# Wanting to study Urban Planning or Architecture



## BrandonUSF (Nov 15, 2012)

Hey folks! I've been lurking around this forum for years, specifically one of the regional subforums. I had an account, but I forgot the password long ago, and the GMail account linked to it disappeared from inactivity, so I couldn't reset it. Anyways, I figured this would be the perfect place to ask for some advice, so I remade an account.

You see, I'm trying to figure out my future. I am currently a sophomore in uni, University of South Florida if you must know, majoring in Economics at the business school. My original plan was to do something journalism related. Snagged some internships along the way, and I was pretty good at it. However, I grew very disinterested. It was just something I couldn't see doing for the rest of my life.

So I did some serious soul searching, and I've concluded that Urban Planning or Architecture is what I want to do. It's been something that stuck with me throughout my childhood, even my parents swore I would become an Architect or an Urban Planner from early on. The journalism thing only came about because it was something I found out I was good at in high school, not something I was really passionate about. The very act of me lurking this forum for years, among others, is a testament to that- I never spent extra time researching and participating in the journalism underworld. 

Anyways, my question to you is, how do I go about following this path? I am unsure where to go from here. Even with journalism, I decided that I should pursue a B.S. in Economics and rack up experience in the meantime, and study journalism in grad school. I figured that an actual degree in Journalism or related is a death sentence in this economy. Economics is a practical and valuable degree applicable to many fields. Is this same approach appropriate for Urban Planning or Architecture as well? My overall plan is to finish undergrad with a bachelors, and then follow it up with grad school, be it Architecture or Urban Planning, more so leaning towards Urban Planning. 

So should I stick with Economics? Or major in something else, such as Environmental Science or Geography? (Here is the full list of majors my school offers: http://www.registrar.usf.edu/admissions/majors/) (Architecture is included in that list, but it is a 5 year Masters-only program, so pretend it isn't there.) My case for Economics is the same as it was for when I was following journalism- a practical and valuable degree applicable in many fields. I feel like other degrees, such as Geography, do not offer that benefit, especially in this crappy economy (No offense to those who majored in it!). Also, consider that an Economics degree is better for my wallet- my workplace offers tuition reimbursement for business degrees, up to 10 grand. But my problem with that is seeking experience in the meantime. With journalism, it was much easier to just walk in to a place, give them a few writing samples, and boom, internship. How would I do that with Urban Planning, especially with no formal education directly related to it.

So yeah, there's my life story. If you made it this far, thank you! Any other advice would be much appreciated. Hope to keep up this conversation soon!


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## mhays (Sep 12, 2002)

Economics would be a useful background in fields like urban planning, public works, and development. Maybe architecture less so. In the first three, a part of the puzzle is stuff like cost/benefit and other outcomes of public projects, how policy can affect growth and stability, or the combination of cost/finance/value/risk that developers consider. I'll let others comment on majors. 

There are ways into a field without internships. Personally I volunteered many hours a week for a non-profit that wanted to build a park, and was soon on its staff, which involved working with a lot of local leaders; after that failed, it leveraged me into the for-profit world. I've also blogged for local papers as a volunteer...though remember that opinions or an opinionated image can hurt you with a prospective employer. If you can find a non-profit that coincides with what you want to do, then see if they have roles that might be appropriate. Maybe you could edit their newsletter, work in public outreach (can be similar to being a planner), or join a committee.


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## Ako1 (Aug 23, 2012)

Many interesting skyscrapers in this topic but only some of them are very special, I bet it will be more and more zanimivh new construction in Eastern Europe and Asia. Just as there are sometimes live-sports could also be used to transfer building these wonderful works. I hope to have as many glorious images and keep up the good work.:cheers:


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## L.A.F.2. (Jun 26, 2012)

Hello. I came to this thread because I too wish to become an architect. I am a freshman at a College Preparatory School right now. I currently have a 4.4 GPA, and by my senior year I should be able to achieve a 4.6-4.7. My goal is to get into MIT, but there surely are other colleges better for architecture. Could anyone help me out? I am looking at Steven's IT as well. I would appreciate some suggestions. Thanks.


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