by Janet Grischy

Created on: April 01, 2009

Becoming an architect is a long slog. You need years of schooling, then a few years of internship, and then you'll have to pass a competitive exam to get your license. If you are really dedicated to the field though, it will be worth it.

In college, most architecture students will study for a four or five year Bachelor of Arts degree. The degree may not be called architecture. At Cal Berkeley, for example, it is called environmental design. A degree is the first step to becoming an architect.

An architecture student takes classes in drafting, both manual and computer assisted. He or she will work on design projects in the studio, whether alone or in groups, and these projects will be critiqued in class. For many students being critiqued is the hardest part of the program. Classes in perspective drawing may also be required.

At the same time, most architecture programs require higher mathematics, for example a year or more of the Calculus, a class in Statics, and more. This is in addition to the normal general education requirements.

Because the course load for a BA in architecture is so heavy, and may take more than four years to complete, many future architects take an alternative path to their goal. One is to start at community college. It is much less expensive, and the competition may be less fierce. The student then transfers to a four year institution for the last two or three years. Another approach is to get a BA in engineering, or possibly in art or a related field, and then get an MA in architecture.

Anyone who majors in art with the goal of becoming an architect should make sure to take the hard science courses this field requires. (In spite of the fact that some great architects, such as Gaudi and Sinan, are famous for not being engineers.) He or she should also make sure to attend a school accredited in architecture, because that is generally a requirement for a license.

After getting an education, the future architect must get an internship. It is a requirement for the license, in almost all jurisdictions, that the architect have practical experience as well as an education. This internship may last as long as three years, and usually doesn't pay very well, at least at first. Many interns also find their work boring and menial.

After the internship is completed, there is a competitive exam. Once that is passed, the student is an architect, and can start trying to "get a house."

There are other routes to an architect's license, in some jurisdictions, and under some circumstances. However, they are becoming scarce.

If you will settle for nothing else, become an architect. Bear in mind though, that there are many design jobs which do not require years of education and apprenticeship.

General contractors build, and often do beautiful and valuable work. Interior designers and garden designers often do their work with no degree at all, or with an AA. There are many ways to work in design.

Architects do rewarding and useful work. Almost all of them would certainly say that the trouble they went to in beginning their career has repaid their effort.

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