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MBA Etc.
Hi, I'm a student at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston MA. My school offers a BSArch and then a one year MArch. I plan on getting the MArch but then after I'd like to get an MBA at another school.
I was just wondering if anyone here's got an MBA and if it has a positive effect on their career. I've been told there's a big business side to the practice so I'd assume it would help. Also, I'd like to know if it affects salary and/or advancement on the corporate ladder for big firms (I know it doesn't do much in small firms). I love architecture and I love designing, but I could easily do the business end and be just as happy-- its really no compromise.
Lastly, I know that in other professions big companies sometimes pay for you to get another degree for one reason or another. Based on what I've heard about big firms hiring and laying off on relatively large scales, is that a thing I should just not expect from the architecture world?
I realize there have been other posts on this, but I didn't find all the information I was looking for there.
Thanks.
Is Wentworth accredited? Last I knew it wasn't. I'd seriously look into that (I went there for 1 year, long ago, but left to go to UF then UCLA because of that, and the guy/girl ratio was just horrible!).
You should expect firms to hire/fire in architecture. Pretty bad that way and right now, given the economy, it is the worst in a long time.
I would look at schools taht combine a MArch with a MBA or MSRED. That's the most flexible, won't waste time/money. Do some searches, there are tons of good comments on here.
Wentworth is accredited now. For the past couple years they've really revamped the whole curriculum and now offer an accredited MArch that you can complete in one year (it used to be a 5th year for a BArch, since the 4 year program is for a BSArch). Its actually really cool that I can graduate one year later and have an accredited masters degree in architecture. Thats why I figure why not just go for the MBA in the evening since I'll be living at home for a while and working full time (hopefully) after that.
The guy/girl ratio is awful, but in studio its more like 50/50 (poor engineers... my brother is in the mechanical program and there's one/two girls in all his classes).
So I'm guessing that there aren't any firms that would pay for education then. I kind of thought so.
I have an MBA and it's been helpful. Just know that most independant MBA programs won't provide much direct focus on smallish service operations. Mostly they train people to be 'captains of industry' - you can find courses in most MBA programs that touch on management challenges relevant to our world, but they're somewhat scarce. I'm not saying the education isn't worthwhile, but you do have to interpolate what you learn. Frankly, some of what is taught may be relevant to Fortune 500 companies but it can be downright dangerous to a 20-person design firm.
Few design firms will pay for you to attend grad school unless they specifically seek a certain expertise and you are willing to indenture yourself for a certain number of years. My employer offered but I turned them down - I didn't want the entanglement.
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