I'm looking for a definitive group of schools to apply to for the M.Arch first professional degree (after a 4-year unaccredited Bachelors). I recently saw that architecture-schools.com listed Texas Tech as not only the best school in Texas but in the South, ahead of Florida State and Georgia Tech. This surprised me because I have barely found any student work online or information about the program. I even tried calling the school for more information.
Can anyone back this up?
LITS4FormZ
Nov 5, 17 11:54 am
No.
No it's not.
Not even close.
thatsthat
Nov 5, 17 12:38 pm
Definitely not the best. They are, however, a very practical program that prepares students to go into local Texas practices and come out with a practical knowledge needed to work in an office. It's very not theoretical by any stretch of the imagination like many of the "best" programs in the country. Texas Tech just got a new dean in the past year or two so all of they're going through a transitional period at the moment.
thisisnotmyname
Nov 5, 17 1:12 pm
I fully support the idea that an architecture school should prepare students to go into local practices armed with the practical knowledge needed to work in an office.
The quality of a program is not proportional to how "theoretical" the curriculum is. In my opinion, it is the reverse.
Non Sequitur
Nov 5, 17 1:42 pm
is "armed"
the right word to use when discussing texas?
thatsthat
Nov 5, 17 2:38 pm
++++^ Agreed, thisisnotmyname.
archi_dude
Nov 5, 17 1:36 pm
So it prepares students with professional and technical knowledge to allow them to be a valued employee immediately or go out on their own with confidence sooner. Thus, it's a bad program because it's not theoretical enough? God this profession has it's head up it's ass.
The real question is what are you hoping to accomplish with your degree. Become the next starchitect, or have a career doing something you find enjoyable? If the choice is career, ignore all the theoretical bullshit and seek out technical knowledge and business/finance classes.
archanonymous
Nov 6, 17 3:22 pm
Rice and Tulane are great. Auburn too.
Volunteer
Nov 6, 17 4:23 pm
Uh, Florida State (Tallahassee) does not have an architecture program. The University of Florida (Gainesville) does, as does the University of Miami. There are several other southern schools like Virginia Tech and NC State that have architecture programs.
cajunarch
Nov 8, 17 7:11 pm
my two cents, for well-rounded programs - its not even the third best in Texas, let alone the Deep South
I would put UT and Rice (tied) for best in Texas, followed by UT-Arlington, well before Texas Tech. And Texas A&M has some great grad programs in healthcare and other institutional specialties, and UH has a really interesting program also.
For the rest of the South, just to name a few off the top of my head, I would easily put UT, Rice, Tulane, Auburn, UF, Clemson ahead of TTech
archinine
Nov 9, 17 10:27 pm
That's a hard no. Not even close. Rice is by far the best in the south and pretty much the only one anyone outside of that area has even heard of. Unlike several mentioned here both undergrad and grad at rice are professional degrees. Keep in mind this industry like any other is all about connections especially for the freshly graduated. You'll have a hard time on the job hunt coming from a small school in a small town with few if any local job opportunities on top of the degree not being professional.
Spoons
Nov 9, 17 10:53 pm
Yeah TT isn’t even in the top 5. Depending on your interest Georgia Tech, SCAD, or Clemson are better programs.
thatsthat
Nov 10, 17 10:14 am
Most TTU grads move onto cities like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Very few stay in Lubbock to work in architecture as there are only a few firms there. They don't really intend for you to stay and work in Lubbock. Tech has certificate programs (urban planning, digital design, and healthcare) as part of their grad program that allows students to get an intern position at a firm in Dallas or Houston in their last year. A lot of students in those programs get job offers from their intern position. Because Tech is one of the three big state schools in the state, it is well-known in Texas and a lot of students get jobs in the big cities throughout the state.
If you want to work in the state of Texas, it's not a bad option and it's certainly very affordable. If you don't want to work there, and are looking for a school with a bigger reputation throughout the south, I'm not sure this is the right option at the moment.
I'm looking for a definitive group of schools to apply to for the M.Arch first professional degree (after a 4-year unaccredited Bachelors). I recently saw that architecture-schools.com listed Texas Tech as not only the best school in Texas but in the South, ahead of Florida State and Georgia Tech. This surprised me because I have barely found any student work online or information about the program. I even tried calling the school for more information.
Can anyone back this up?
No.
No it's not.
Not even close.
Definitely not the best. They are, however, a very practical program that prepares students to go into local Texas practices and come out with a practical knowledge needed to work in an office. It's very not theoretical by any stretch of the imagination like many of the "best" programs in the country. Texas Tech just got a new dean in the past year or two so all of they're going through a transitional period at the moment.
I fully support the idea that an architecture school should prepare students to go into local practices armed with the practical knowledge needed to work in an office.
The quality of a program is not proportional to how "theoretical" the curriculum is. In my opinion, it is the reverse.
is "armed" the right word to use when discussing texas?
++++^ Agreed, thisisnotmyname.
So it prepares students with professional and technical knowledge to allow them to be a valued employee immediately or go out on their own with confidence sooner. Thus, it's a bad program because it's not theoretical enough? God this profession has it's head up it's ass.
The real question is what are you hoping to accomplish with your degree. Become the next starchitect, or have a career doing something you find enjoyable? If the choice is career, ignore all the theoretical bullshit and seek out technical knowledge and business/finance classes.
Rice and Tulane are great. Auburn too.
Uh, Florida State (Tallahassee) does not have an architecture program. The University of Florida (Gainesville) does, as does the University of Miami. There are several other southern schools like Virginia Tech and NC State that have architecture programs.
my two cents, for well-rounded programs - its not even the third best in Texas, let alone the Deep South
I would put UT and Rice (tied) for best in Texas, followed by UT-Arlington, well before Texas Tech. And Texas A&M has some great grad programs in healthcare and other institutional specialties, and UH has a really interesting program also.
For the rest of the South, just to name a few off the top of my head, I would easily put UT, Rice, Tulane, Auburn, UF, Clemson ahead of TTech
That's a hard no. Not even close. Rice is by far the best in the south and pretty much the only one anyone outside of that area has even heard of. Unlike several mentioned here both undergrad and grad at rice are professional degrees. Keep in mind this industry like any other is all about connections especially for the freshly graduated. You'll have a hard time on the job hunt coming from a small school in a small town with few if any local job opportunities on top of the degree not being professional.
Yeah TT isn’t even in the top 5. Depending on your interest Georgia Tech, SCAD, or Clemson are better programs.
Most TTU grads move onto cities like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio or Austin. Very few stay in Lubbock to work in architecture as there are only a few firms there. They don't really intend for you to stay and work in Lubbock. Tech has certificate programs (urban planning, digital design, and healthcare) as part of their grad program that allows students to get an intern position at a firm in Dallas or Houston in their last year. A lot of students in those programs get job offers from their intern position. Because Tech is one of the three big state schools in the state, it is well-known in Texas and a lot of students get jobs in the big cities throughout the state.
If you want to work in the state of Texas, it's not a bad option and it's certainly very affordable. If you don't want to work there, and are looking for a school with a bigger reputation throughout the south, I'm not sure this is the right option at the moment.