one of my old profs taught at new mexico for a semester. his class put a portfolio of pretty amazing work together, but that said i think it had more to do with him than with the quality of the education there in general. our studio ended up producing some similar work. a lot of these schools aren't bad per se, but they don't have as much money as some of the bigger schools, therefore can't offer the quality of education and facilities or lectures. i've walked around montana state in bozeman, and i think its a good school, but i haven't seen anything there i haven't seen anywhere else. you can get a great education at any of these places if you put your mind to it, but i think it would be slightly more difficult just in terms of what you'd be exposed to. students at vermont or new mexico or msu are probably more serious about their skiing and snowboarding [no disrespect] than their architecture.

By the way can anyone comment on the University of Kentucky's "Architecture Test" that they give to Freshman and transfer students and what it encompasses (drawing a horse?).

the test is a one-day thing that gives the reviewers a glimpse into your observational drawing abilities, your self-critical skills, your creativity in problem-solving, and your ability to think spatially.

it's grueling, but most uk students look back on it fondly. it's like a rite of passage.

did you take it or are you preparing to take it?

No I just noticed it when I went to the UK website. They seem like the only school that does that.

Norwich, University of Idaho, Wentworth, Roger Williams

Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, GA Tech, Kansas State, Kent State, Mississippi State, Montana State, North Dakota State, Oaklahoma State, Ohio State, Savannah, Tuskegee, Univ Houston, Univ Hartford, Univ OK, Univ Utah, etc....

GT+

I got my BA-Arch from UNM (it's UNM that has the Arch. program, not NMSU). I graduated last Fall. Honestly, stay away if possible, at least until the new building is finished. The dean here is terrible and it's no secret that his only intent here is getting the new architecture building built (i.e. padding his resume) and then he can go on to destroy another architecture program. (watch out if roger schluntz rolls into town!). he has all but removed all resources from the school. The wood shop has been closed now for 1 year (something about not having enough money to pay someone for that job, yet student fees increase every year...), and the printing resource room has been on again-off again the last couple of years (there is another post here that has the article from our school newspaper). Finally, the computing resources are a joke. They exist, but good luck finding one that works, and good luck finding a class where you can a: learn how to use them, and b: use what you learned. Digital design at UNM consists of one, that's right, one, class in form-z that is pretty basic. I think you can take maya through the theater school. Sad. Word on the street is that the program is on the verge of losing their accreditation, so keep an eye out for that.
now, the program. the undergraduate program manages to have some redeeming factors, but like the job captain mentioned, it's totally dependent on what instructor happens to be involved with the program. Generally, in the undergraduate program, it's less than 3 years. The faculty usually try to make this a progressive program, but it is still overseen by a traditional based administration, thus making it uneven, and often frustrating. The tenured (read-dated teaching methods) faculty end-up teaching the graduate school, in general placing any forward thinking ideas to a halt.
What happens is a complete lack of coherence in the program as faculty fight faculty over whether the school should be traditional or progressive, and the admin. just makes everything more complex with their general apathy towards the students, faculty, and program. The lack of sufficient resources is a constant battle and since the architecture school is on the smallest programs on campus (well, technically it's not even on the UNM campus) it receives the least amount of funding.
It's sad that the program is bound in so much bureaucracy, because there really are positive things about studying architecture here (historical structures abound- john gaw meem buildings are all over the unm campus, santa fe just an hour away, open space and expansive sky, nice climate but the ability to experience desert, mountain, and river within an hours drive, all the green chile you can eat, and frontier, the best cheap college food anywhere, open 24-7 and right next door to the architecture school-awesome!) but you, like many others, will only find the program to be a complete frustration. I went here for undergrad. because it was free, and over-all it wasn't bad, but I could have done better somewhere else.

i would have to say from my personal experience that VT (as in virginia tech) and nc state are on the map...and judging by the quality of co-workers i've had, deserve much more attention than they may or may not get. these are schools where people actually learn to become architects in the fullest and most well-rounded sense of the term.

should we start talking about schools that SHOULDN'T be on the map?

Pennsylvania State University - well rounded BARCH education that struck the perfect balance of thoery with good design & tech. issues and had a great model shop, arch. library, and stacked computer labs. I felt well-prepared and ready for the real world by the time I graduated and didn't feel like a Master's in Arch would've been more beneficial over "real world" experience. Bear in mind that this was a while ago and since then, they've gone thru a bunch of Dept. Heads and are in a new "green" facility... It's probably much different now.

