I'm currently an undergraduate junior working towards a B.Des in Architecture at the University of Central Florida and I'm dying down here because...
I've had my mind set on moving to Chicago post-undergraduate for a number of reasons, but I'm starting to wonder if there are any worthwhile graduate options in the city/illinois area.
I say this partly because I haven't been able to find much helpful information on any program within Chicago/Illinois and what I have found has been a little less than what I hoped for, but maybe that's just me being pessimistic.
If someone or a few of you could give me your thoughts on any of the schools listed, that'd be great!
eop993
May 10, 16 7:27 pm
Ideally I'd like to work on commercial/community projects, I'm not sure if that's what you're asking when you say "route." I'm very familiar with Chicago already and favor the sort of living environment there over other comparable metropolitan cities. The idea of completing my M.Arch in an urban setting like Chicago is also a draw, so there's that and then the post-graduate possibility of working at a firm in the city.
Thanks for the feedback, and I'll definitely look into those schools!
archanonymous
May 10, 16 7:34 pm
IIT. If you pick your professors well and are strategic you will get a good enough education and a great job out of school.
SAIC and UIC is a whole bunch of foffing about - pretty drawings, installations, stupid theories, shit that isn't germane to a career in architecture if you don't have a trust fund.
archanonymous
May 10, 16 11:56 pm
Yeah UW-Milwaukee is definitely a solid choice. I liked Milwaukee but I don't know if I'd want to live there. Definitely less expensive than Chicago though.
But in Chi proper IIT is the way to go. Be careful though. I am worried SAIC and UIC are slowly infecting it.
Driko
May 11, 16 9:59 am
IIT is over priced (highest ranked in IL), UIC is theory focused, SAIC is over priced and still too new to tell, UIUC is a solid pick. im biased because i went to UIUC.
UIUC holds a name and as much as people say it doesnt matter where you go to school, it does. The arch program might not be the best there but it is growing and the University as a whole is highly reputable. Almost every graduating class from UIUC lands a job within 3 months of graduation many (if you the the M.Arch structures focus) land jobs before graduation.
Since people are suggesting other schools in the mid west why not check out U-Michigan. There program is ranked in the top 10 and the University is one of the best in the world.
Black_orchid mentioned looking at the instagram of the school which is actually great to check to see if you would enjoy that type of work. Also check out ISSUU
eop993
May 11, 16 12:39 pm
Thanks everybody,
All very helpful information, but if anything this has just confirmed my doubts over grad school in Chicago. I've looked at the works coming out of each respective school and I definitely feel like my own work is more so in line with UIUC, but I don't think I'd be able to live that far out of the city, so I'm leaning towards IIT, but as a few of you have mentioned it's just not worth the hefty cost unless I was receiving a massive scholarship (I'm also just not fond of the work there). I see the benefits of studying in the city if I wanted to live and work there post-grad, but I can't say predict the future and say I'll still want the 1.5-2 years from now. It just kind of feels like I'm limiting myself to other options by trying to kill two birds with one stone.
So... I have a lot more research to do on other schools, but thank you all again nonetheless!
Peter Normand
May 11, 16 1:53 pm
I would not write off UIUC in Urbana Champaign. Urbana is the most liberal town in Illinois, and Champaign is culturally a Chicago suburb. Twice daily trains to the city and strong connections, most of the student body is from the Chicago area. If you are worried about cultural amenities there are plenty of museums theaters and art happenings in Champaign Urbana. Housing is reasonably affordable and a car is not necessary due to the unusually robust transit system for such a small community.
Just got to get instate tuition, best and fastest way is to run for office, precinct captain or township board, most positions have an insider pre ordained but if you are on the ballot you are a resident and qualify for instate tuition. It just cost the filing fee and 50-100 signatures.
Worked for a Friend of mine from Puerto Rico
Over and OUT
Peter N
newguy
May 11, 16 9:49 pm
Does Central Florida have a 5 year B.Arch?
That's always an option to reduce grad school costs (assuming your undergrad is manageable -- cost wise), as you would only need a +1 (or 1.5, depending on the school) to get a M. Arch. Also, if you go that way (such as I did) to IIT, you'll have much more flexibility in your curriculum, as it will be thesis based rather than the typical two extra years of studio and a Masters Degree. You can basically write your own ticket and really dive into the research topic that interests you most. It's challenging, but if you're a motivated person and align yourself with the right professors, it can be a great asset to your career. Honestly, when it comes to grad school, you should be making your decision by researching faculty more than the school itself. Plus, you'll live in a vibrant urban environment, which will definitely shape you as an architect. It did for me, at least.
