I am in grade 12 and trying to find different universities offering the bachelor of Architecture. I found that Waterloo and Carleton have a program but very few students are accepted. My friend told me that Toronto offers one but the website hardly says anything about it. I am trying to find others but there are very few in ontario (my parents aren't to keen on me leaving ontario).... I need help finding other universities to apply to???? And how good are the schools I mentioned????
I am adding info to my post.....
My parents aren't too keen about me going anywhere out of ontario but I might have to go some where else in Canada. Since there aren't too many schools in Ontario. Any information on Canadian architecture schools that offer and undergrad program (that can be entered after highschool) would be highly appreciated.
if your parents aren't too keen on you leaving ontario then you definitely need to go somewhere else... you've gotta cut the cord...
i believe that one of the best professors that i had in undergrad (at university of florida) is now teaching at carleton... oddly enough, he went to bossman's suggested school of ASU...
i've heard good things about both UToronto and Carleton but don't know anything about Waterloo...
I too have heard good things about Toronto, but only what ive heard from this forum. I would try searching through this forum for the schools you are interested in, i did a quick search of U of Toronto and found a few convo's about it.
As for everyone saying leave home for school. I absolutely agree... if the only thing keeping you from trying a new place out is your parents desire to keep you around, you really, really need to go somewhere new.Granted there are other legit reasons to stay near by, i would try a new city. I pushed both my sisters really hard to do the same thing and they were so happy they did. Same with me, and pretty much every person you will ever ask. Going away from home for college is almost always, 99.9% of the time one of those things you'll look back on and say "thank GOD i did that"
I am most likely going to apply to carleton and Warterloo but am not sure about a third university to apply to... I am absolutely going to leave home but my dad said if I go to toronto i could take the bus down every day. I told him that it a good experience to get away from home (i would never take the bus down to toronto, i would be wasting 4 hours of my life going there and back every day). Im looking at U f T as a third university but am not sure how good there program is. I told my parents If I cannot find another university in ONtario, I will apply to one out of province but don't know much about any of them.
i understand your parent's concerns about going away to school, but there are a lot of schools that are safe and relatively cheap outside of ontario. i feel it is important for architects to get out and experience a different place. it will help expand your network, and it will also open you up to different ways of seeing architecture. if i would've stayed in michigan my whole life, i wouldn't be the designer i am today as i wouldn't have as broad of influences as i do.
don't be a commuter. my parents made it a point to send me far, far away because my dad never finished art school because of pressures from his parents. my folks may regret that decision now since i have moved seven times in the last 12 years (living in 5 different states), but like le bossman says you need to get out and experience the world. check out mcgill. i have worked with a few people from there and they have all been solid designers and talk great things about the school.
Ryerson University in downtown Toronto has a really good Bachelor's of Architectural Science program. It's actually more practical for you to apply to that rather than the architecture program at the Bachelors level at U of T. The program also allows you to specialize in either design, building science or project management in your final two years of the program. The professors at Ryerson are also doing a really great job with their first year running the Master's of Architecture program, which has had a positive affect on the students in the Bachelors program as well.
I agree with jjh, people I have met from McGill tend to have an excellent education.
And I can't emphasize enough how important it is to go away for college. Even if it's only a couple of hours away, so you can still come home on a weekend every now and again to do laundry and let your parents fill the trunk of your car with free groceries!! Part of going to college is learning how to take care of yourself on a daily basis, as is exposing yourself to new people and different ways of living/attitudes about life.
Also, in my experience, undergraduate school was more fun and exposed me to broader experiences because I went to a large state university (30,000 students) as opposed to my graduate education at a tiny private school (150 students). Part of the education of an architect is to learn about the world, and meeting students in other disciplines is a key part of that.
If you frame it to your parents as "broadening my horizons and getting the best education possible" rather than "getting the hell out of your house" they'll be more likely to support your decision to move away! Good luck with your decision.
i have no comments about leaving home. do what is comfortable.
as far as leaving canada...meh...canada is cheaper and education is the same as anywhere else unless you are going to an ivy school in america or somewhere cool like bartlett...but even then i wouldn't count on it. david byrne says the reason he is so smart comes down to his one year of schooling as a kid in canada before moving to states. so there you go.
anyway...u of t has a good program, so does mcgill and carleton. ryerson is reputed to be tech oriented, but i don't know.
i went to university of manitoba for undergrad and grad school. it is good school i think, but you can't enter archi-program until you do 1 year of regular education in university. kind of a prep year, which may or may not be attractive to you.
as far as i know there is no such thing as a bachelor of architecture program in canada anymore. i could be wrong but i was told somewhere along the line that you need a masters degree to complete "professional" requirements in canada now. there is a good chance i am wrong on that point, but check it out as it may affect your decision.
