Hello guys! I'm an international student in Toronto and i got accepted to both U of T's and Ryerson's undergraduate Architecture. I have been torturing to decide which one should i pursue for the next 4 years. I heard lots of pros and cons from both university and it makes even harder for me to decide.
I really take a university's reputation into my consideration so as recognized one of best universities in the world, UofT definitely attract me more. However, the reputation of their architecture program is bad and people say that you will enter the real architecture faculty in the second year which has limited number as well. Is that true? I checked offer and it clear states that I'm admitted to the Bachelor of art degree in architecture studies program in the Daniel's Faculty of architecture. So i assume I'm already in the architecture school? I'm confused. Moreover, i want to have my graduate degree in MIT or other recognizable university. So i think i really need a good undergraduate foundation in order to apply them, at this point, I have a little doubt about ryerson's reputation worldwide.
Besides, one is art degree and other one is architecture science, i dont really want to graduate with an art degree and apply for graduate, which i will be less competitive than others who with an architecture science degree.
As an international student, I know much less information than people who are Canadian, and i really want to hear your guys' recommendation or thoughts on this.
Much appreciate!!! Thank you! (sorry for grammar or spell mistakes, i need response soon!)
explorermf
May 24, 13 2:29 pm
Hey! I got into U of T's architecture program too and I'm having a hard time deciding whether to accept it or not. Hope someone can shed some light on U of T's program!
kavvyr
May 24, 13 10:27 pm
congrats to you both. they are good schools in toronto and each of them have good things to offer. maybe this link will better help with your final decision.
Yeah i hope some people can give us some suggestions!
accesskb
May 25, 13 3:23 am
UofT still has an undergrad architecture program? I thought they were phasing that out 6 or 7 years ago. Its certainly not a program like most undergraduate schools if I'm not mistaken, but rather some architecture history and theory courses that you take. I don't even know if you end up with an architecture degree. I think you come out with an Arts degree in the end. UofT is respected for the masters program. I'd bet my money on Ryerson for undergrad and go attend UofT for masters.
body of work
May 27, 13 4:17 pm
Hey Calvin!
I am currently a 3rd in U of T's undergrad architectural design program and can clear things up,
Last year UofT completely revamped their undergrad program, so now it is direct entry and part of the architecture faculty. It is larger and you would receive a much better architecture degree than you would have 7 years ago. You will not receive an Arts degree and will have studio courses. From my experience I have found the profs (except for a certain 1st year prof) very inspiring and the campus and UofT experience is a lot more prestigious than Ryerson. UofT is currently renovating/adding on to one of Toronto's most beautiful and historic buildings to turn it into the new architecture building and I have relatives within UofT's admin who tell me that a lot of resources are being given to the architecture faculty to improve the undergrad program.
I don't know much about Ryerson's program, but UofT's architecture stream emphasizes on breeding students who are well versed in many fields, so while it's focused in architectural design, you get a good history and theory base as well. You also cannot specialize in architectural design, only Major so you are required to take either another major or two minors in a different subject. I am minoring in environment and sociology, but I know the majority of students are pairing their architecture degree with visual studies or Urban studies.
Ultimately I would highly recomend UofT over Ryerson, but I don't think you could go wrong with either.
explorermf
May 27, 13 5:22 pm
Actually, on U of T's website it clearly states that the Architecture program is a BA. So we will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.
body of work
May 27, 13 5:30 pm
Sorry to clarify what I meant was that previously it was a BA from the Arts and Science faculty, but your diploma will now say it is from the Daniels Faculty of Architecture.
explorermf
May 27, 13 5:35 pm
Oh, I see! That makes sense - thanks for clarifying that!
calvinyue
May 27, 13 10:27 pm
Thank you jmisak!!! Thank actually helps a lot, it just worry me in terms of the requirement that some grad school (such as MIT, COLUMBIA, HARVARD) they do require some basic calculus and physics class in order to reply. I have love for UofT but BA degree may not help me a lot in the future applying? Can you take extra courses in order to be qualify since theres no math or science courses at all? I'm just focusing on a long term perspective.
