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Architectural Education
University of Nevada Las Vegas
Erving Pedro Pena

2013

LOCATION
MAIN CAMPUS 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-4018
Located in the heart of a world renown city that boast modern design and architecture, Las Vegas is a great setting for students to be exposed to a plethora of works by Architects such as Frank Ghery and Daniel Libeskind. UNLV has two other locations in Las Vegas as well as Singapore

OTHER CAMPUS LOCATIONS Shadow Lane Campus 1001 Shadow Lane, Las Vegas, NV 89106 Paradise Campus 851 E. Tropicana Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89119 Singapore Campus 100 Victoria Street, National Library Bldg #11-02 Singapore 188064

The University Of Nevada Las Vegas, School Of Architecture has several degrees as it relates to the field of Architecture. For a student wishing to go into Architecture, UNLV offers an accredited Masters and several professional degrees. The list is as follows:

Bachelors of Science in Architecture-not accredited Master of Architecture Degree Program- Accredited Bachelors of Science in Interior Architecture and Design Bachelors of Landscape Architecture

The Bachelors of Science in Architecture is design to prepare students with the skills and academic pre-requisites to be prepared to enter a graduate program in the studies of Architecture. Employment in certain areas related to architecture are available for those who do not continue onto a masters program, however, completion of an accredited program is required to meet the qualifications to apply for licensing. The Master of Architecture provided by UNLV is accredited and available to students the have an under graduate degree in architecture or another field of study. For students with an undergraduate degree, the M Arch (Master of Architecture) is a two year course. For those with under graduate degrees in another field, the program can be from three to four years long. The Bachelors of Science in Interior Architecture and Design as well as the Bachelors of Landscape Architecture are for fields of Architecture that do not require licensing.

As with any academic institution, there will be things that a student will consider as strengths or weaknesses. When it comes to the study of Architecture, this can have a huge impact on the education experience and individual will have. As it relates to me I have found the following: Strengths -Location. It is between California and Utah where I have family. -Compatibility. UNVL provides the degrees I would be considering in Utah at U of U. -Cost. Cost if school is affordable. -Acceptance Rate. UNLV has a high acceptance rate -Age. Its a relatively new school -Diversity. The school has a large Hispanic student population Weakness -Location. Lack of History preservation and re-urbanization projects to explore. -Web Page. A web page says a lot about a school. UNVLs is not speaking highly -Class Size. More than 50% of the classes have between 20-49 students -Car. Weak public transportation infrastructure. -Recognition. The school is not well known and the Architecture department is lacking on awards.

Tuition for in-state students attending UNLV will pay and approximate $6,570 for the academic year of 2013-2014. However, an out-of-state are expected to pay and approximate tuition of $20,480. These are the amounts estimated for students attending full time. To understand how the cost compares to other colleges the chart below provides the cost of top ranking schools with Architecture programs.

This can be found on the Architectural Record Website under the link: http://archrecord.construction.com/features/Americas_Best_Architecture_Schools/2012/Architec ture-Education-Now/Americas-Top-Architecture-Schools-2013-4.asp

Under Graduate Program Admissions Once a student is admitted into UNLV, the School of Architecture is open to them without further application process. There is a $60 application fee. Deadlines can be found at http://www.unlv.edu/admissions/deadlines. UNLV deadlines are as follows:

Graduate Program Admissions There are many requirements to complete prior to applying for admissions to the Graduate program in Architecture at UNLV. The School of Architecture begins reviewing applications February 1st. The deadline varies, but consideration and preference is given to applicants that have submitted their applications prior to February 1st

The link providing the application is architecture.unlv.edu/architecture_g.html A student will also need the following: Statement of intent Resume Portfolio Sample of written work Letters of recommendation Academic transcripts Graduate Record Examination

A great way to not only find out who the professors are, but also how they teach is Ratemyprofessor.com. Note: Not all professors are listed but it is a great resource to find out who they are. An Architecture Professor at UNLV that was currently in the news is Professor Randall Stout. His was part of the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA) exhibit. Works included that of Frank Gehry, Franklin D. Israel, Thom Mayne,, Michael Rotondi, and Eric Owen Moss as part of A New Sculpturalism: Contemporary Architecture from Southern California.

Its one thing to have good teachers. However, for me, priority comes in the student to teacher ratios. I dont want to be stuck in a class with a famous teacher that is also teaching another forty students. UNLV fairs okay. It is 1 teacher per 21 student average is not out of this world. However, this happens to be the case with 54% of its classes, as per USNews.com

UNLV entered its first-ever design-build competition, according to an article written by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The article titled UNLVs No. 2 finish in solar homebuilding competition deemed Remarkable, was published October 22, 2013. This is not a surprise considering the University is fairly new. Information on other awards or competition is difficult to find if not non-existent.

UNLV actually has a campus in Singapore with great opportunities to study abroad. The Campus in Singapore is the Department of Executive Education. It focuses on hospitality and casino gaming. This is actually very interesting for any student wishing to enter the Hospitality field and have the advantage of being exposed to the world market.

I have several reasons why I decided to look into UNLV. The main reason is location. With Southern California schools being way out of my price range, UNLV offers a great location close to Southern California and the big city setting. I like the diversity that Las Vegas has. Another reason why I was interested in UNLV is because of the cost. I am paying for most of school myself. My goal is to go as long as I can without loans, which I know I will absolutely need, especially in Grad school. Getting my national Paramedic Certification opens the doors to find employment in the Las Vegas area. It will make it easier for me to afford a living compared to Southern California. My final reason is I want to stay close to home. I have family in Utah and South Cal and I have no interest in moving out further east prior to completion of my academic endeavors. Plus. Its Las Vegas.