I've had former co-workers from VaTech - IMO they all had huge chips on their shoulders and carried themselves like they went to an Ivy League school and were god's gift to architecture. They were quite the brown-nosers when the principals were around and quite the whiners when they weren't. I also noticed that they were the annoying type that schlep their sketchbooks to lectures and get autographs from the lecturer...

I also would give props to Okla State, NC State, Kansas State grads...

wow. i've never heard of such a thing. pathic. and pathetic.

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee has not been mentioned, and is a great program. On par with University of Illinois - CU and University of Minnesota for the upper midwest.

i've seen the autograph thing several times before... i find it pathetic too...

regarding the couple of florida schools that were mentioned...

USF is a relatively young school of architecture... the current facilities are AWFUL... the school is in a "high-tech office park" on the fringe of campus... however, they are getting taking over another building on campus, so they will have some more room for better facilities soon... i've been in the tampa area for a few years now and the quality of work at the school is definitely on the rise... i've been on a few juries over the past 2 years and the work has gotten much better... the faculty and students are also starting to get younger... the student body has a lot of 2nd profession people...

i don't know a whole lot about FIU... i know that they have a lot of young faculty from schools like Harvard and Columbia... and they have a building designed by Bernard Tschumi...

AVOID THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI AT ALL COSTS... unless of course you want to be indoctrinated into the Congress of The New Urbanism... they have an atrocious new building by Krier...

the k-state grads i've worked with...first-class thru and thru. kansas is lucky, for a relatively small state in population they have two great architecture schools. of course we're all colored by our own personal experiences...the vtech grads i worked with were all super. and i have worked with probably half a dozen harvard grads and none of them knew what flashing was nor who siegfried giedion was. but oh could they drop a name.

Damn randar82, good info on New Mexico, sorry I got the schools mixed but it sounds like it has some problems. Miami is shadey as hell and your right architphil to new building there is so sick is sad:

^5 Ochona!
I've worked w/ plenty of GSD/Yale types that couldn't design or detail their way out of a paper bag! But damn could they use some big "theory" words and solve the NY Times Sunday crossword!

j, have you ever compared the student work? If you did I would think you might change your mind...

good to see a shout out for OK State...jeez we are such a small school.

but KU, K-State, and OSU all very good schools which can be considered to be surprising due to the lack of architecture in the area. Soon I will be working side by side with GSD/Yale grads, it will be interesting to compare my education and abilities with them.

great odin's raven, that picture is just WRONG.

Ochona: "i have worked with probably half a dozen harvard grads and none of them knew what flashing was nor who siegfried giedion was."

Without this specific knowledge, one would form a rather, ahem, colorful opinion of Siegfried Gledion based on this statement. Beware.

and johannes itten used to wear a cape.

New Mexico St. does not have an architecture school but the University of New Mexico does, it is the only one in the state.

It is ok, the few good professors that are here make it worth it. Facilities are non existent untill the new school is finished in 2 years.

That said, it is probably located in the most beutiful geographic area compaired to all other architecture schools...10 minutes in any direction and you in nature as far as the eye can see.

randar, you still in the 505?

yep. still here jasoncross. going to graduate school in the fall. i think i have finally decided on sci-arc. it was a tough choice (sci-arc, pratt, or risd), but it seems right.

do work at a firm here? You graduated with Walt and Blaine I assume...I used to work with Blaine and curreently work with Walt at Modulus design.

You should enjoy Sci-Arc, the best choice of the 3 i believe...at least they have the facilities that will let you get dirty.

enjoy and goodluck.

i was the studio the year above those guys.

Denari went to Univ of Houston. A lot of undergrads go to Ivy for grad school.

ten minutes to get outta town? in albucrackee you must drive fast jason...thanks for dissing my alma mater. its all true by the way...schools that should have an architecture school but don't... my other almamater, indiana university. which has strong bfa mfa art programs excellent liberal arts and humanities kick ass business and law school...and some girls gone wild...

I guess I am the only Iowa State grad on here so I got to stand up for it single-handedly. It is honestly a great design school.

I work with many Ok state grads and Univ Kansas grads and Colorado grads, all seem to be on top of it.

maybe 15, compaired to Austin or Houston, my past two homes, Albuquerque is an absolute breeze to get out of...unless some semi on I40 has flipped or something.