It would be worth it to visit schools like Waterloo, UofT, Ryerson, Carleton and Mcgill...especially if you live in the Toronto area, since they're all within driving distance. (although, Montreal is a 6-8 hour drive...it's still within driving distance, and you can drop by Carleton on your way there, since that school is in Ottawa)
You should also speak with some professors from each school, and see what the studio culture is like, especially at the Bachelor's level. You'll also get to see whether you would like to study architecture in a big city, a small city or a town in the case of Waterloo. You need to find the program that is most appropriate to your interests in architecture and life, and try to see which aspects of each school appeal to you. I know that of all the architecture schools in Ontario, Waterloo has the best reputation at the undergrad level...but I also know the Ryerson is gaining a reputation as well...not to mention that some of the professors at Waterloo have taught at Ryerson, and vice versa.
You also need to see whether you would like to do Co-op during your undergrad which would give you valuable work experience, but the program would take 5 years to complete instead of 4. Either way, you still need to do a Master's with all of these schools, so you may want to choose your undergrad school according to where you may want to go for your Master's. (that's just a thought though...you don't have to think that far ahead just yet!) But research to see which schools have Co-op (I know Waterloo does, and UofT and Ryerson don't) and whether it is something you desire.
Also...I don't think Ryerson has been known as a tech school since it was last a college in 1993 by the way. It actually has a nice balance between theoretical and practical aspects of architecture in their curriculum, and they welcome students to investigate whatever specific interests they do have in architecture.
With the value of the Canadian dollar you haven't seen a better time to cross border and go to a US school in over 30+ years. Obviously with a population more than 10x larger than Canada the university options are porportionally larger. Being in Ontario you are a relative short trip to dozens of excellent American Universities. Worth considering.
As for Canada. I know several people that have gone to U of Manitoba. A lot of them end up in the Twin Cities. They all have had good things to say about that place...if you can stand living in Winnipeg. At least it's cheap cost of living.
Although I know nothing about U Calgary that university has always intrigued me. With the boomimg economy of Alberta you stand a chance of seeing first hand some amazing projects. Nothing like studying architecture right in the center of the new Canadian economy. Encana has a new tower going up downtown by a Sir Norman Foster. You may have heard of him.
I've partied at UBC in my college days. Fun times. Again, know nothing about the architecture program. Way different culture than Alberta or anything in the east. At very least worth a visit. Many love it out there.
Waterloo: 5-year BA in Architecture, co-op. Satellite campus in Cambridge, portfolio requirement (although emphasis is on grades.) They also have a masters program. 72 students.
Carleton: 4-year BAS (arch studies), co-op. Design oriented. Masters, also. Their admissions portfolio requirement is similar to that of Cooper Union (if that says something about the two comparatively.) 74 students
Toronto: 3-year BA (re-apply after a general first year.) Although overshadowed by the graduate school of L+A+D, their BA admits 84 students.
Ryerson is not accredited by the NAAB. I haven't heard anything about the program besides the previous post.
Elsewhere in Canada, Manitoba (as previously mentioned) offers a 3-year Env. Des. program after a common year. Tuition is cheaper, but you can't get OSAP loans if you leave Ontario. Their graduates have done some nice things.
Calgary, UBC & Dalhousie have programs where you apply after 2nd year (all environmental design) which lead to masters programs.
McGill offers a B.Sc in Arch which is highly competitive (24 selected) although the first year is solely chemistry, physics and mathematics courses. Mr. Safdie has helped its reputation too.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I've considered American schools and have 2 applications complete for 2 schools, but I am going to withdraw them. It's ridiculous how expensive education is in America. I refuse to pay $25,000+ a year.
Also, the B.Arch doesn't exist anymore in Canada. Carleton stopped admitting students to the program around 1998, likewise Waterloo followed.
