these are Canadian schools.. neither can be considered 'artistic' in the scheme of arch schools lol  I've heard undergrad at Carlton is fairly artistic .. don't know about their grad school though

Are you looking for a more experimental school? What is your definition of experimental/artsy, what are you looking for from a school?

I'm guessing you are looking to study in Canada? How quickly do you want to graduate?

I don't think I'll really know or recognize what I'm looking for until I get closer to it. Loosely, I guess I would define experimental as being closer to contemporary art than engineering on the spectrum. Maybe an emphasis on unconventional material and form? To encourage experimentation and inventiveness, at least in the beginning, and to worry about where to fit in the bathroom until later? Does this fantasy exist? Am I out of touch? :) Getting my hands dirty and actually building 'full-scale stuff' also appeals to me.

Canada would be ideal, since I'm from there. But I also recently became an EU citizen, and I would love to study somewhere in Europe down the road. However, Dalhousie and UBC's environmental design programs appeal for their ability to enter in the 3rd year, since I already have completed a mixed bag of studies. 

As far as studying in Europe goes, I don't think there are many English-language undergrad programs, and none where you can swindle your way right into 3rd year, I'm guessing. On top of that, if I wanted to pursue grad school in Europe I understand that - unlike in Canada/US - I cannot just enter from any old discipline... I would need a architecture-based undergrad. Is this true?

Thanks!

I agree, its hard to know what you are looking for until you are there! I certainly had no idea what I was getting myself into when I started my undergrad.

I find Dalhousie's whole "you get to start in 3rd year" a bit misleading, since you aren't skipping ahead... they don't actually offer a 1st or 2nd year of architectural studies. Their program is compact, and attracts students with non-arch backgrounds, but its still a 4 year program. Both UofT and UBC have M.Arch programs of a similar length, which don't require an undergrad in architecture (you do, however, have to have a completed undergrad).

Your description seems pretty spot-on for most programs... I've come to the conclusion that no one is school in Canada is more of an 'expert' in one field or another. The school might have an overall lean towards one style/methodology/etc, but you can usually find one or two professors interested in whatever specific type of architecture interests you.

I think you would enjoy McGill's program, but unless you have a background in sciences, its 4 years + 1 year to complete (shave one year off the undergrad if you can show equivalencies for first-year phys/chem/math courses). Also, most students are coming straight out of highschool/CEGEP, so its a bit of a different vibe.

grad schools a waste of time

(Pssst... DaveZ, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's the only option Canadians have as a professional degree - there's no B.Arch)

I graduated from ENDS.  UBC doesn't seem to like admitting people into their M.Arch if they did ENDS, I guess because they want their ENDS students going to new schools to spread the word on the relatively unknown ENDS program.

I've heard that.... seems kind of odd to me. Conversely, the Dalhousie FAQ says that about 85% of their BEDS students go on to M.Arch.

Have ENDS grads had a lot of success getting into M.Arch programs elsewhere?

How old were most of the students in ENDS? Did you enjoy it?

PS- Thanks Meredith for your advice. I have about 2.5 years worth of college/university credits at this point.... so Dalhousie would be the shortest route given that after 4 years I would have completed M.Arch + 3 work terms. And luckily I do have enough Math/Science credits to be eligible.

Compared to 2 years in ENDS and then I'd still need to do a 3.5 year M.Arch elsewhere?

I wonder how much 'advanced standing' you get if you have a bachelor of Environmental Design. Do they lop off a whole year? Even so, that would still be longer. I'm sure it depends on the school.

I suppose ENDS + M.Arch somewhere else would have the advantage of the varied experience of different schools with different focuses and different profs.