Architecture Master School

Architecture Master School

By: Colleen O’Malley

After spending four very extensive and dedicated years as an undergraduate architecture student, I decided to pursue my masters in architecture. Not only had I made this decision because finding a job without a master’s degree in the architecture profession is very difficult, but I wanted to pursue my dreams of becoming an architect. Making this life changing decision for myself only brought up more questions. Where do I want to go to receive my master’s degree? What do I want to focus on during my master’s program? Where do I see myself after master’s school? These are all common questions that many students face, but the meaning and impact they had or were going to have on me, intimidated me. To begin the process, I started asking around for advice. I talked to many professionals, teachers, and past and present graduate students asking how they got to the position they were at today and why they made the decisions they did. Understanding their paths they took helped me open my eyes to see the different options and paths out there. Knowing what Southern Illinois University Carbondale had to offer and being comfortable with the university and area from spending undergrad there, I knew it was the right fit for me. Within the first couple months, I can already tell that I have made the right decision. I am excited to begin my thesis and be able to focus on my own interests.

My thesis is another topic that has made me really step aside and think about the impact it is going to have on my future. On a previous class trip to Perkins and Will, an architect, Ryan Gravel, talked to my class about how his thesis from graduate school is actually being built today. Seeing the impact that it had on his life really helped me understand the impact my thesis can have on my life. As I begin researching for my thesis, I will consider: what problems are driving architecture today? What impacts will they have in the future? What research is out there now about the topic? What types of sources are available about the topic? And how will this impact my future?