I was drawn to the program because it seemed to offer a good balance between a fundamental education in communication design/visual arts and computer technology.
I consider myself a creative person, usually embarking on more artistic endeavors outside of the classroom while in high school I excelled in the sciences (math, physics, computer science).
The Design | Media Arts program seemed as if it would be able to stimulate both sides of my brain, and hopefully prepare me for a career in which I was able to also exercise both.
For reasons that I won't delve into, I'm having doubts as to whether or not the program is worthwhile. Sitting through a year of art classes has left the science side of my brain painfully under stimulated.
More importantly, my interest in graphic design and web design (fields which it seems graduates of the program are most likely to enter) is not what it used to be. Not to badmouth either field but both professions seem, to me, increasingly trivial and juvenile.
I feel as if architecture represents a good opportunity for art-me and science-me to coexist.
If anyone could shed any light on the issue or offer some guidance it would be much appreciated.
I went to UCLA (after a bach in arch) for my Masters in arch and also studied web/multimedia while there. Now I do more web/graphics than architecture.
My advice:
Get your degree in digital media BUT go over to Perloff often, walk around and talk to students, go to crits, etc. it's a great resource for you there, take advantage of it.
Other advice:
1. Learn Actionscript (Flash). Learn it well. The things you can do are amazing and greatly rewarding. Do this well and you'll have a career making 50% more than a graduating arch student. If you want to keep going, learn some PHP/database stuff (or similar technologies).
2. Learn 3D Studio/Maya. Learn it well. To help your science half, learn to script as well. This is also very powerful and could help you get a great job also.
3. Real Time VR is becoming more and more sophisticated and requires a combination of scripting (similar to AS or javascript) and 3D. Video games are the obvious direction here, but it's also becoming possible in other fields
4. Make a trip to Perloff at least once a week, find schedules, talk to people, take pictures of crits, listen and learn. Go to a few crits and you'll have a better idea about the schooling.
So go for it, but get your dig media degree first. It'll make sure you have great career choices, should you not like architecture.
UCLA only has a grad program in architecture, anyway. Apply to schools for a M.Arch I after you have your bach and you coudl potentially do everything.
Personally, I love it all and find each thing, from graphic design to 3D to web to architecture all fulfilling.
Not bad thoughts trace, but I'll add that anythinganymore might want to consider some other areas as well. I'f you are serious about wanting more science, but not loosing the creative, you might try won of the artificial scciences -- i.e. computer science, informatics, etc. I believe Phil Agre is still in Library and information science at UCLA; if I were there, I'd definetly take a class from him.
Second, you might want to consider graduate work in architecture after finishing a degree in digital arts (or CS, or what have you). You will be more tech-literate than your peers, have an aesethetic sense that developed outside architecture (so you won't spend the first two years struggling with boxes and blobs), and have the advantage of a libberal undergraduate as well as a graduate education.
if you want to do rendering and computer modelling follow the above advice. in fact i wouldnt even transfer to an architecture program. i would stay in graphic design. if you want to learn to be an architect, well that is a different beast.
As far as I know the "Architectural Studies" program opening up at UCLA doesn't offer any actual vocational training -- more of a theory and history type of thing.
I don't have any strong interest in UCLA itself (I'm originally from Westchester, NY), and was not planning on staying at the university if the Design and Media Arts program wasn't to my liking.
Furthermore, the my funds for graduate school are pretty much nonexistent, as I'm almost certainly going to graduate with something like a year's tuition worth of debt.
In response to trace's advice (thanks for your thorough response) -
I've actually been using flash, PHP, MySQL, css, and things of the sort for close to 5 years now. In 9th grade I was absolutely positive I wanted to become a web designer.
At one time I might have found web design a very exciting and rewarding endeavor, but I don't really find it so fulfilling anymore. It seems somewhat trivial and I'm not sure that I'd want to make a career out of it. I'm quite surprised that people who do earn so much more than architects.
I think my question is as follows:
Obviously all members of this forum have some background or interest in architecture. I would assume that a good deal of them have also dabbled in some other sort of applied art.
What would you consider the most fulfilling / stimulating?
What is the most fulfilling really depends on the person.
I learned half way through grad school that the chances of me every building what I was good at designing, which was what most would consider avant garde (read - damn expensive), was slim to none.
So in the real world, getting built the kind of architecture that I found truly fulfilling was next to impossible. This coupled with the fact that,basically, the more progressive the design style you pursue the less money you'll make.
Do I like architecture more than web/graphics? Hell yes. Architecture is my passion, but I was not able to make the compromise between style/money/time, etc.
Everyone is different. I know people that like the business side of architecture, some just like being involved with the process, some teach, etc., etc.
For me, most of architecture is somewhat 'trivial'. It's a solution to a problem, but not much more. I find extremely good websites (think Group94) much more stimulating than most of architecture.
Advice: get your current degree. Sounds like you are quite knowledgeable, so finish it up, make a kick ass portfolio, learn about architecture more, take business classes (everyone should take them).
