Architecture vs Architectural Engineering Degree
Dan Schroeder
in pursuing an education in architecture. A teacher recommended she
look at arch eng since she is strong in math and science, and less so
in the arts. She visited the Milwaukee School of Engineering which
has an arch eng program and is now interested in attending there. I'm
more inclined to suggest she pursue a traditional architecure degree.
Does anyone have any comments on an arch eng degree? If she wants to
head more in the eng direction, should she pursue a civil eng degree
instead? I guess my main concern is the employment opportunities once
she graduates. Any comments would be welcome. Thanks.
rktectcdm
If your daughter wants to become an architect, she should get a degree
from an accredited architecture program rather than settle for an
architectural engineering degree, which is basically civil engineering
with an emphasis on the structural design of buildings. I know a very
talented man who became an architect with the arch eng degree, and
though he could produce fine construction documents and details, he
couldn't design his way out of the proverbial paper bag. His education
hadn't given him any studio design experiences or cultural perspective
to understand the issues involved in design. By the way, being strong
in the arts actually has less to do with being a good architect than
you may be assuming. Being good in math and science usually means that
she is a logical problem solver and a clear thinker, which are the
most important qualities an architect can possess.
On the other hand, there are lots of structural engineers out there
who might have become competent architects, but were more perfectly
suited to structural design and generating calcs. She might be
successful at either profession, actually.
To be clear about the differences between the two professions though,
architects must have leadership abilities to take charge, command
respect, and direct others--abilities that aren't typically required
of engineers. While both architects and engineers typically live
"inside their heads", engineers live more in a world of rationally
abstract concepts, if you know what I mean, than do architects.
Architects usually have a billion interests while engineers have few.
Architects are often pretentious, overconfident, overeducated,
skeptical, and very observant. Engineers are often boring,
two-dimensional, focused on the task at hand, yet still ambitious and
concerned about fair remuneration. The stereotypes for each profession
can be exaggerated, but still they are somewhat accurate.
Your concern for your daughter's employment opportunities is
understandable. I have a 20-year-old son who is majoring in Chemical
Engineering, so I am feeling good. Architects and structural engineers
are highly employable, but the construction industry feels the ebbs
and flows of the country's economy to an extreme degree. Thus, job
security is not always so secure.
But, since it is her decision ultimately, all you can do is gather the
facts and hope that she pays attention to them so she can make a wise
and informed decision, eh?
Curt Marwitz, Architect
http://www.namingthewinds.com
Thomas G. Baker
Dan Schroeder wrote:
In addition to the comments from rktectcdm:
Ask the school what professional registration is possible with the
architectural engineering degree they offer. I worked with a very nice
fellow with that degree which essentially allowed him to do residential
scale work. It was not acceptable as a base for a professional license
of either PE or RA.
The book "Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession" by Roger K. Lewis
would be a worthwhile reference at this point. It can be ordered from
Prarrie Avenue Books.
There are a lot of different skills and career paths within
"architecture": Renderers, working drawings producers, specifications
writers, site managers.
Although it may be the long way around, many colleges and universities
offer a Masters of Architecture which begins with an undergraduate degree
and then a two year masters program. This would give your daughter some
time to become familiar with the schools of architecture and of
engineering.
I inadvertently followed that course and feel I gained much from my
liberal arts courses that those who went through a 5 year B Arch program
missed.
The two most financially successful grads from my class never practiced.
They sold high end furnishings.
My two daughters also followed rather winding educational paths: One
graduated college with diplomas in print making and in politics. After 5
years doing art, she put her self through law school. The other, who we
thought might not graduate high school, ended up with a BA from
University of Redlands near LA and two MS from Columbia University in New
York.
Tom Baker
first registered in 1970
Thomas Rhodes
in a Architectural/engineering firm. I currently have a degree in design of
architecture and will go onto to get a masters of Architecture, I am
assuming this is what you calling "a traditional architecture degree". From
my experience, it seems the choice your daughter needs to make is if she
wants to design the overall aesthetics of the building and coordinate the
engineered systems, or to work with the architect to develop the structure
with the design the architect has envisioned. From my understanding, a
student with an A/E degree would be resolving more technical problems and
designing more "strictly functional" buildings, i.e... warehouses and strip
malls. If she is not artistically inclined, this might be the answer.
I suppose the best combination would be to get an accredited degree in
Architecture (5 year pre-professional or 4 year Bachelors and 2 year Masters
of Arch.) and a BS in Structural engineering. Another possibility would be
to get a degree in Structural engineering with heavy emphasis in
architectural design. This option would not allow your daughter to become a
licensed architect without further education, but if she becomes a licensed
engineer she could legally build buildings.
One thing to look at is who this A/E degree is setup for, someone who will
continue there education or someone who just wants the degree to start
working. Look at this page for requirements on architectural accreditation
http://www.ncarb.org/.
In short, if she is not so interested in the arts, avoid architecture. I
have seen many people drop out of architecture the first year because they
did not realize it is a professional art full of creative design problems.
I suggest structural engineering. A good Architect understands the
principles of engineering and a good engineer understands the principles of
architecture. Engineers make more money starting out as well (if this is
important). I would avoid the A/E degree if it does not set you up for a
professional degree. She should also look at a degree in Construction
Science and Management. This is a fairly new degree that is popping up
everywhere. Basically it prepares people to become construction
administrators and contractors or to run a very popular Design Build firm.
In this degree you do some design work and a lot of engineering. When I was
in school about 30-40% of the CSM students were female ( just insuring you
this is not a "bubba" type major). Oh well, I hope this gives you some
insight.
I have not seen any predictions of decline for the need of architects and
engineers in the future. There is actually a great need for experienced
architects right now.
"Dan Schroeder" <dan.sc...@mot.com> wrote in message
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