And if you can't get help with the costs, I'd consider working for a few years to get some experience in the real world while saving up to offset the costs of grad school. You can always move to Chicago and go work for a few years before applying to schools, if it is the city environment that is appealing to you.
Good luck
eop993
May 11, 16 10:53 pm
newguy,
I believe one college offers a 5 year B.Arch, but aside from not being very impressed, I also just really don't want to extend my education in Florida and longer than what it is already going to be. I get that logic though. A detail I didn't mention that is honestly 50% of my motivation to get my M.Arch in Chicago is because my finance is also trying to continue his higher education at Columbia College. So we're trying to kill two birds with one stone.
Your last comment is actually something I've been heavily considering as an alternative plan. My fiance only needs a 1 yr + to graduate, so I see a lot of benefit to being able to work during that period and then broadening my scope of where I can apply.
Thanks for all the feedback!
Maccam
May 15, 16 11:50 am
IIT has a very strong M.Arch program and unlike many schools that have you embark on a traditional thesis, at IIT, you will be participating (final year) in CLOUD STUDIO. Many of these studios are ran by local firms in Chicago (SOM, VOA, Dirk Denison) to same a few.
BR.TN
May 15, 16 7:08 pm
Out of only those four schools, IIT grads get the best jobs in Chicago. Then UIC, then UIUC, and then theres SAIC who goes both ways because they have this wildcard approach - some of the students there could have gotten in to the GSD yet some remain unemployed half their lives.
UCincinnati, UMichigan, and Notre Dame get better jobs in Chicago than any of the IL universities. Chicago attracts national talent, which may explain why the IL schools aren't the best at-hand (because they make up a small fraction of the country). There's also an Ivy presence in the most notable firms, frequenting Harvard, Cornell and Columbia. If you get your M.Arch outside Illinois, all you have to do to get a job in Chicago is have a great portfolio and know somebody. The best student at UCincy will systematically get the best job in Chicago...they have a co-op internship qualification-based 'lottery' program where the starchitect or most notable firms will agree to select at least one of them to intern for 6-9 months. That's been the source of my frustrations because I didn't go to Cincy and the jobs I want are just donated to them.
But IIT and UIC will keep you competitive for the most prestigious positions against the list above if your portfolio is on par and you use the locale to your advantage by networking successfully.
Personally, I'm working in Chicago now but will seek an M.Arch on either the west or east coast because there are significantly better schools there for comparable tuition rates.
Hello all,
I'm currently an undergraduate junior working towards a B.Des in Architecture at the University of Central Florida and I'm dying down here because...
I've had my mind set on moving to Chicago post-undergraduate for a number of reasons, but I'm starting to wonder if there are any worthwhile graduate options in the city/illinois area.
I say this partly because I haven't been able to find much helpful information on any program within Chicago/Illinois and what I have found has been a little less than what I hoped for, but maybe that's just me being pessimistic.
If someone or a few of you could give me your thoughts on any of the schools listed, that'd be great!
Ideally I'd like to work on commercial/community projects, I'm not sure if that's what you're asking when you say "route." I'm very familiar with Chicago already and favor the sort of living environment there over other comparable metropolitan cities. The idea of completing my M.Arch in an urban setting like Chicago is also a draw, so there's that and then the post-graduate possibility of working at a firm in the city.
Thanks for the feedback, and I'll definitely look into those schools!
IIT. If you pick your professors well and are strategic you will get a good enough education and a great job out of school.
SAIC and UIC is a whole bunch of foffing about - pretty drawings, installations, stupid theories, shit that isn't germane to a career in architecture if you don't have a trust fund.
Yeah UW-Milwaukee is definitely a solid choice. I liked Milwaukee but I don't know if I'd want to live there. Definitely less expensive than Chicago though.
But in Chi proper IIT is the way to go. Be careful though. I am worried SAIC and UIC are slowly infecting it.
IIT is over priced (highest ranked in IL), UIC is theory focused, SAIC is over priced and still too new to tell, UIUC is a solid pick. im biased because i went to UIUC.
UIUC holds a name and as much as people say it doesnt matter where you go to school, it does. The arch program might not be the best there but it is growing and the University as a whole is highly reputable. Almost every graduating class from UIUC lands a job within 3 months of graduation many (if you the the M.Arch structures focus) land jobs before graduation.
Since people are suggesting other schools in the mid west why not check out U-Michigan. There program is ranked in the top 10 and the University is one of the best in the world.
