Graduate Studies in the US

Rachel Bannon

Having survived 5 years of late-nights, all-nights, no-nights (in the social sense), lost-nights (post-crit induced coma�s) and �the only students not out on Thursday-nights�, the last thing the typical B.Arch graduate wants to contemplate is the thought -threat, even- of prolonging the experience for another 1 or 2 years. The words �Master�s Degree� may seem as appealing as �academic incarceration in the prime of your life�. However, speaking from the safe side of a 2-year Master�s degree completed in the US, there are more benefits than hardships to pursuing a degree that is a world apart from the experiences the typical architectural undergraduate will have filed away in their memory.

My account is drawn from the experience of a relatively short time (2 years) in a rather unique School (University of California at Berkeley) pursuing a specialized degree (Master of Science in Architecture, focusing on building science). During the course of the 2 years I was able to take most of my classes within the more general M.Arch �family� and I fraternized with people coming from undergraduate schools all over the US.

Although probably sharing an interest in things art and design orientated, a typical masters studio may comprise of people with degrees in anything from art, art history, or engineering, to sociology, physics, economics, or medicine. Each person thus brings a different set of influences, motivations and inspirations to the table, or drawing board in this case. The result is architectural discussions and collaborations that are rich in the scope and variety of issues addressed. Gone are the days when the words Le Corbusier, or Mies van der Rohe, automatically cause your colleagues to bow their heads in reverence. In fact for the first few weeks some of your fellow students may not even know who these people are, preferring instead to look to the idols of their previous interests, be they Leonardo Da Vinci, Jacques Cousteau, Peter Rice or Ansel Adams. It is great to hear what other people have said and how, in the end, anything can be applied to architecture.

The theme of expanding one�s exposure to influences outside of architectural journals and the icons of 20th century design is pervasive in all aspects of the graduate degree. Often emphasizing a more theoretical, philosophical element to architecture, the sources of material used in both classes and studio themes can range from sociology, e.g. gender influences in architecture, to ecology e.g. sustainable design and theory, to pop culture e.g. the role of film in architecture, to one-off themes such as zoology (a recent studio project in Berkeley looked at providing a zoo pavilion for an animal of your choice), or physical exercise and body posture (bus stops doubling as a recreation device). If the range of classes offered within the faculty is not enough to satisfy the erudition-hungry student, at last you are offered the opportunity to take classes in subjects that may even be completely outside of the architecture field. Whether you take up photography, computational fluid dynamics or yoga, this again expands the tunnel vision of the typical B.Arch undergraduate to let in a broader panorama of life.

With every additional class comes not only additional credits, but also additional hours in the library, at the computer, or just generally in that �school work� frame of mind. There is no denying that in the lead up to a deadline or presentation there will be the inevitable moment of �I want a free weekend�, �I am too old to be doing homework�, or (most common) �is this worth it?� However, the element of choice, the key difference between an undergraduate and graduate degree kicks in and does wonders for one�s academic motivation. Apart from a few required classes, depending on the complexity of your previous degree, most of the time you will be working on assignments for classes chosen from a range of those on offer. In theory the �voluntary� aspect of the subject implies it is something you enjoy, are interested in, even passionate about and therefore, at the end of the day, any related research or time commitments are neither a chore or a bore. Again there will always be the moments of �why am I doing this?� but it is amazing what a tailor-made degree path does for maintaining your interest at that crucial, productive level. Even the physical education class I took showed me how many different sports actually challenge conventional notions of spatiality and dimensionality. Ever tried racquet-ball?�.

In terms of personalizing your graduate degree experience, there is always the option of doing a specialized degree as an alternative to the more mainstream M.Arch. Graduate school is definitely the time and place to pursue a subject or field that you are particularly interested in, no matter how broad or narrow. Whether this is a Masters in landscape design or a thesis on stone wall construction techniques in a certain region of Greece during the Hellensitic Age is your choice. Common examples of related degrees range from urban design and planning, to landscape design, and environmental design and policies to name a few. There are also more specialized areas that different universities will offer, often due to the presence of a notable academic in that area on their staff, or a particularly strong reputation for that subject. At Berkeley, for example, instead of the more design-oriented M.Arch degree I took the Masters of Science in Architecture route. Within this degree I could choose to specialize in any one of a number of fields such as Design Theories and Methods, Building Science (which I chose), Social Basis of Architecture and Urban Design, History of Architecture and Urban Design, The Building Process, Structures and Construction, and Environmental Design in Developing Countries.. That is not to say that you must spend the entire 2 years of the program in a parallel world to that of your mayline-bound colleagues. I was able to take many design-related classes and even a design studio. One of the most rewarding experiences of a graduate degree is that of taking on the position of a TA (teaching assistant, also called a GSI -graduate student instructor). Most undergraduate classes involve a weekly/ bi-weekly lecture given by a professor, then smaller discussion sessions run by a graduate student who is also responsible for grading of assignments and generally overseeing the students� progress over the year. Not only is this a great means of supplementing your financial situation, but also the act of standing up in front of a group of anywhere from six to sixty students and having to explain a subject and answer questions on the spot, is the best way of learning your subject inside-out. The experience of seeing undergraduates become equally excited or interested in what you are teaching is invaluable.

Invaluable opportunity, highly rewarding, enriching and fulfilling are all terms I would honestly use to describe a postgraduate degree - no platitudes involved. And of course, it goes without saying that being a graduate student in any of the American university cities or towns is an experience in itself. The whole �meeting people of diverse backgrounds� that I espoused earlier in this article applies even more so to your life outside the studio/classroom. You will always know someone who can get you into a nuclear physics grad student party or be able to hang out with the most intense PhD students you�ll ever encounter. They are the kind who lean over in the middle of an action-packed movie at the best Cineplex and whisper the proof of some theorem they�ve spent countless daylight-deprived semesters trying to solve. And people think architecture students are a social construct of their own? It applies to all faculty�s. At least architecture students have achieved the fame of ALWAYS being the only building on campus to be occupied all night long�.but it is worth it.

Rachel Bannon is an architect and is currently working with ARUP, San Franscico