Vado, I think I can get from Carlisle and I40 to tijeras in easily 10 minutes doing 65...the city is small man :)

I began my architecture education at the University of Houston...it is a much better program than UNM...it always seems to be overlooked in discussions of quality arch programs...but it shouldn't be.

that said, houston takes about an hour and a half to get out of town mid day...sometimes longer, ugg.

I also think captain is wrong...most students at UNM are not here to ski, especially not this year...it just happens to be the only school for the whole state...and it is cheap...so, it is almost all in state students...for most it is their only real arch education option.

i think it takes twenty to get to tijeras canyon as my exhunney's mom lives in sandia park. u could get to the zoo though...

I've always been a bit shocked at how little I hear about USC on here, considering the B.Arch program is rock solid.

I was surprised not to see any mention of the University of Tennessee School of Architecture and Design. They do well in the rankings, are very selective, generous with fin. aid, and recruit faculty and students from all over. I grew up in Nashville, went to UT Knoxville, and completed 3 yrs in the BArch program, but I knew that there were so many exciting places out there and I wanted to be a part of it. I ended up dropping everything and moved out West, where I finished my undergrad. My point is that while there are many schools that are top notch and deserve more recognition, they are in locations that are not particularly lusted after by young designers. There is something to be said about an education in architecture within a vibrant urban setting, where a given program is part of a strong creative class and uses the city as a laboratory

"Babbling brooks are often shallow," there may be some connection between that old saying and the incessant chatter about the ivy leagues or perhaps there is a particular demographic represented on archinect. Ultimately, I applied to Parsons, Pratt, RISD, CCA, and UT Knoxville for MArchI because most fit with what I was looking for. I was accepted to all 5 and am 95% Parsons (5% is the issue of money...another reason why state schools deserve more representation).

waterloo

So do we have a consensus yet? Every school of architecture is rock-solid in some sort. Either you've worked with a great grad, have gone there and know first hand, or have seen it in rankings.

Apparently the only architecture school in Philadelphia is UPENN

wow i've heard a few people mention colorado at boulder in this thread, and i can't speak first hand but i've heard nothing good about the program there, in terms of academic and professional success. i don't quite know if asu belongs on the list though, there have been several threads about it and i think its one of the best schools in the southwest [outside socali].

i also don't think osu belongs on that list. osu is a good school and everybody knows about osu and their bad ass building.

A- I think the consensus is that we're a bit tired of hearing about the same five schools, all the friggin time, and wish a few other places would get some love, too.

Yes...many of the Waterloo grads I've worked with are knowledgeable and solid.

the university of new mexico state is rock solid goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Lobos!!!!

ball state university?

for the last time...

the architecture school is the university of new mexico and it is in albuquerque. new mexico STATE is an aggie school and is in las crusas.

i would fail to describe the program as rock solid. unless it is sandstone. which i don't think is a rock. i could be wrong.

give em heck randar!!!go looooooooooooblows!!!

OldFogey, before starting design school, that's the most detailed description of the KY test I've heard, thanks for sharing...in some respects, I find it unfortunate that it's distributed before any training (if i'm understanding correctly). In my case, I may very well have not been admitted were such a test distributed at the hopeful outset of my design education.

At UFlorida, they require students to pin-up after 2 years (4 design studios) in order to reach the upper division of the program. That gave people like myself a chance to see what it was all about...

is UKentucky public?

(sorry for the hijacking)

j, why is that a bold statement about UWM? Joe architect is right. I didn't go to UWM (I went to IIT), but I do have some connections to people at the school and have juried up there many times, and I would say that it is better than UIUC and UMinn in many ways... My only beef with it is the quality of undgraduate students that often apply there, but the grad students are generally pretty good.

UWM is one of those schools where you can get a world-class education, or a crappy education depending on what studios you take, etc.

BTW: The last US News list I saw for architecture grad programs ranked UWM and U of I -Urbana Champaign at a tie for number 19! Apparently there are MANY people who are into this program.

interesting way to look at it...latent talent, crappy execution conjoined to an obvious clarity of process / intent...I like the way that sounds... thanks for the response.

I just got accepted into UNLV into the architecture program. With further research on what it involves, i'd be happy to start a page for them and me