Then: go to Columbia and get their dual major in architecture and real estate development. You are from NY, so it seems logical.
This way you'll essentially have 3 careers to choose from. All will benefit from the other skills you'll learn. You can do anything and make a great living. Don't worry about the loans, if you did all that you'd make a damn good living and be able to pay it off.
When you get all that done, give me a call, I'll hire you ;-)
I don't have the professional experience yet to know for sure that I won't be able to do what I love(a la trace's avante garde design). I guess because i'm still in grad school, the idealism is still there, and the 'possibilities' themselves are actually most gratifying. I come from a design household, and am most interested in the possibility to expand a rigorous education in architecture into other fields as well.
If you look at organizations like Asymptote, for example, they're all over the map in the spatial arts, and have made themselves known as much for office furniture(Knoll), simulated space (the NYSC debacle), and generally sexy graphics as for anything you might call architecture.
I have found that (depending on the focus of your architectural education) the training allows a sampling from TONS of potential trajectories, I.E.:
Arts(Graphic Design/Web Design/Representation Techniques/3d animation), Engineering(people fall in love with making, building, maximizing efficiency), Material sciences, Urban planning, politics, philosophy, etc.
certainly the exposure to each is somewhat limited, but I find that variety to be a real strong-point of the undergraduate architecture education. I would advise you to maximize your experiences. your knowledge base at it stands would make it easy to finish your current degree, but maybe without learning anything, and certainly without being inspired. I say challenge yourself, and delve into the unknown. Undergrad architecture would be a good match, because a lot of the early frustration among design students (representation skills, general design theory, etc) will be very easy for you, and you'll be expected to perform at a higher level.
Because you are a freshman, I'd think that the next few yearws might be a waste if you were to wait until graduate school to jump into this field. I did my freshman year majoring in journalism & multimedia studies, then discovered architecture. I was in the same boat regarding trivialization in the original studies, and am very happy to have made the switch.
Undergrad considering transfer to Architecture
Hey everyone, my name is George and I'm an undergraduate considering transferring into an architecture program.
I'm currently a freshman at UCLA majoring in "Design | Media Arts."
The program's website is located at http://dma.ucla.edu
I was drawn to the program because it seemed to offer a good balance between a fundamental education in communication design/visual arts and computer technology.
I consider myself a creative person, usually embarking on more artistic endeavors outside of the classroom while in high school I excelled in the sciences (math, physics, computer science).
The Design | Media Arts program seemed as if it would be able to stimulate both sides of my brain, and hopefully prepare me for a career in which I was able to also exercise both.
For reasons that I won't delve into, I'm having doubts as to whether or not the program is worthwhile. Sitting through a year of art classes has left the science side of my brain painfully under stimulated.
More importantly, my interest in graphic design and web design (fields which it seems graduates of the program are most likely to enter) is not what it used to be. Not to badmouth either field but both professions seem, to me, increasingly trivial and juvenile.
I feel as if architecture represents a good opportunity for art-me and science-me to coexist.
If anyone could shed any light on the issue or offer some guidance it would be much appreciated.
Sounds good to me, go for it.
Oh wait, um, do you like buildings? You kinda have to like buildings. Or at least building.
I went to UCLA (after a bach in arch) for my Masters in arch and also studied web/multimedia while there. Now I do more web/graphics than architecture.
My advice:
Get your degree in digital media BUT go over to Perloff often, walk around and talk to students, go to crits, etc. it's a great resource for you there, take advantage of it.
Other advice:
1. Learn Actionscript (Flash). Learn it well. The things you can do are amazing and greatly rewarding. Do this well and you'll have a career making 50% more than a graduating arch student. If you want to keep going, learn some PHP/database stuff (or similar technologies).
2. Learn 3D Studio/Maya. Learn it well. To help your science half, learn to script as well. This is also very powerful and could help you get a great job also.
3. Real Time VR is becoming more and more sophisticated and requires a combination of scripting (similar to AS or javascript) and 3D. Video games are the obvious direction here, but it's also becoming possible in other fields
4. Make a trip to Perloff at least once a week, find schedules, talk to people, take pictures of crits, listen and learn. Go to a few crits and you'll have a better idea about the schooling.
So go for it, but get your dig media degree first. It'll make sure you have great career choices, should you not like architecture.
UCLA only has a grad program in architecture, anyway. Apply to schools for a M.Arch I after you have your bach and you coudl potentially do everything.
Personally, I love it all and find each thing, from graphic design to 3D to web to architecture all fulfilling.
Not bad thoughts trace, but I'll add that anythinganymore might want to consider some other areas as well. I'f you are serious about wanting more science, but not loosing the creative, you might try won of the artificial scciences -- i.e. computer science, informatics, etc. I believe Phil Agre is still in Library and information science at UCLA; if I were there, I'd definetly take a class from him.
