Architectural Association School of Architecture, MSc in EmTech
vs
Pratt Institute, MArch 1, with scholarship
vs
UBC Vancouver, MArch
vs
Southern California Institute of Architecture, MArch 1
Hello everyone.
I just got the offers from the above schools, and it seems to be a hard decision for me.
My initial background was BEng in Structure Engineering. A good friend of mine, who is now attending UCLA MArch 1, told me that a well-rounded MArch 1 training should be my best choice. He suggests me to take Pratt or Sci-Arc.
Meanwhile I am so attracted by the history & fame of AA. However I only get a MSc offer instead of a MArch. Also I heard that the diploma in AA is probably even more useful that a graduate degree from AA. I am concerned about the value of this EmTech MSc degree, since it could be hard to find a job afterwards (or maybe not?).
The academic ranking of UBC SALA in Vancouver looks nice...
All the four schools are located in great cities: London, NY, Vancouver, LA. I would love to stay in any one of them.
Thanks for your advice. Please comment. I really do appreciate it.
Addin
eco_gen
Mar 28, 16 1:10 pm
-It depends where you want to end up when you graduate and what the loan packages/scholarship packages look like. Keep in mind that when you graduate, you will have to pay off the loan. If you intend to leave the country you were educated in, you will be paying international student loans and will have to deal with the currency exchange. I can't speak to the MSc program at AA but that is a very good school! I am guessing that everyone will tell you to go to Sci Arc over Pratt. UBC is a great school and will be less expensive than the rest. If you choose to move to the states after school, you will be paying off your canadian loans with U.S. dollars, which will make it easier to pay them off faster.
TED
Mar 28, 16 7:54 pm
If you want to become a qualified architect take the MArch1 route - so not the AA - if you wish to carry on practicing as an engineer - then the AA is your choice.
QROST
Mar 29, 16 1:08 am
I compeletely agree with TED's idea..
I guess the AA EmTech MSc program would lead me to a path becoming an engineer who knows about design. In Harvard GSD they started a similar program called Deisgn & Engineering Master of Science. However, to keep practicing as an engineer instead of an architect sometimes sounds like becoming a "tool" instead of an individual designer. Am I right?
About the UBC, the cost is really attractively low. However is that also an option to become a qualified architect? It is a MArch program above all.
I talked with a senior student in Sci Arc MArch1 program last night. He said Sci Arc had the most obvious pros & cons: great reputation, great location, great facilities, and great professors; cons are careless about architecture it self, doesn't give a shxt about function humanity & environment, all about techiques & geometries. I guess he might exaggerate it since he was not graduated yet. But seriously, is that the case?...
The scholarship from Pratt was not abundant, but i guess i could ask for more if i do get it.
Thank you again everyone... Hope to hear more advice from u brilliant guys.
QROST
Mar 30, 16 5:33 am
How exactly is UBC SALA anyway??
body of work
Mar 30, 16 12:08 pm
UBC is an okay school. It's located slightly outside of downtown Vancouver on a beautiful mountain campus. It's not really innovative in a big way, but a solid school with good focus in Environmentally conscious arch. It's not in the league of the others you've been admitted to, but if you care about money it's a great way to go.
gdub
Mar 30, 16 11:51 pm
UBC is an excellent school and is well known throughout Canada. Please check the below charts. My guess is that the people speaking primarily live in the United States, so do not know a lot about their program. All of the top firms in Canada recruit out of UBC.
Fine i think i get the idea about UBC... Thank you everyone.
Still I am more concerned about AA & Sci-Arc. Is it more possible to get a job in UK & Europe after finishing the MSc AA (on the path becoming an engineer who knows about design & architecture), or more possible to work in US after finishing the MArch1 Sci-Arc (on the path becoming an architect who knows about structure better)? I believe a local working experience for 1-2 years would be extremely helpful for my future career before coming back home.
'Cause i found that on Archinect, there are really few jobs offered in UK & Europe (10-). However it seems that US has a lot more opportunities (200+). Is it because Archinect is a US website? Maybe there is another platform for architects in Europe? Or maybe is it really the case for job conditions?
Hope to hear from u. All of your feedbacks were extremely valuable for me. Thank you.
TED
Apr 1, 16 5:52 am
Since Archinect is US based, you won't find most UK/Int via that site. Your best bet is to go directly to 4-5 different practice sites and see if they are seeking employees. I always recommend to my students to target who you wish to work for and build relationships with those folks within your studies.
For AA Emtech (I am a grad), there are brilliant engineering practices who are part of the teaching programme so potential great links there along with brilliant other staff who come in and out of the place every day -- an emtech mate(US) of mine who was trained as an engineer is now a director at Fosters in advanced comp group - now a UK citizen.
For most international students, google UK Tier 2 visa programmes with a 1000 page list of sponsors - so if your going after a practice look for this list - if your from some countries you can apply for -
QROST
Apr 5, 16 11:34 pm
Thank you TED!
I have just made my decision that I should go to SCI-Arc, enroll the MArch 1. I believe a well-rounded MArch 1 program would enhance my current condition best, instead of more engineering practice. I could not say SCI-Arc is better than AA, and I guess I would never say so. I believe it is a comparison between being a horizontal-developed architect or a vertical engineer.
I would join the AA community sooner or later. The EmTech program would benefit me best once I get some working experience in advance.