When the Canadian dollar was worth about 60 cents US the International Student tuition at American Universities was expensive for a Canadian. Now quite the opposite. Of course, crossing the border will be more...but not what you might think:
An example, for the University of Minnesota tuition and fees for 2007-08 is $9,885 for Manitoba residents. Extra $2,000/year for any other non-resident of MN ~ all other CAD residents.
Quick google search found that it's $5,081 - $6,891 for annual tuition & fees for [url=http://admissions.carleton.ca/awards/TuitionFees/expenses.htmlCarleton[/url], or up to approx $7,300 USD.....but, for an American going to Carleton the tution & fees is $14,068 to $15,955 CDN (16,800 USD).
yeh, u manitoba is a hard sell cuz of its location. i didn't mind winnipeg and grew up in manitoba...but it feels a bit funny going back after living in london and now tokyo for so long, but so do most north american cities, apart from new york.
umanitoba does have a few good grads. the patkaus are maybe the most famous right now. i keep hearing about the school though. a few months back was talking to a guy who works at maki's office and he asked where i went. expecting no recognition i threw out umanitoba and he immediatley tells me of super talented dude at his office who graduated from UM archi-school and how it must be great school excetera ekcetera...
he was being nice, of course. the best and brightest do well no matter where they go, carlteon, u manitoba, harvard, whatever..but it still felt nice.
university of toronto is very good, plus the city is amazing. if you want to stay close maybe think about University at Buffalo, then transfer to a better grad school. although both these schools are on the rise.
Nov 5, 07 12:23 am ·
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I need help finding universities to apply to?
I am in grade 12 and trying to find different universities offering the bachelor of Architecture. I found that Waterloo and Carleton have a program but very few students are accepted. My friend told me that Toronto offers one but the website hardly says anything about it. I am trying to find others but there are very few in ontario (my parents aren't to keen on me leaving ontario).... I need help finding other universities to apply to???? And how good are the schools I mentioned????
go to arizona state
www.asu.edu
then go to a better university for graduate school.
I am adding info to my post.....
My parents aren't too keen about me going anywhere out of ontario but I might have to go some where else in Canada. Since there aren't too many schools in Ontario. Any information on Canadian architecture schools that offer and undergrad program (that can be entered after highschool) would be highly appreciated.
you can start by going to the NAAB website
leave canada...it will be the best thing you will ever do. Trust me
if your parents aren't too keen on you leaving ontario then you definitely need to go somewhere else... you've gotta cut the cord...
i believe that one of the best professors that i had in undergrad (at university of florida) is now teaching at carleton... oddly enough, he went to bossman's suggested school of ASU...
i've heard good things about both UToronto and Carleton but don't know anything about Waterloo...
I too have heard good things about Toronto, but only what ive heard from this forum. I would try searching through this forum for the schools you are interested in, i did a quick search of U of Toronto and found a few convo's about it.
As for everyone saying leave home for school. I absolutely agree... if the only thing keeping you from trying a new place out is your parents desire to keep you around, you really, really need to go somewhere new.Granted there are other legit reasons to stay near by, i would try a new city. I pushed both my sisters really hard to do the same thing and they were so happy they did. Same with me, and pretty much every person you will ever ask. Going away from home for college is almost always, 99.9% of the time one of those things you'll look back on and say "thank GOD i did that"
I am most likely going to apply to carleton and Warterloo but am not sure about a third university to apply to... I am absolutely going to leave home but my dad said if I go to toronto i could take the bus down every day. I told him that it a good experience to get away from home (i would never take the bus down to toronto, i would be wasting 4 hours of my life going there and back every day). Im looking at U f T as a third university but am not sure how good there program is. I told my parents If I cannot find another university in ONtario, I will apply to one out of province but don't know much about any of them.
Sorry I missed the Canada Part...
well i just visited the carleton website. they haven't managed to update any student work examples since 2002.
thats not a good thing btw
list of canadians who have left canada:
Neil Young
i understand your parent's concerns about going away to school, but there are a lot of schools that are safe and relatively cheap outside of ontario. i feel it is important for architects to get out and experience a different place. it will help expand your network, and it will also open you up to different ways of seeing architecture. if i would've stayed in michigan my whole life, i wouldn't be the designer i am today as i wouldn't have as broad of influences as i do.
don't be a commuter. my parents made it a point to send me far, far away because my dad never finished art school because of pressures from his parents. my folks may regret that decision now since i have moved seven times in the last 12 years (living in 5 different states), but like le bossman says you need to get out and experience the world. check out mcgill. i have worked with a few people from there and they have all been solid designers and talk great things about the school.
