Charles,

I would strongly encourage you to get a job in the architecture field after graduation. Work for 1-2 years and then let applying to graduate school be a natural progression of your strong, undeniable desire to continue to mature in your chosen field professionally and creatively.

I did a 3+ year M.Arch program with no previous architecture background. I have now been working professionally for 1.5 years. Without a doubt, I would have approached my graduate degree time differently and even considered different schools based on what I have learned from working in a firm.

You are extremely fortunate (I stress again 'extremely') to be graduating with an undergraduate degree (and italy study abroad opportunities to boot) with zero debt. 

Large student loans are incredibly hard and debilitating to deal with, especially so in the architecture industry. Stories that you hear about low initial pay and slow raise progression are true. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics 15 years ago and was making $55K after graduation. I was making $80K prior to arch grad school. I am now making $45K a year and am shell shocked that this industry is so financially immature and to be frank impotent to gain control over fees and overhead in a more responsible manner. 

Do not place false pressure on yourself that you need to immediately go into graduate school. Work for several years in the industry and then make an informed decision if graduate school and architecture as a career are right for you.

Yes, there are people out there who are living fulfilling lives as architects, creatively and financially. You could be one of them in the near future. But give yourself the best possibility for success by gaining professional experience, making an informed decision on graduate school and keeping your students loans as minimal as possible.

Good Luck,

Sulidae

I also argue for working for a few years. I graduated with my B.Arch in 2008 and will hopefully be returning to a graduate program this coming Fall (if not, then next). I've learned just as many interesting and viable things in my few years outside of college, than I did in undergrad. But most of all, I have slowly learned what I am most interested in and what courses in particular I want to take in a graduate program. My interests have matured. I think had I gone strait to graduate school, I would have likely taken the same style of courses and worked in the same way as I did in undergrad, only at a different institution. These are just my thoughts though. 

if you still have the ‘knack’ for architecture, your momentum will transition smoothly until you finish grad school but taking a break and working for a few years, your sprits might get broken and ultimately your train of thought will not be the same as if we were to start immediately after undergrad. And that will differ depending on where you work, whether you’re doing mundane details or working on exciting projects.   

An M. Arch degree may be redundant on top of a B. Arch, unless you're looking for a career as a professor or academic researcher.  However, it is a must for those who have a B. S., since it may be a prerequisite for getting a license to practice.  On a personal note, the job market for post-graduate architecture interns has been the toughest since the Great Depression.  I have been searching for a year and a half and jobs even in related fields in construction are hard to come by.  If the construction industry does not fly anytime soon, the non-celebrity architectural  firms will keep collecting dust.  But if you are a tenacious optimist, pursue that Masters degree or a vocational degree such as in construction management (if you aspire to be a project manager), or some other training that will give you an edge in getting hired when times get better. In this present environment, don't waste time trying to find an internship straight out of college (unless you're an absolute Revit guru or business genius with a knack for turning companies around).   In tough times, it's better to give prospective employers the impression that you're still keeping your creative mind active, rather than wallowing in unemployment (like yours truly) and letting your work skills and ethic fade.  Worst of all, the longer you are unemployed or out of school, the least likely that employers would even bother to look at your resume.  As for minimum wage work to occupy your time while you wait for this economy to recover, either in retail, restaurants, or warehouses, employers might see you as over-qualified and over-educated for that line of work.  They would rather look for someone either straight out of high school (supervisors prefer to train those less educated than they) or those with previous customer service experience.  On a more optimistic note, keep your head up. Don't let this mediocre economy compel you to stagnate.  Keep in mind that if you do have federal students loans, lenders will be more patient if they know you're taking a sincere effort to better yourself through school and training rather than merely waiting for jobs to fall on your lap.  Good luck. 

My rule of thumb is: if you know exactly what you would like to get your masters in, and WHY, then go for it.  But if you are unsure, that's probably a sign that you are not ready for it.  Don't go rushing into loans. 

I don't think there is any benefit to taking time off, beyond realizing that you probably should get a master's in something else (MBA, etc.).

Not really much point in getting duplicate degrees (BArch + MArch), particularly in a field that eats its own.  Get something unique that will give you flexibility and empower you later on.