I went to A&M for undergraduate. Their architecture program is one of the biggest in the country, and thus it is very broad. They are big on sustainable design. Students from A&M are known for being very technically adept, and the program is well respected in the industry (at least in the US). The Aggie network is known for being extremely close knit. The saying "Aggies hire Aggies" can be frequently heard around campus, and I believe this to be especially true about the architecture school. They have the top program in the country for healthcare design as well as a certificate offered in the field. They also have certificates for Urban Design, Sustainable Design, and Historic Preservation (Pretty sure). They also have one of the strongest programs for construction science. The location is not ideal, being in a small town where most of its population is the student body. However, it is little over an hour away from Houston and Austin. So there is definitely access to urban settings, but I must admit I longed to venture to a big city for graduate studies.

I have several friends from undergrad doing graduate work there, I can possibly hook you up with them for more specific questions relating to the grad program.

Hope this helps

Penn State doesn't have an accredited MArch program. Did you apply for a 1 year non-professional degree or a 2 year professional degree at these schools?

2 year professional degree. And I thought it is accredited.

architectural education is very important in a city in my opinion.
esp. if you are not coming from a city. i don't know much about the schools rep...but places like college station, happy valley, ames? are no chicago!!
i am sure there will be the opposite view. just my 2cents

Oh, I have see the problem. So TAMU and IIT which is better.

tyz, what exactly are you looking for in a school?

TYZ,

i am not familiar w/ the A&M program, but i will probably be heading to IIT in the fall. I know that IIT has a strong international student body, and i would assume that the networking possibilities in chicago are stronger then college station. (minus the A&M alumni community) IIT seems to be entrenched in its Meisian philosophy, and that will influence the style of education you receive. I can tell you that experiencing crown hall, and the prospect of studying in that environment is personally very appealing.

My opinion on your question is that you would greatly enjoy graduate work at IIT. the city of chicago, the faculty, and the success of the alumni all illustrate the ability of the school to produce strong individuals. I guess my commentary is one sided because i am truly ignorant to the program @ A&M.

look at what faculty are doing on their own. compare the curriculum/ student work. also take into account what type of environment you want to be living in for 2-3 years....i think that is a large aspect of choosing schools that can be overlooked.

hope this helps, let me know if you would like to have further discussion about IIT.

tyz - I checked www.acsa-arch.org and arch.psu.edu. Penn State doesn't have an accredited MArch degree, only a 1 year post-professional degree.

Maybe you are thinking of the University of Pennsylvania (aka Penn)? If so, the biggest question is probably whether you can afford it. It is pretty far ahead of these other schools in national prestige. Lots of famous faculty & alumni, high spending per student, nice campus in urban location, national and international firms recruiting there, etc.

I have already finished 5years BArch Program in my country, so I might have no problem to get an accredition. I kind of like the healthcare program in TAMU. But all of my teachers and friends told me that I should choose a school in or near big cities in order to get more information and chance. It is really a problem that PSU only have 30 faculties in the graduate program. and have not gotten an accredition. I do not know why but IIT really do not have a good reputation in China, and its ranking is not so well too. Can anybody tell me some details about this?