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Which college has a good architecture/ interior design program?

I live in Washington and I know my options here in my area, but I'm really interested in branching out and going out of state for college but I'm not sure on where to go. #architecture #college

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Maria’s Answer

The Catholic University of America has a good architecture program.
There is a 5 year track where you can get a degree in both architecture and civil engineering
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Bill’s Answer

Kristina,

The best West Coast Architectural schools are Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona and USC (my alma mater)!

Best of luck in your pursuit.

Bill
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Barbara’s Answer

In New England (where I live) for Interior Design, I would check out Endicott College in Beverly, MA and Wentworth in Boston. For Architecture I would look into Northeastern University.


The one thing all three of these schools have in common is a Co-op Program, meaning students take time in between schools terms to work in a professional setting. For Architecture and Design students this is particularly valuable because they'll be graduating with work examples they can show to potential employers (a "portfolio"). From what I have seen working in the industry, grads with a portfolio and work experience really have an advantage when looking for that first job.


All these three schools are accessible by public transportation as well, so no need for a car to get to these co-op jobs. The schools maintain relationships with employers in the area so they can help students land co-op jobs, and you should get plenty of support searching.


I'm sure you can find co-op programs in schools in other parts of the country as well. Just make sure the program you apply to is accredited; research what the degree will enable you to do once you graduate. For example, some architecture degrees - like a B'Arch - are "professional degrees" meaning you can eventually take the licensing exam after you've met certain work requirements. Some architecture degrees - like a BA or a BS - do not qualify you to take this exam. For Interior Design, the licensing differs by state, but this is changing as more states are instituting some kind of licensing requirement.

Barbara recommends the following next steps:

Go to collegeboard.org and figure out which schools have co-op programs. (It's not essential you attend a school with a co-op program, but in my opinion, it's a good idea. I did not, but that was 30 years ago and things were different ;-) )
Go to NCARB.org and do some research about the different degrees offered in Architecture. Also read about the AXP - this is the program that defines the work requirements I referred to above. AXP completion is what allows people to take the licensing exam. I believe students in Co-op jobs can apply that work experience to AXP.
Go to ASID.org and read about what is needed to become an Interior Designer, and the latest information on licensing for Interior Designers.
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