Did you know you can obtain a three-year professional degree in architecture without prior study in architecture?

The three-year master of architecture program is designed for people with an undergraduate degree in any subject other than architecture.

Four of Canada's 12 architecture schools offer it: Carleton University, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, and University of Calgary. 

The three-year professional program is relatively new in Canada, though it has been available in the United States for more than half a century. At Carleton, it started in 2011. Often, this program format is referred to as MArch 1.

"The three-year master of architecture is an important North American innovation, aligning the study of architecture with the study of law and medicine as a post-baccalaureate professional pursuit," says Jill Stoner, director of the Azrieli School of Architecture & Urbanism at Carleton. 

Many different undergraduate backgrounds

Those who have enrolled in the three-year MArch at Carleton represent numerous academic backgrounds, including art history, engineering, environmental design, interior design, fine arts, music, planning, philosophy, geography, marine biology, neuroscience, nursing, and more.

Such students "bring a wealth of collective backgrounds from a full range of disciplines, thus broadening the conversation, and ensuring that graduate architectural study is threaded through with interdisciplinary thinking and inquiry," says Stoner, whose own first degree is in literature.

There are many reasons for a less-than-direct path to architecture. Not everybody knows when they're a teenager that being part of the design of our cities and buildings is something that they can do.

Here are some common themes expressed by participants in Carleton's STUDIO FIRST program, an intensive summer studio that prepares students from other fields for graduate study in architecture and builds the confidence that a shift in direction is possible.

I have always been interested in architecture. Alas, my family was not supportive of the career choice, and I was pushed into accounting. 

I am realizing that a career in engineering is not fulfilling for me on a deeper level. 

Having been out of school for a few years and experienced the financial world, I started to reflect on my life path and rethink where I want to be and what I want to achieve. Being able to create continuously is important to me.

“Is this a possibility for me?”

Gabrielle Argent, for example, grew up in Edmonton, Alberta taking art classes and making paintings. "My parents and everybody said ‘you're good at art, you should go and pursue that.’"

In 2009, straight from high school, she entered the Alberta University of the Arts where she studied fine arts for two years. "I didn't like it," she says. "I wanted something a little more structured and solid for my life, more of a career. I didn't want to be a struggling artist for the rest of my life."

Her next stop was the University of Alberta, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in the History of Art, Design & Visual Culture.

While studying art history, she began to wonder, "What the heck am I going to do with this? What is it that I am really interested in?" 

The answer, she realized, was architecture. "I wasn't sure if this was even a possibility for me."

Argent spent a lot of time searching online: "Can I apply to schools? Can I get in with an undergraduate degree that's not related?"

She asked Google: "How long does it take to become an architect? What kind of education do I need? What are the good schools? What do I need to get into these schools? How do I make a portfolio?"

The paths to becoming an architect in Canada

She learned that becoming an architect in Canada requires having an accredited degree, gaining experience after graduation in a registered professional office, and taking exams related to practice. There are several ways of fulfilling the requirements. The journey most often starts with architecture school.

Typically, obtaining an accredited architecture degree requires six years of study. A four-year bachelor's degree in architecture is followed by a two-year master's degree in architecture if one wishes to be eligible to continue into the profession.

Students may complete the whole program of six years at one school or may change schools at the end of the bachelor’s program. They are often encouraged to gain work experience before continuing with the master's degree. In any case, they must re-apply to the school of their choice.

The other route, the three-year master's program, is designed for people like Argent.

People who study architecture usually plan to become architects. Others find their way into film, fashion, software, heritage, urbanism, and art – fields that benefit from the critical and creative thinking of design. 

Interestingly, two famous architects started in other disciplines. 

Canadian Arthur Erickson first studied Asian languages before earning an architecture degree. Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas began his career as a journalist.

"The whole point is you do not need to make decisions about your lifelong profession at age 17," says Stoner. "You can study whatever you like, then pursue architecture after you have your first degree."

So, did Gabrielle Argent go into architecture? Read the next post to find out!

Readers: Thinking of switching to architecture? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.