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ARCHITECTS

by Southern Ploytechnic State University

Architects tackle many issues: people’s needs, building needs, a building site, and environmental concerns. Because creativity is the greatest source of solutions that fit all these areas, students often find that a background in art is helpful. Architecture is much more than art or drawings, however. It involves math, design, experimenting and problem solving. The best ideas are bigger than a computer mouse or a drafting instrument – they are as big as your imagination.

Students in architecture programs analyze the organization of space, evaluate designs by noted Architects, study successes and failures and discuss how they might make changes to improve designs. This preparation introduces students to the issues, processes and spirit of experimentation that characterizes the professional design of built environments. Many programs incorporate “field trips” to such locations as Savannah, Chicago, New Orleans, and other destinations rich with architectural gems.

In the classroom, laptops and drafting instruments are common tools used by professors and students alike. By putting actual models together, students learn about both scale and materials used in the building process. Each school’s architecture program will offer some arrangement of studio space for students to complete their work. At Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, GA, students are provided with individual studio space that comes equipped with tack-, cutting-, and drawing boards. Throughout any good architecture program, students work on learning to move “from laptop to hammer” – between electronic modeling and hands-on construction. This kind of experience, more than any other, teaches you what works in the real world, and how people really work together. Common course titles in an architecture program are Architecture Studio, Architectural Theories, Contract Documents, Environmental Design, Professional Practice and Ethics, and an array of special topics courses. Students can broaden their education beyond the classroom by being involved in study abroad programs, competition teams, student chapters of professional organizations, co-ops, and internships. Many programs require internship hours for graduation.

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a five-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

Some schools, such as Southern Polytechnic State University, offer a fully accredited bachelor’s degree in what is known as a “2 + 3 program” in which students follow a pre-set path of courses to graduate with an accredited degree in 5 years. This program prepares students to sit for licensing examinations in any state. To become a licensed architect you must not only pass the Architectural Registration Board’s licensing exam, but also serve a three-year internship. Most students elect to begin accumulating internship credits during their fourth or fifth year.

If a graduate chooses not to become a professional architect, they can apply their degree in many different specialties, such as city planning, construction, computer design, teaching, and consulting with a variety of groups including school boards, governments, and manufacturing operations.

www.spsu.edu admissions@spsu.edu 1-800-635-3204