Black_orchid mentioned looking at the instagram of the school which is actually great to check to see if you would enjoy that type of work. Also check out ISSUU
Thanks everybody,
All very helpful information, but if anything this has just confirmed my doubts over grad school in Chicago. I've looked at the works coming out of each respective school and I definitely feel like my own work is more so in line with UIUC, but I don't think I'd be able to live that far out of the city, so I'm leaning towards IIT, but as a few of you have mentioned it's just not worth the hefty cost unless I was receiving a massive scholarship (I'm also just not fond of the work there). I see the benefits of studying in the city if I wanted to live and work there post-grad, but I can't say predict the future and say I'll still want the 1.5-2 years from now. It just kind of feels like I'm limiting myself to other options by trying to kill two birds with one stone.
So... I have a lot more research to do on other schools, but thank you all again nonetheless!
I would not write off UIUC in Urbana Champaign. Urbana is the most liberal town in Illinois, and Champaign is culturally a Chicago suburb. Twice daily trains to the city and strong connections, most of the student body is from the Chicago area. If you are worried about cultural amenities there are plenty of museums theaters and art happenings in Champaign Urbana. Housing is reasonably affordable and a car is not necessary due to the unusually robust transit system for such a small community.
Just got to get instate tuition, best and fastest way is to run for office, precinct captain or township board, most positions have an insider pre ordained but if you are on the ballot you are a resident and qualify for instate tuition. It just cost the filing fee and 50-100 signatures.
Worked for a Friend of mine from Puerto Rico
Over and OUT
Peter N
Does Central Florida have a 5 year B.Arch?
That's always an option to reduce grad school costs (assuming your undergrad is manageable -- cost wise), as you would only need a +1 (or 1.5, depending on the school) to get a M. Arch. Also, if you go that way (such as I did) to IIT, you'll have much more flexibility in your curriculum, as it will be thesis based rather than the typical two extra years of studio and a Masters Degree. You can basically write your own ticket and really dive into the research topic that interests you most. It's challenging, but if you're a motivated person and align yourself with the right professors, it can be a great asset to your career. Honestly, when it comes to grad school, you should be making your decision by researching faculty more than the school itself. Plus, you'll live in a vibrant urban environment, which will definitely shape you as an architect. It did for me, at least.
And if you can't get help with the costs, I'd consider working for a few years to get some experience in the real world while saving up to offset the costs of grad school. You can always move to Chicago and go work for a few years before applying to schools, if it is the city environment that is appealing to you.
Good luck
newguy,
I believe one college offers a 5 year B.Arch, but aside from not being very impressed, I also just really don't want to extend my education in Florida and longer than what it is already going to be. I get that logic though. A detail I didn't mention that is honestly 50% of my motivation to get my M.Arch in Chicago is because my finance is also trying to continue his higher education at Columbia College. So we're trying to kill two birds with one stone.
Your last comment is actually something I've been heavily considering as an alternative plan. My fiance only needs a 1 yr + to graduate, so I see a lot of benefit to being able to work during that period and then broadening my scope of where I can apply.
Thanks for all the feedback!
IIT has a very strong M.Arch program and unlike many schools that have you embark on a traditional thesis, at IIT, you will be participating (final year) in CLOUD STUDIO. Many of these studios are ran by local firms in Chicago (SOM, VOA, Dirk Denison) to same a few.
Out of only those four schools, IIT grads get the best jobs in Chicago. Then UIC, then UIUC, and then theres SAIC who goes both ways because they have this wildcard approach - some of the students there could have gotten in to the GSD yet some remain unemployed half their lives.
UCincinnati, UMichigan, and Notre Dame get better jobs in Chicago than any of the IL universities. Chicago attracts national talent, which may explain why the IL schools aren't the best at-hand (because they make up a small fraction of the country). There's also an Ivy presence in the most notable firms, frequenting Harvard, Cornell and Columbia. If you get your M.Arch outside Illinois, all you have to do to get a job in Chicago is have a great portfolio and know somebody. The best student at UCincy will systematically get the best job in Chicago...they have a co-op internship qualification-based 'lottery' program where the starchitect or most notable firms will agree to select at least one of them to intern for 6-9 months. That's been the source of my frustrations because I didn't go to Cincy and the jobs I want are just donated to them.
But IIT and UIC will keep you competitive for the most prestigious positions against the list above if your portfolio is on par and you use the locale to your advantage by networking successfully.
Personally, I'm working in Chicago now but will seek an M.Arch on either the west or east coast because there are significantly better schools there for comparable tuition rates.