Thank you guys for helping me! I feel blessed!
choresi
May 28, 13 12:43 pm
Pretty sure you can take science and math courses while attending Daniel's undergrad. You can even minor in one of those areas since you can minor in whatever subject you want. Having a BA doesn't prevent you from taking courses in science or math.
body of work
May 28, 13 12:56 pm
You definitely can take physics and calculus courses as well. U of T actually forces all of the arts and architecture students to meet breadth requirements, meaning you would need to take a math or science course anyways (most arts students take astronomy or something easy). If you want you could minor in physics or such to give yourself a bit better qualification. I personaly will just be using some electives to take the bare requirements since physics and calculus don't excite me as much as the more theory based courses. UofT's architecture undergrad definitely does not give you the quickest and most concentrated track to an architecture masters, but personally I find that much of what I learn in other studies and the extra that they want you to take is going to make me a much better architect. I don't simply want to build a structure that looks nice and is structurally sound, I want to be able to design something that will heavily impact those who come in contact with it in a positive way. I want to know how society works so that I can help design it, I want to know how the environment works so that when I impose my structures on it I'm doing less harm than good. It all depends on what type of architect you want to be, but I'm a bit of an idealist I guess.
Also be warned UofT has a reputation for being a lot harder grade wise than most other schools. Ryerson would probably give you a better GPA, but you lose the prestige of going to UofT.
choresi
May 28, 13 1:07 pm
Yeah, personally I would not choose to do my undergrad in either of those programs. But if my choices were ONLY those two, I would go with U of T, reluctantly.
calvinyue
May 29, 13 1:38 pm
Thank you guys i have made my choice! :) i definitely know that GPA is going to be hard to earn at UofT and I completely agree with jmisak's learning theory! I felt like there always be a reason for learning history and thesis of architecture! I guess UofT provide you the concept of architecture and enable you to think more in many different aspects. Well, i hope i can see you in your forth year at the Daniel's building LOL! Thank you so much guys! Good luck to all of you!
body of work
Jun 12, 13 5:57 pm
Congrats on making a decision Calvinyue! If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask me, I am more than happy to help.
Hey! i was planning on applying to UofT for architecture next year but scared my average will not be high enough, do you guys mind telling me what your averages were to get accepted? :)
cooldude1988
Sep 24, 13 10:20 pm
If you're applying your for Life Sciences...better get some damn good averages
If you're applying for the Arts and Humanities...it's not the end of the world.
favour1998
Apr 30, 16 9:32 pm
I got into both waterloo and uoft however I don't know which one to chose, what do you recommend?
Non Sequitur
May 1, 16 8:10 am
Waterloo, no question. It's so much better, your question should not exist. Anyone can get into Toronto while barely anyone even gets an interview at loo.
420g
May 8, 16 11:54 am
stay away from UofT undergrad its not a real bachelor degree in architecture its just a BA with major in architecture not recognized as "pre-professional" degree in architecture. meaning you will only be able to apply for master's degrees with 3years+, only some schools have this option, most schools have 2 year M.arch which requires "pre-professional" degree in architecture which UofT does not offer
jameswittson
May 23, 17 9:53 pm
I got accepted by UofT Arch Faculty for Fall 2017 and apparently we'll be studying at the newly renovated One Spadina Cresent. Does anyone know whether the undergraduate program has been improved or revamped for the next year? Personally, I think it would be a waste for the undergrad program not to match the high-grade, professional academic setting.
Non Sequitur
May 23, 17 10:10 pm
James, UofT arch undergrad is not high or grade or professional. It's glory comes from location, not academic reputation.
With that said, just note that the program's main purpose is to feed its M.Arch class... and plenty of other schools schools won't consider the UofT BAS as equivalent... so keep those fingers crossed you're in the top 2% of your class.
gual
May 24, 17 8:00 pm
If you're really set on going to a more avant garde Masters program in the U.S. then it miiiiight help to go to UofT because of the name... But in general I would suggest doing the Undergrad at Ryerson and then if you have more theoretical interests go somewhere else with a name (such as UofT) for the Masters. Reason for this: Ryerson is actually a comprehensive undergrad degree.
There's many skilled students currently in the UofT Masters program who got their undergrad at Ryerson. They come in with a lot of skills, they tend to be better organized and capable of producing quality studio projects, and are in much better shape for finding work.