Ryerson University in downtown Toronto has a really good Bachelor's of Architectural Science program. It's actually more practical for you to apply to that rather than the architecture program at the Bachelors level at U of T. The program also allows you to specialize in either design, building science or project management in your final two years of the program. The professors at Ryerson are also doing a really great job with their first year running the Master's of Architecture program, which has had a positive affect on the students in the Bachelors program as well.
UBC is the way to go!
McGill University in Montreal. There website is pretty boring but I've heard ok stuff about the program. And Montreal is an amazing city.
http://www.mcgill.ca/architecture/
I agree with jjh, people I have met from McGill tend to have an excellent education.
And I can't emphasize enough how important it is to go away for college. Even if it's only a couple of hours away, so you can still come home on a weekend every now and again to do laundry and let your parents fill the trunk of your car with free groceries!! Part of going to college is learning how to take care of yourself on a daily basis, as is exposing yourself to new people and different ways of living/attitudes about life.
Also, in my experience, undergraduate school was more fun and exposed me to broader experiences because I went to a large state university (30,000 students) as opposed to my graduate education at a tiny private school (150 students). Part of the education of an architect is to learn about the world, and meeting students in other disciplines is a key part of that.
If you frame it to your parents as "broadening my horizons and getting the best education possible" rather than "getting the hell out of your house" they'll be more likely to support your decision to move away! Good luck with your decision.
i have no comments about leaving home. do what is comfortable.
as far as leaving canada...meh...canada is cheaper and education is the same as anywhere else unless you are going to an ivy school in america or somewhere cool like bartlett...but even then i wouldn't count on it. david byrne says the reason he is so smart comes down to his one year of schooling as a kid in canada before moving to states. so there you go.
anyway...u of t has a good program, so does mcgill and carleton. ryerson is reputed to be tech oriented, but i don't know.
i went to university of manitoba for undergrad and grad school. it is good school i think, but you can't enter archi-program until you do 1 year of regular education in university. kind of a prep year, which may or may not be attractive to you.
as far as i know there is no such thing as a bachelor of architecture program in canada anymore. i could be wrong but i was told somewhere along the line that you need a masters degree to complete "professional" requirements in canada now. there is a good chance i am wrong on that point, but check it out as it may affect your decision.
hope you find what you are looking for.
It would be worth it to visit schools like Waterloo, UofT, Ryerson, Carleton and Mcgill...especially if you live in the Toronto area, since they're all within driving distance. (although, Montreal is a 6-8 hour drive...it's still within driving distance, and you can drop by Carleton on your way there, since that school is in Ottawa)
You should also speak with some professors from each school, and see what the studio culture is like, especially at the Bachelor's level. You'll also get to see whether you would like to study architecture in a big city, a small city or a town in the case of Waterloo. You need to find the program that is most appropriate to your interests in architecture and life, and try to see which aspects of each school appeal to you. I know that of all the architecture schools in Ontario, Waterloo has the best reputation at the undergrad level...but I also know the Ryerson is gaining a reputation as well...not to mention that some of the professors at Waterloo have taught at Ryerson, and vice versa.
You also need to see whether you would like to do Co-op during your undergrad which would give you valuable work experience, but the program would take 5 years to complete instead of 4. Either way, you still need to do a Master's with all of these schools, so you may want to choose your undergrad school according to where you may want to go for your Master's. (that's just a thought though...you don't have to think that far ahead just yet!) But research to see which schools have Co-op (I know Waterloo does, and UofT and Ryerson don't) and whether it is something you desire.
Also...I don't think Ryerson has been known as a tech school since it was last a college in 1993 by the way. It actually has a nice balance between theoretical and practical aspects of architecture in their curriculum, and they welcome students to investigate whatever specific interests they do have in architecture.
Ryerson has Daniel Doz!!!
He was a great mentor when he was at Ball State.
