If you know you want to be a structural engineer don't go to architecture school. The educations for those two disciplines will be completely different. If you aren't sure if you want to go into architecture or not I would encourage you to check out a summer program like Career Discovery at Harvard's Graduate School of Design. There are many options when it comes to these and even some in California. Just do a search on this discussions pages.

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo is an accredited, well respected undergraduate program and you don't have to live in Pomona if you go there.

Major in structural engineering; take architecture electives when possible; graduate and work as an engineer for a few years; go back and get your M.Arch.

You'll get two independently valuable degrees and should only have to spend 3 years toiling in an M.Arch program, instead of the 4 or 5 or 7 that you'll get with other purely arch. undergrad/grad combos.

USC also has a 'Building Science' program that I think is technically through the school of engineering, but they take a lot of their classes over in the architecture building, and have to do some of the architecture classes like history and such.

I think Cal Poly SLO (not Pomona) is the best fit for your interest.

Cal Poly SLO has a summer program for high school students which will give you a good glimpse into the school's architecture program. FYI, it will be very difficult to be a structural engineer with a degree in architecture or vice versa.

orEqual has a good stragedy for you if you really want both structural engineering & arch. The world can certainly use more engineers with the eye, mind, and artistry of an architect. Check out Cecil Balmond for an excellent example of what I mean.

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.04/balmond_pr.html

calatrava was trained as structural engineer exclusively.

1111 eighth street
take the eighteen bus from 8th and market and get off 1 stop before 16th street (forget the name of the street) and tun left. youll run right into it. its at the base of portrero hill.
or take the 22 and get off at wisconsin and cross 16th you can see it form there. right next to axis cafe.

thanks so far for your comments guys... but man, now im second-guessing what i wanna do as a career, i don't know if i want to be just an architect or some type of engineer. all i really want is a job specialized in designing/constructing skyscrapers. can anyone tell me what the difference is between a structural engineer and an architectural engineer??

calatrava is a hack. :)

yes, but a sucessful hack :)

since you are in the bay area, you should make a trip over to uc berkley and visit their architecture school. Talk with the students there and look at their work so you can get a picture of what goes on in an architecture school. I know someone who got a dual master degree from there in architecture and engineering...it's always a possiblity for you to do an architecture undegrad degree and combo it later if you find you are more interested in engineering. But definitly go visit some places first. it will help.

keep in mind many schools do dual degrees. I know UCB and Cal Poly SLO have a dual structural/architecture degree programs.

my friend has 5 undergrad degrees in 5 years from UT Austin. After 2, 3-5 were easy to get he said.

yes. yes he is.


Architectural Engineering vs. Structural Engineering vs. Architecture

are USC or Cal Poly Pomona good architecture schools??

who needs guidance counselors when u got ze archinect...

USC is good for undergrad, the grad is not very developed though. I would choose SLO over Pomona any day.

wat about CCA in San Francisco, or UC Berkeley?

what about woodbury, sciarc and otis?

Otis is not acreddited, plus the guy is interested in structural engineering which would rule out both Otis and SCIArc. Woodbury.... eh.