that does not matter too much. I would focus more on how the school fits the student.

Apr 1, 23 11:51 am  · 
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kenchiku

Choosing Waterloo or Dalhousie for their co-op programs would be most beneficial for future employment prospects. More so than where a school happens to be located, in my experience.

Apr 1, 23 5:47 pm  · 
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