McGill has David Covo. Great first year teacher. Montreal is one of North America's great cities.
Carleton is a little bit out of downtown Ottawa (about 20 minutes by bus) but has great student organizations.
With the value of the Canadian dollar you haven't seen a better time to cross border and go to a US school in over 30+ years. Obviously with a population more than 10x larger than Canada the university options are porportionally larger. Being in Ontario you are a relative short trip to dozens of excellent American Universities. Worth considering.
As for Canada. I know several people that have gone to U of Manitoba. A lot of them end up in the Twin Cities. They all have had good things to say about that place...if you can stand living in Winnipeg. At least it's cheap cost of living.
Although I know nothing about U Calgary that university has always intrigued me. With the boomimg economy of Alberta you stand a chance of seeing first hand some amazing projects. Nothing like studying architecture right in the center of the new Canadian economy. Encana has a new tower going up downtown by a Sir Norman Foster. You may have heard of him.
I've partied at UBC in my college days. Fun times. Again, know nothing about the architecture program. Way different culture than Alberta or anything in the east. At very least worth a visit. Many love it out there.
I'm in the same boat.
Waterloo: 5-year BA in Architecture, co-op. Satellite campus in Cambridge, portfolio requirement (although emphasis is on grades.) They also have a masters program. 72 students.
Carleton: 4-year BAS (arch studies), co-op. Design oriented. Masters, also. Their admissions portfolio requirement is similar to that of Cooper Union (if that says something about the two comparatively.) 74 students
Toronto: 3-year BA (re-apply after a general first year.) Although overshadowed by the graduate school of L+A+D, their BA admits 84 students.
Ryerson is not accredited by the NAAB. I haven't heard anything about the program besides the previous post.
OCAD offers a 3-year Environmental Design degree. Strict portfolio requirements, lenient academic requirements.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Elsewhere in Canada, Manitoba (as previously mentioned) offers a 3-year Env. Des. program after a common year. Tuition is cheaper, but you can't get OSAP loans if you leave Ontario. Their graduates have done some nice things.
Calgary, UBC & Dalhousie have programs where you apply after 2nd year (all environmental design) which lead to masters programs.
McGill offers a B.Sc in Arch which is highly competitive (24 selected) although the first year is solely chemistry, physics and mathematics courses. Mr. Safdie has helped its reputation too.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I've considered American schools and have 2 applications complete for 2 schools, but I am going to withdraw them. It's ridiculous how expensive education is in America. I refuse to pay $25,000+ a year.
Also, the B.Arch doesn't exist anymore in Canada. Carleton stopped admitting students to the program around 1998, likewise Waterloo followed.
before you go to arch school learn about ending your sentences in prepositions
When the Canadian dollar was worth about 60 cents US the International Student tuition at American Universities was expensive for a Canadian. Now quite the opposite. Of course, crossing the border will be more...but not what you might think:
An example, for the University of Minnesota tuition and fees for 2007-08 is $9,885 for Manitoba residents. Extra $2,000/year for any other non-resident of MN ~ all other CAD residents.
Quick google search found that it's $5,081 - $6,891 for annual tuition & fees for [url=http://admissions.carleton.ca/awards/TuitionFees/expenses.htmlCarleton[/url], or up to approx $7,300 USD.....but, for an American going to Carleton the tution & fees is $14,068 to $15,955 CDN (16,800 USD).
that would be Carleton of course.
yeh, u manitoba is a hard sell cuz of its location. i didn't mind winnipeg and grew up in manitoba...but it feels a bit funny going back after living in london and now tokyo for so long, but so do most north american cities, apart from new york.
umanitoba does have a few good grads. the patkaus are maybe the most famous right now. i keep hearing about the school though. a few months back was talking to a guy who works at maki's office and he asked where i went. expecting no recognition i threw out umanitoba and he immediatley tells me of super talented dude at his office who graduated from UM archi-school and how it must be great school excetera ekcetera...
he was being nice, of course. the best and brightest do well no matter where they go, carlteon, u manitoba, harvard, whatever..but it still felt nice.
jump, is this you?
could be.
university of toronto is very good, plus the city is amazing. if you want to stay close maybe think about University at Buffalo, then transfer to a better grad school. although both these schools are on the rise.
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