Since initiating the Feature House Friday Contest in 2016, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of pure dedication from our fans who study our homes on the website. (For those who are not familiar with the contest, you can find more information on our website here.) Since then, we have hosted the contest over 50 times and we have noticed a significant amount of questions from those who are looking for advice to start their own career path in architecture.
We have received questions from high school students looking for the best colleges…
"Is there any advice that Patrick would give to a student interested in a career similar to his? Any suggestions on what to study or what path to take in college in order to get on a path similar to his?"
@chrissybarrrett
…to recent graduates eager to begin their career…
"I am a rising senior in architecture at Ohio State. As a student and a young person entering the profession myself, I was wondering how has some of your early-career experiences shaped who you are as a designer and architect today and how did you get interested/become so dedicated to the New England vernaculars in which you work?"
@mschwartzy
…to adults looking for a career change.
" I recently custom built my first home on Cape Cod and a background in Interior Design. The building process has furthered my passion in home design and I’m looking to share my experience with others. What is your best advice for individuals looking to get into this industry? Is there anything you’d go back and tell yourself when starting out?"
@rachaellynnesminkey
Due to the significant interest in education, we thought we would share a post for all of our fans and followers who are interested in breaking into the classical architecture industry at any age.
For High Schoolers
We strongly encourage prospective students to look at colleges with an accredited 5-year architecture undergraduate degree program resulting in a first professional degree as a Bachelor’s in Architecture. Patrick is a proud alum of Syracuse University; however, the two schools Patrick recommends with strong classical backgrounds are the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and the University of Miami in Florida.
Regardless of the school, the “gold standard” and most important take away is to enroll in a 5-year architecture undergraduate degree program. This education and experience will put you on the right track to becoming a licensed architect, which is crucial if you want to call yourself an architect!
A four year major in architecture is considered a preprofessional degree and requires a Masters of Architecture in order to become a licensed architect.
For Freshman in College
During your college career, we stress the importance of taking classes that cover real estate development, business, law, and zoning. Listen to Patrick discuss why these concepts are so important below.
For Recent Graduates of a 5-Year Bachelor of Architecture Degree Program
The rules have changed, now graduates can start taking the licensing exams right after graduation! We recommend that you jump right into preparing for the Architectural Registration Exams (ARE) while you are still in “study mode.”
For Professionals Looking for a Career Change
We recommend locals to look into the Boston Architectural College on Newbury Street in Boston, MA. The BAC offers a multiplicity of degree programs from Interior Architecture to a Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture Program as a first degree.
We hope you found this post helpful and wish you the best of luck in your endeavors!