there's no specialization in diploma, only emphasis. specialization means u will have a bundle of specific subjects (for example technology) and nothing else. emphasis means u have every other subjects, but technological subjects have proportionately bigger portion than the others. in diploma, u will learn most of the basic stuffs. they cant afford u to specialize, bcoz it will severely hinders ur ability to go forward during degree.

why would i be angry?

my objective here is to provide as much information as i can so that u (the students) can make the best, well informed decision for ur future. i'm not getting paid enough to promote this course here haha. if u are interested, then come in this thread, ask everything u need to ask, and then decide. the worst thing about choosing ur future is when u make it without being fully informed. this happens alot, especially with overzealous promoters trying to sell their courses by any means necessary.

this is from taylor's website:



also, refer to this diagram, from their website too:

from the quote and the diagram, u can see that it's a total of 6 years after SPM. u might be confused with their degree programme (bachelor of science in architecture) which is 5 years after STPM/A-levels.

BEnv (bachelor of environment) is a part 1 equivalent degree that u need to take before u can proceed to part 2 (in this case, masters of architecture in melbourne). u can never take part 2 courses before u obtain a part 1, and no diploma in malaysia is accredited with part 1 (except the old UiTM diploma which has been discontinued since 2005).

so it's not a bonus, but a requirement .

3 years diploma + 1 year BEnv (part 1 equivalent) + 2 years MArch (part 2) = 6 years

+ yes, masters of architecture (MArch) is a masters degree.

+ yes. 60%.

+ if u take A-levels (or STPM for that matter), u are recommended to join the degree programme straight away, be it BSc in taylor's or BEnv straight in melbourne. to even consider a diploma in architecture after A-levels is a step backwards. the feel that i get is u wanna do architecture as fast as possible. so diploma after A-levels is a big NO-NO.

+ and yes, all architecture graduates are usually 23-25 years old. it's normal. u must also note that architecture is life long learning. u will still continue to learn as u practice. the degree is just a mark where ur formal training stops. it doesnt mean u can stop learning .

well, normally after SPM/O-levels, u need 7 years to become a fully qualified architect. but there are certain paths that allows u to cut short by one year, one of it is taylor's diploma+degree+masters path. but do note that this is not accredited by LAM, so when u come back to msia, u will still need to sit for the LAM parts 1 and 2 examinations.

the only accredited 6 year paths after SPM are:

i. matriculations (1 year) + part 1 degree in USM, UiTM, UM & UIAM (3 years) + part 2 degree in UTM, USM, UiTM & UM; or
ii. diploma UTM (3 years) + part 2 degree UTM (3 years)

A-levels path will take u 7 years total after SPM, the same with STPM (2+3+2).

and finally, diploma>foundation.

A-levels path will take u 7 years.
taylor's diploma path will take u 6 years.

i sure hope u do realize that 7 is more than 6

in malaysia, LAM is the governing body that regulates the architecture profession. the parts 1, 2 and 3 are ur license to practice architecture in malaysia. in other countries, they have their own body that regulates the practice. for example, RIBA for the UK or RAIA for australia. both have its own parts 1, 2 and 3. so if u wanna practice in australia, then u gotta make sure ur degree and masters are certified with RAIA parts 1 and 2.

for part 3 license, u need to practice for about 2-3 years before becoming eligible for the exam. this is ur full practice license.

yes, part 3 is bigger than masters. although, some UK universities nowadays have a special masters programme that earns u a part 3 upon graduation. those programmes include practical work as well, so it is normally about 2 years. u do need a part 2 before going for part 3. and since australian part 2 are nowadays awarded via masters, then yes, u will have 2 masters degrees at the end of the day . that is if u're going that way, ofcourse.

but elsewhere in the world, u dont need a masters to sit for part 3. but it does mean u will need to practice for at least 2-3 years. practice here means working in the office doing architectural/design jobs. when u're ready to apply for part 3, u will be issued a log book that consists of everything u need to achieve in order to qualify for the exam. some people take 6 months to complete the requirement, others take 10 years. it depends on what kinda job u do. so it's not just about how long u've worked, but specifically, what work did u do?



and finally, taylor's path is divided into 3 segments: diploma, part 1 and part 2. u could take it in one go, or u could take a break in between them. it's totally up to u.

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Added on April 28, 2008, 8:13 pmyes. but there will be some credit transfers that u would need to do. dont expect to jump straight to final year degree though.

