Essay on Becoming an architect: Stages of education

This paper is dedicated to the steps that need to be undertaken in order to become a qualified architect. I should note that there are many disciplines where the term architecture is used, for instance, landscape architecture or software architecture, but we’re discussing the “architecture” in its classical aspect which is the design and construction of buildings.

I’ve defined four stages of educational process that starts with the level of high school by ensuring a pupil takes appropriate subject that will be useful when applying to the university. The development of the architecture never ends, as the true professional seeks constant self-improvement and self-education and continues to improve his/her skill till the end of their career. But the final stage of the formal education process for n architect is an internship.

The forms of architectural education available in Canada are briefly described in this paper.

Despite the fact the significant progress in the architectural education in our country has started in the 20th century, today we have a number of well established education institutions that person who wants to become the architect should apply to. It should be mentioned that general demand for admission is high but there are some alternative options of architectural education exist in Canada, for instance, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Syllabus

Literary sources

Three reliable reference sources were used for this paper preparation: first source is the official information provided by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, second source is the information provided by the government and finally third source is a professional journal.

Introduction

An architect is a person involved in the art and science of designing physical structures such as buildings, dams, bridges etc.; therefore an architect can be said to offering his services in the designing and constructing of a building or a group of buildings; and the space surrounding the building. That is the basis of an architect and the occupation’s activity of architecture.

Becoming an architect: Stages of education

First stage: The choice of architecture as career path and preparation to it before the university
Becoming a registered architect begins from the level of high school. The requirements for enrolment universities may vary, therefore, it is advisable for students to first look into the universities that are available that offer architecture courses, so as to be sure of the subjects that they will need to take in order to meet the minimal requirements to enter their school of choice. The basic subjects students will have to take so as to be able to enroll in most universities are: Arts; this include English (Grammar), Music & Fine Arts (Drawing & Sculpture) and photography. The sciences that include Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Mathematics and Computer science and Geometry; and the practical aspect of subjects; that involves construction. It is also a bonus for high school students to get involved in extra-curricular activities such as drama, debate and student councils. The activities will add some skills that will come in handy will interacting with the public.

Second stage: Studying in the university

When it reaches the stage of enrolling into a university, firstly the student must be aware of the enrollment dates so as not to miss out on the opportunity. After knowing the dates, the student is required to provide a portfolio that shows the student’s previous pieces of work for review. The portfolio also illustrates the student’s capabilities as well as interests, as required by the university(s) that the student may be applying to. Registering for university begins at the end of Grade 12; therefore, it is advisable for the student to begin assembling his or her portfolio from grade 11 and early in grade 12; assembling of the portfolio takes time; therefore adequate time is provided before the deadlines. The student then submits his or her portfolio together with an application. Upon acceptance, the student is put into the architecture program to begin an exciting yet very demanding experience.

At university level, there are two methods in which a student can complete his or her studies; the ‘Regular Stream program’ and the ‘co-operative program’. The Regular stream program involves a ‘standard’ full term that is commonly used in most of the Canadian universities.