Thank you everyone for your comments. Hope to see some of you in LA later.
Architectural Association School of Architecture, MSc in EmTech
vs
Pratt Institute, MArch 1, with scholarship
vs
UBC Vancouver, MArch
vs
Southern California Institute of Architecture, MArch 1
Hello everyone.
I just got the offers from the above schools, and it seems to be a hard decision for me.
My initial background was BEng in Structure Engineering. A good friend of mine, who is now attending UCLA MArch 1, told me that a well-rounded MArch 1 training should be my best choice. He suggests me to take Pratt or Sci-Arc.
Meanwhile I am so attracted by the history & fame of AA. However I only get a MSc offer instead of a MArch. Also I heard that the diploma in AA is probably even more useful that a graduate degree from AA. I am concerned about the value of this EmTech MSc degree, since it could be hard to find a job afterwards (or maybe not?).
The academic ranking of UBC SALA in Vancouver looks nice...
All the four schools are located in great cities: London, NY, Vancouver, LA. I would love to stay in any one of them.
Thanks for your advice. Please comment. I really do appreciate it.
Addin
-It depends where you want to end up when you graduate and what the loan packages/scholarship packages look like. Keep in mind that when you graduate, you will have to pay off the loan. If you intend to leave the country you were educated in, you will be paying international student loans and will have to deal with the currency exchange. I can't speak to the MSc program at AA but that is a very good school! I am guessing that everyone will tell you to go to Sci Arc over Pratt. UBC is a great school and will be less expensive than the rest. If you choose to move to the states after school, you will be paying off your canadian loans with U.S. dollars, which will make it easier to pay them off faster.
If you want to become a qualified architect take the MArch1 route - so not the AA - if you wish to carry on practicing as an engineer - then the AA is your choice.
I compeletely agree with TED's idea..
I guess the AA EmTech MSc program would lead me to a path becoming an engineer who knows about design. In Harvard GSD they started a similar program called Deisgn & Engineering Master of Science. However, to keep practicing as an engineer instead of an architect sometimes sounds like becoming a "tool" instead of an individual designer. Am I right?
About the UBC, the cost is really attractively low. However is that also an option to become a qualified architect? It is a MArch program above all.
I talked with a senior student in Sci Arc MArch1 program last night. He said Sci Arc had the most obvious pros & cons: great reputation, great location, great facilities, and great professors; cons are careless about architecture it self, doesn't give a shxt about function humanity & environment, all about techiques & geometries. I guess he might exaggerate it since he was not graduated yet. But seriously, is that the case?...
The scholarship from Pratt was not abundant, but i guess i could ask for more if i do get it.
Thank you again everyone... Hope to hear more advice from u brilliant guys.
How exactly is UBC SALA anyway??
UBC is an okay school. It's located slightly outside of downtown Vancouver on a beautiful mountain campus. It's not really innovative in a big way, but a solid school with good focus in Environmentally conscious arch. It's not in the league of the others you've been admitted to, but if you care about money it's a great way to go.
UBC is an excellent school and is well known throughout Canada. Please check the below charts. My guess is that the people speaking primarily live in the United States, so do not know a lot about their program. All of the top firms in Canada recruit out of UBC.
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2015/architecture#sorting=rank+region=+country=+faculty=+stars=false+search=
http://www.archdaily.com/625569/qs-ranks-the-top-100-universities-in-the-world-for-architecture
http://whichuniversitybest.blogspot.ca/2012/04/top-architecture-schools-in-canada.html
Fine i think i get the idea about UBC... Thank you everyone.
Still I am more concerned about AA & Sci-Arc. Is it more possible to get a job in UK & Europe after finishing the MSc AA (on the path becoming an engineer who knows about design & architecture), or more possible to work in US after finishing the MArch1 Sci-Arc (on the path becoming an architect who knows about structure better)? I believe a local working experience for 1-2 years would be extremely helpful for my future career before coming back home.
'Cause i found that on Archinect, there are really few jobs offered in UK & Europe (10-). However it seems that US has a lot more opportunities (200+). Is it because Archinect is a US website? Maybe there is another platform for architects in Europe? Or maybe is it really the case for job conditions?
Hope to hear from u. All of your feedbacks were extremely valuable for me. Thank you.
Since Archinect is US based, you won't find most UK/Int via that site. Your best bet is to go directly to 4-5 different practice sites and see if they are seeking employees. I always recommend to my students to target who you wish to work for and build relationships with those folks within your studies.
For AA Emtech (I am a grad), there are brilliant engineering practices who are part of the teaching programme so potential great links there along with brilliant other staff who come in and out of the place every day -- an emtech mate(US) of mine who was trained as an engineer is now a director at Fosters in advanced comp group - now a UK citizen.
For most international students, google UK Tier 2 visa programmes with a 1000 page list of sponsors - so if your going after a practice look for this list - if your from some countries you can apply for -
Thank you TED!
I have just made my decision that I should go to SCI-Arc, enroll the MArch 1. I believe a well-rounded MArch 1 program would enhance my current condition best, instead of more engineering practice. I could not say SCI-Arc is better than AA, and I guess I would never say so. I believe it is a comparison between being a horizontal-developed architect or a vertical engineer.
I would join the AA community sooner or later. The EmTech program would benefit me best once I get some working experience in advance.
Thank you everyone for your comments. Hope to see some of you in LA later.