GloriaMonet1
May 25, 17 9:32 am
Looking forward for some of your work!
sunnyday
Apr 15, 21 11:11 am
Is U of T architecture program still not as good as the prevous posts sounded? I got into U of T and Laurentian, still waiting on waterloo, carleton, UBC, McGill, Ryerson. Which one is the best to attend? If I have to choose between U of T and Laurentian, which is better?
Non Sequitur
Apr 15, 21 11:28 am
UofT undergrad is pretty bad and it won't teach you the basics to get into a good grad school or be an employable junior designer.
Hello guys! I'm an international student in Toronto and i got accepted to both U of T's and Ryerson's undergraduate Architecture. I have been torturing to decide which one should i pursue for the next 4 years. I heard lots of pros and cons from both university and it makes even harder for me to decide.
I really take a university's reputation into my consideration so as recognized one of best universities in the world, UofT definitely attract me more. However, the reputation of their architecture program is bad and people say that you will enter the real architecture faculty in the second year which has limited number as well. Is that true? I checked offer and it clear states that I'm admitted to the Bachelor of art degree in architecture studies program in the Daniel's Faculty of architecture. So i assume I'm already in the architecture school? I'm confused. Moreover, i want to have my graduate degree in MIT or other recognizable university. So i think i really need a good undergraduate foundation in order to apply them, at this point, I have a little doubt about ryerson's reputation worldwide.
Besides, one is art degree and other one is architecture science, i dont really want to graduate with an art degree and apply for graduate, which i will be less competitive than others who with an architecture science degree.
As an international student, I know much less information than people who are Canadian, and i really want to hear your guys' recommendation or thoughts on this.
Much appreciate!!! Thank you! (sorry for grammar or spell mistakes, i need response soon!)
Hey! I got into U of T's architecture program too and I'm having a hard time deciding whether to accept it or not. Hope someone can shed some light on U of T's program!
congrats to you both. they are good schools in toronto and each of them have good things to offer. maybe this link will better help with your final decision.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/26878/leonardo-dicaprio-oscar-snub-why-he-never-wins
good luck!
Yeah i hope some people can give us some suggestions!
UofT still has an undergrad architecture program? I thought they were phasing that out 6 or 7 years ago. Its certainly not a program like most undergraduate schools if I'm not mistaken, but rather some architecture history and theory courses that you take. I don't even know if you end up with an architecture degree. I think you come out with an Arts degree in the end. UofT is respected for the masters program. I'd bet my money on Ryerson for undergrad and go attend UofT for masters.
Hey Calvin!
I am currently a 3rd in U of T's undergrad architectural design program and can clear things up,
Last year UofT completely revamped their undergrad program, so now it is direct entry and part of the architecture faculty. It is larger and you would receive a much better architecture degree than you would have 7 years ago. You will not receive an Arts degree and will have studio courses. From my experience I have found the profs (except for a certain 1st year prof) very inspiring and the campus and UofT experience is a lot more prestigious than Ryerson. UofT is currently renovating/adding on to one of Toronto's most beautiful and historic buildings to turn it into the new architecture building and I have relatives within UofT's admin who tell me that a lot of resources are being given to the architecture faculty to improve the undergrad program.
I don't know much about Ryerson's program, but UofT's architecture stream emphasizes on breeding students who are well versed in many fields, so while it's focused in architectural design, you get a good history and theory base as well. You also cannot specialize in architectural design, only Major so you are required to take either another major or two minors in a different subject. I am minoring in environment and sociology, but I know the majority of students are pairing their architecture degree with visual studies or Urban studies.
Ultimately I would highly recomend UofT over Ryerson, but I don't think you could go wrong with either.
Actually, on U of T's website it clearly states that the Architecture program is a BA. So we will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Sorry to clarify what I meant was that previously it was a BA from the Arts and Science faculty, but your diploma will now say it is from the Daniels Faculty of Architecture.
Oh, I see! That makes sense - thanks for clarifying that!
Thank you jmisak!!! Thank actually helps a lot, it just worry me in terms of the requirement that some grad school (such as MIT, COLUMBIA, HARVARD) they do require some basic calculus and physics class in order to reply. I have love for UofT but BA degree may not help me a lot in the future applying? Can you take extra courses in order to be qualify since theres no math or science courses at all? I'm just focusing on a long term perspective.
