rIce unIversITY
Has THe second-ranked undergraduaTe arcHITecTure
program In THe naTIon, accordIng To THe 2007 rankIng
bY THe desIgn fuTures councIl.
District in Laredo with studies at Laredo four-Year universities “There are more technical programs
Community College leading to certificates Texas has several universities with well- that are oriented to the practical aspects of
in air conditioning and refrigeration. respected programs in architecture. building and there are other programs that
The four campuses of the TSTC Whether you enroll in architecture or take a more artistic approach,” he says.
System—Harlingen, Marshall, Waco, another popular major such as construction Additionally, it’s helpful to familiarize
and West Texas—offer certificates management depends on your career goals. yourself with the teaching styles at your
and associate’s degrees in areas such as The architecture curriculum is focused on school choices. Alter explains, “More than
building construction technology, framing exploring the creative mind and seeking any other major, architecture is one-on-
carpentry, architectural/civil drafting, innovative solutions to problems, whereas one education. Studio courses are usually
and other building trades. (Check the construction management tends to be 15 students to one teacher. And there are
TSTC website at www.tstc.edu for more about the nuts and bolts of buildings. public critiques, which vary from school to
program offerings.) Educators say the two disciplines are school. Some are more aggressive and some
equally challenging. are more supportive. So it’s a good idea to
Joe Surber, a construction science major visit a class.”
at Texas A&M University, points out that
some of the high school classes that have
Get the CREdIT helped him most in his college program are
you deserve
physics, statistics, and English. What would
he have studied harder in high school?
T
ech prep in Texas is a great way to earn “I would’ve put more effort into calculus
college credits toward a technical career and physics,” he says. “A lot of the math-
while you’re still in high school. Tech prep based classes in my major build off those
programs center on “articulation agreements,” academic courses.”
contracts between the student, his or her high According to Audrey Maxwell, project
school, and community colleges the student designer at WKMC Architects in Dallas,
would like to attend. The agreement includes you can get either a bachelor’s degree in
recommendations for courses to be completed architecture in five years or a master’s
before graduation and outlines a two-year degree in six years. Then students take
degree or certificate program. an apprenticeship or internship for
selected courses in a Tech prep plan cover approximately 5,600 hours before taking
the same material as the equivalent college the nine-part Architect Registration
course, allowing the student to receive what Examination in order to be fully qualified
is called advanced technical credit toward the to practice. People typically take this exam
college degree. It’s like a bank account. The by divisions and can retake segments until
credit is banked for you at the college, and you they pass all components.
withdraw it when you enroll. It’s important to thoroughly research
for more information on Tech prep, visit each architecture school and particular
www.techpreptexas.org. ask your counselor program before you apply. Among
about advanced placement, dual credit, or university architecture programs, Alter
articulated courses and other opportunities to notes that there are two different teaching
earn college credit. approaches.
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