Second, you might want to consider graduate work in architecture after finishing a degree in digital arts (or CS, or what have you). You will be more tech-literate than your peers, have an aesethetic sense that developed outside architecture (so you won't spend the first two years struggling with boxes and blobs), and have the advantage of a libberal undergraduate as well as a graduate education.
an undergrad program such as the one you're in seems like a great foundation for a graduate architecture education.
no, starting from this (or next?!) Fall, UCLA is goin to offer a Bachedlor of Art in Architectural Studies
[http://cis.ucla.edu/studyArea/course.asp?type=MAJ&code=00A1]check their website [/url]
try again..
check their website
BUT. as a new program, that B.A in Arch studies may not get a student advanced placement in a graduate architecture program (i'm speculating).
if you want to do rendering and computer modelling follow the above advice. in fact i wouldnt even transfer to an architecture program. i would stay in graphic design. if you want to learn to be an architect, well that is a different beast.
ya. after glancing at the curriculum it seems a bit lite on studios to be useful as a means to a shorter grad program (advanced placement).
Thanks so much for all of your help.
As far as I know the "Architectural Studies" program opening up at UCLA doesn't offer any actual vocational training -- more of a theory and history type of thing.
I don't have any strong interest in UCLA itself (I'm originally from Westchester, NY), and was not planning on staying at the university if the Design and Media Arts program wasn't to my liking.
Furthermore, the my funds for graduate school are pretty much nonexistent, as I'm almost certainly going to graduate with something like a year's tuition worth of debt.
In response to trace's advice (thanks for your thorough response) -
I've actually been using flash, PHP, MySQL, css, and things of the sort for close to 5 years now. In 9th grade I was absolutely positive I wanted to become a web designer.
At one time I might have found web design a very exciting and rewarding endeavor, but I don't really find it so fulfilling anymore. It seems somewhat trivial and I'm not sure that I'd want to make a career out of it. I'm quite surprised that people who do earn so much more than architects.
I think my question is as follows:
Obviously all members of this forum have some background or interest in architecture. I would assume that a good deal of them have also dabbled in some other sort of applied art.
What would you consider the most fulfilling / stimulating?
What is the most fulfilling really depends on the person.
I learned half way through grad school that the chances of me every building what I was good at designing, which was what most would consider avant garde (read - damn expensive), was slim to none.
So in the real world, getting built the kind of architecture that I found truly fulfilling was next to impossible. This coupled with the fact that,basically, the more progressive the design style you pursue the less money you'll make.
Do I like architecture more than web/graphics? Hell yes. Architecture is my passion, but I was not able to make the compromise between style/money/time, etc.
Everyone is different. I know people that like the business side of architecture, some just like being involved with the process, some teach, etc., etc.
For me, most of architecture is somewhat 'trivial'. It's a solution to a problem, but not much more. I find extremely good websites (think Group94) much more stimulating than most of architecture.
Advice: get your current degree. Sounds like you are quite knowledgeable, so finish it up, make a kick ass portfolio, learn about architecture more, take business classes (everyone should take them).
Then: go to Columbia and get their dual major in architecture and real estate development. You are from NY, so it seems logical.
This way you'll essentially have 3 careers to choose from. All will benefit from the other skills you'll learn. You can do anything and make a great living. Don't worry about the loans, if you did all that you'd make a damn good living and be able to pay it off.
When you get all that done, give me a call, I'll hire you ;-)
I don't have the professional experience yet to know for sure that I won't be able to do what I love(a la trace's avante garde design). I guess because i'm still in grad school, the idealism is still there, and the 'possibilities' themselves are actually most gratifying. I come from a design household, and am most interested in the possibility to expand a rigorous education in architecture into other fields as well.
If you look at organizations like Asymptote, for example, they're all over the map in the spatial arts, and have made themselves known as much for office furniture(Knoll), simulated space (the NYSC debacle), and generally sexy graphics as for anything you might call architecture.
I have found that (depending on the focus of your architectural education) the training allows a sampling from TONS of potential trajectories, I.E.:
Arts(Graphic Design/Web Design/Representation Techniques/3d animation), Engineering(people fall in love with making, building, maximizing efficiency), Material sciences, Urban planning, politics, philosophy, etc.
certainly the exposure to each is somewhat limited, but I find that variety to be a real strong-point of the undergraduate architecture education. I would advise you to maximize your experiences. your knowledge base at it stands would make it easy to finish your current degree, but maybe without learning anything, and certainly without being inspired. I say challenge yourself, and delve into the unknown. Undergrad architecture would be a good match, because a lot of the early frustration among design students (representation skills, general design theory, etc) will be very easy for you, and you'll be expected to perform at a higher level.
Because you are a freshman, I'd think that the next few yearws might be a waste if you were to wait until graduate school to jump into this field. I did my freshman year majoring in journalism & multimedia studies, then discovered architecture. I was in the same boat regarding trivialization in the original studies, and am very happy to have made the switch.
just some thoughts
er....Asymptote did the virtual NYSE, not the NYSC. yay typo!
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