Thank you guys for helping me! I feel blessed!
Pretty sure you can take science and math courses while attending Daniel's undergrad. You can even minor in one of those areas since you can minor in whatever subject you want. Having a BA doesn't prevent you from taking courses in science or math.
You definitely can take physics and calculus courses as well. U of T actually forces all of the arts and architecture students to meet breadth requirements, meaning you would need to take a math or science course anyways (most arts students take astronomy or something easy). If you want you could minor in physics or such to give yourself a bit better qualification. I personaly will just be using some electives to take the bare requirements since physics and calculus don't excite me as much as the more theory based courses. UofT's architecture undergrad definitely does not give you the quickest and most concentrated track to an architecture masters, but personally I find that much of what I learn in other studies and the extra that they want you to take is going to make me a much better architect. I don't simply want to build a structure that looks nice and is structurally sound, I want to be able to design something that will heavily impact those who come in contact with it in a positive way. I want to know how society works so that I can help design it, I want to know how the environment works so that when I impose my structures on it I'm doing less harm than good. It all depends on what type of architect you want to be, but I'm a bit of an idealist I guess.
Also be warned UofT has a reputation for being a lot harder grade wise than most other schools. Ryerson would probably give you a better GPA, but you lose the prestige of going to UofT.
Yeah, personally I would not choose to do my undergrad in either of those programs. But if my choices were ONLY those two, I would go with U of T, reluctantly.
Thank you guys i have made my choice! :) i definitely know that GPA is going to be hard to earn at UofT and I completely agree with jmisak's learning theory! I felt like there always be a reason for learning history and thesis of architecture! I guess UofT provide you the concept of architecture and enable you to think more in many different aspects. Well, i hope i can see you in your forth year at the Daniel's building LOL! Thank you so much guys! Good luck to all of you!
Congrats on making a decision Calvinyue! If you have any further questions don't hesitate to ask me, I am more than happy to help.
Here's a little something to get you excited about Daniels and the direction it is headed! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UsZ2dXf7qh4
Hey! i was planning on applying to UofT for architecture next year but scared my average will not be high enough, do you guys mind telling me what your averages were to get accepted? :)
If you're applying your for Life Sciences...better get some damn good averages
If you're applying for the Arts and Humanities...it's not the end of the world.
I got into both waterloo and uoft however I don't know which one to chose, what do you recommend?
Waterloo, no question. It's so much better, your question should not exist. Anyone can get into Toronto while barely anyone even gets an interview at loo.
stay away from UofT undergrad its not a real bachelor degree in architecture its just a BA with major in architecture not recognized as "pre-professional" degree in architecture. meaning you will only be able to apply for master's degrees with 3years+, only some schools have this option, most schools have 2 year M.arch which requires "pre-professional" degree in architecture which UofT does not offer
I got accepted by UofT Arch Faculty for Fall 2017 and apparently we'll be studying at the newly renovated One Spadina Cresent. Does anyone know whether the undergraduate program has been improved or revamped for the next year? Personally, I think it would be a waste for the undergrad program not to match the high-grade, professional academic setting.
James, UofT arch undergrad is not high or grade or professional. It's glory comes from location, not academic reputation.
With that said, just note that the program's main purpose is to feed its M.Arch class... and plenty of other schools schools won't consider the UofT BAS as equivalent... so keep those fingers crossed you're in the top 2% of your class.
If you're really set on going to a more avant garde Masters program in the U.S. then it miiiiight help to go to UofT because of the name... But in general I would suggest doing the Undergrad at Ryerson and then if you have more theoretical interests go somewhere else with a name (such as UofT) for the Masters. Reason for this: Ryerson is actually a comprehensive undergrad degree.
There's many skilled students currently in the UofT Masters program who got their undergrad at Ryerson. They come in with a lot of skills, they tend to be better organized and capable of producing quality studio projects, and are in much better shape for finding work.
Looking forward for some of your work!
Is U of T architecture program still not as good as the prevous posts sounded? I got into U of T and Laurentian, still waiting on waterloo, carleton, UBC, McGill, Ryerson. Which one is the best to attend? If I have to choose between U of T and Laurentian, which is better?
UofT undergrad is pretty bad and it won't teach you the basics to get into a good grad school or be an employable junior designer.