Should we directly enrol for a master’s degree in architecture right after the bachelor’s? Or should we work for a few years and then pursue masters? Most of the young B. Arch graduates fall under this dilemma. Nowadays the field of architecture is gaining much more popularity than it had a decade ago. The number of graduates passing out each year is increasing day by day.
People are recognizing the profound impact architecture has in shaping their buildings, cities, and the world as a whole. We are seeing a steep rise in demand for architects who are skilled and experienced in various sectors of architecture and planning. Both academics and field experience together comprise the whole work of an architect. The end goal of any architect is to ace the theoretical and practical knowledge of the field.
But we often get confused with the sequence and the direction of the road we take to reach this end goal. So how do we figure this out?
What Do We Want? What Are We Good At?
Confusion is good. It means we are thinking. When we question ourselves about what we are good at or what we want, we end up addressing the solution for the questions we had. Similarly, when it comes to the question of whether we should directly pursue a master’s degree right after the bachelor’s or whether we should work for a few years to gain field experience, we often get confused with the order of accomplishments.
The answer to this question depends on an individual’s interest. There is no hard and fast rule as to when and why we should pursue a master’s degree. Five years of an intense training program that we undergo in bachelor gives us a perspective on the multiple facets in the field of architecture. Architecture is a diverse profession leaving us with ample opportunities and certain experiences that might interest us in the due course of time.
1. Why opt for a Master’s Degree after a Few Years of Work Experience?
It is often confusing to choose a path in the field of architecture. It being a field that overlaps with many other fields makes it even harder for us to decide on what we want. Architectural studio education generates knowledge and trains us to think out of the box and develop design strategies that take a defined shape. When it comes to the execution of this knowledge we acquired in the architectural school, the magnitude and the scale changes bring us closer to reality carrying its limitations on the field.
Therefore, working for a few years right after the bachelor’s degree gives us an idea of how both theoretical and practical knowledge go hand in hand. These additional years of work experience may discover one’s hidden interest in the field of architecture. It may also address the confusion about the field of interest one might pursue during the Master’s Program.
Working with architectural firms before pursuing a master’s opens us with the adversity of knowledge and experience both in theoretical and practice areas of the field. This helps in enlarging the thought process and the design skills, making it a plus point during pursuing a masters in the field of architecture. Interacting and working with different people in the same field enhances our abilities of decision making which plays an important role in choosing our field of expertise.
2. Why Opt for a Master’s Degree Right after the Bachelor’s Degree?
The architectural profession has another side to it. Apart from being an active practicing architect, there is also a lot of scope in the field of architectural education and research development. This side of the field caters mostly to the educational and research side of architecture. One can pursue doctoral programs post the master’s degree to make a career in the educational service sector and research and development of the architectural field.
Apart from architectural research and development, another pre-dominant field of architecture that provides service is architectural educational societies and institutions. To train the young aspirant’s one needs to master the field of theoretical and technical education. This requires one to earn several degrees in the field to provide education. Tutoring and mentoring the students to become an important part of society is a huge responsibility that comes with the knowledge and wisdom of being an experienced faculty member in the field of architecture.
Therefore, opting for a master’s degree right after the bachelor’s gives us an elaborate and detailed understanding of how the educational and research side of architecture works. The add-on years of work experience between bachelor’s and masters in this case necessarily won’t add any advantage to the student’s experience during the master’s degree.
3. An Individual’s Choice
While we conclude this, choice-making comes to an understanding of how unique and individual choice it is to make, depending on what one aims to achieve at the end of the road. Working a couple of years post the bachelor’s degree helps us broaden our understanding of the practical practice side of the industry. Whereas taking up an immediate master’s program helps us explore and broaden the horizons of another important facet of the field which is education, research and development.
