College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• California Polytechnic State University
• Cornell University
• Rice University
• Syracuse University
• University of Southern California

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• University of Texas—Austin
• Auburn University
• Iowa State University

Classes in the Major

Drawing: With today's tragic lack of mind-reading devices, you'll need to know how to sketch what you're thinking of. Even if you're able to design the most amazing buildings in your head, it'll mean nothing until it's down on paper (or the computer screen).

Drawing classes will help you build the skill necessary to put together a 3D model of what you want to create. When that moment of brilliance strikes out during dinner at a restaurant, all you'll need is a napkin and a pen.

History of Architecture: The history of architecture is important and vast. After all, people have been building structures for about as long as we've wanted to not get rained on. You'll dive into the combinations of art forms and structural forms, which means you should be prepared to study everything from mosques to cathedrals to the Taj Mahal. If Russian architecture is more your speed, don't worry, you'll also likely spend some time on St. Petersburg.

Architectural Design: This one sounds pretty important, and that's because it is. These are the courses that help ease you into the world of architecture. You'll learn the basics, such as architectural methods and vocabulary. Skipping these courses is kind of like bailing on the alphabet and going straight for A Tale of Two Cities. These classes will be the foundation for your education. For those interested in seeing what architecture is all about, this is a good place to start.

Architectural Structures: Learning about the physical structures you'll help create is important. Buildings need to be strong enough to, you know, not fall over…and not crush everyone inside.

These courses will clue you in on the world of frames, torsion, beams, columns, and load deflection. Often, the individual courses will have a specific focus on wood, brick, or steel. It's kind of like an updated version of The Three Little Pigs.

Models: Before you get excited about the idea of Kate Upton or David Beckham walking into your 8:00AM lecture, you should know…we aren't talking about those models. The slightly less exciting reality is that you'll need to know how to create the actual models of the buildings you're designing.

This will include a lot of computer work, as well as hands-on creation of scaled models. We'd like to emphasize the "scaled" part there to avoid anybody thinking you'll be creating full-sized projects during a university course.