The people have spoken. Or at least, the students of UK universities have, and they have confirmed what has long been suspected: Architecture courses are currently too long, too expensive, and don’t provide the rounded learning experience necessary for students to transition smoothly from college to the realities of professional practice. In a new survey carried out by the Architects’ Journal, 64 percent of students believed that the pathway to becoming a registered architect should be shortened. Indeed, 55 percent of students called for the UK’s 3-part, 7-year system to be scrapped in favor of a quicker format. Considering the up to 8 year lag time in the US and other countries between entering architecture school and practicing, it could be argued that this grievance is of universal scale. This consensus comes as no surprise following the dramatic increase in university fees seen in Great Britain: An architecture degree can now cost each student from £45,000 to £54,000, depending on which institution they choose. Whilst these costs might pale in comparison to certain US institutions, the increased fees have caused many people from low and middle-income families to think twice about committing to a course of such length and expense. ...
The people have spoken. Or at least, the students of UK universities have, and they have confirmed what has long been suspected: Architecture courses are currently too long, too expensive, and don’t provide the rounded learning experience necessary for students to transition smoothly from college to the realities of professional practice. In a new survey carried out by the Architects’ Journal, 64 percent of students believed that the pathway to becoming a registered architect should be shortened. Indeed, 55 percent of students called for the UK’s 3-part, 7-year system to be scrapped in favor of a quicker format. Considering the up to 8 year lag time in the US and other countries between entering architecture school and practicing, it could be argued that this grievance is of universal scale. This consensus comes as no surprise following the dramatic increase in university fees seen in Great Britain: An architecture degree can now cost each student from £45,000 to £54,000, depending on which institution they choose. Whilst these costs might pale in comparison to certain US institutions, the increased fees have caused many people from low and middle-income families to think twice about committing to a course of such length and expense. ...