This post has been edited by azarimy: Apr 28 2008, 08:13 PM

well, i guess i'd have to find them myself then haha.

anyways, UTM do accept bio students. heck, we prefer a wide range of students with diverse backgrounds. we want from richest to the poorest, the urbanites and the rurals, the science oriented and the art savvy, from the sports jocks to the computer nerds. everyone. we've even had students from STAM (sijil tinggi agama malaysia) who didnt take any science nor arts subjects. it does not matter, coz what u will learn in architecture is fresh. we designed the syllabus to cater for everyone, but at the same time, gear it so that the worst becomes better and the best will flourish.



dont worry about the choices. if UTM have flagged u as "accepted", then if u didnt get UM, u WILL get UTM. it's how the safety net system works. lots of people doesnt know or even understand how it works, that's why u always hear bad things about UPU. the actual system is pretty clear although a bit complex. malaysians being malaysians love to bad mouth things they dont understand .

the requirement is quite large and encompassing. the problem here is if the office u're practicing at only focuses on one specific job, or only allows u to focus on one specific job. some of the small offices are just stuck with house renovations and hardly ever gets a full design-from-scratch jobs. in such offices, u'll be hard pressed to fulfill the other parts of the requirements.

in other offices, usually large ones, they prefer specializations where u are put where u're really good at. what if u're really good with computers and producing drawings? it means u'll hardly meet any clients, consultants or suppliers, let alone going for site visits or construction appraisals. so how do u fulfill those requirements?

hence why i said it depends on what job u do, not how long u do it. if u keep repeating doing production drawings for even 10 years, u still wont qualify for a part 3.

LOL, it does sound like a university brochure haha. i'll try and keep it short but real next time .

almost all architecture schools are built upon the notion that students are there to have fun. remember that the lecturers were once architecture students too, and most of them are more playful than the students themselves, especially those trained overseas. it's not just about having fun in class, but they even designed the syllabus to ensure that there's always something exciting in every project. i used to teach 1st years (FUNdamental), and i usually design my projects to be fun and student oriented. last time we did a medieval themed projects, starting from designing their own medieval/mystical characters, designing their costumes and weapons, and eventually designing their abode or throne. oh we built a functional balista and a trebuchet (medieval siege weapon) about 1/5 scale . and we even submitted our costume entries in the comic fiesta 2005 cosplay competition in balai seni lukis negara. oh yes, they do build the costumes and weapons.

each and every tutor may bring their own interests to the project. some enjoy doing real projects (with real clients and budget), some enjoy philosophical approach, and some people like me prefer to make it really fun by injecting elements of scifi and fantasy. but these are 1st years, ofcourse. in the upper years, projects get more real, more complex and relatively harder. so any architecture school MUST try to always keep the students interested in the projects, bcoz they're hard and requires exemplary rigor. so imagine if the projects are boring...

it's not about being jack of all trades. it's about gaining enough experience to become a fully qualified architect. the experience listed by LAM covers all major skills that u need to be well experienced at. u cant call urself an architect if u dont know how to handle a client, could ya? architects are naturally all-rounders, but they do have special skills at something which they're really good at. what i'm trying to say is, if u see an architect being good at something, it is bcoz he wants to be good at it. it doesnt mean he doesnt know anything else. as we see it, an architect can only specialize after he's proven that he's good at everything else.

i went through the diploma+degree in UTM for 6 years straight (3+3).

i wouldnt happier to say yes, but that would be wrong. the truth is, i have no idea how USM conducts their interviews, and i would be way out of my line to say anything about it here.

well, i know UTM offers naval architecture as well as marine engineering. i know there's another recently upgraded university that has both courses as well, but i'm not sure which one. the new names are confusing

yes, u can enter naval architecture or marine engineering with poly diploma.

+ i'm not sure. u have to inquire directly. people would say architecture and landscape are very alike, yet nobody has ever taken a double degree in both.

+ yes. u need 3.50 and above. but i'm not sure what the real minimum requirements are.

+ well, nothing more than what i've described earlier. they did not become naval architects, but assumes a naval architect's job. they are not qualified to do it in the first place.

to me, it's almost the same, so it boils down to how u use it. if u like pens heavier on the tip, try rotring. if u like it heavier on the end, then try faber castell. i can see no difference in line quality or maintenance of both brands. these are two top of the line brands, u cant find anything better than these two.

hand over the task to whom? it's very hard to find architects that have no knowledge in ID, bcoz practically u will learn ID extensively during 1st year, and repetitively during 2nd year and 3rd year throughout. however, there are times that an architect doesnt have enough time to do ID. in such cases, he could employ a consultant (another architect or int designer) for that task. ofcourse, this is included in the original fees, meaning the client will not pay more. the consultants will be paid from what the client pays u, relatively reducing the overall fees that u will get.

where did u get that?

ID is part of architecture, it's a subset of it. all architects can do ID. it's just a specialization of what an architect does. u might be mistaken it to landscape architecture. now that is something that is distinctively different from architecture.

in architecture education?

no.

it's integrated and part of the education system. u dont jump straight to designing tall buildings. it always start from the smallest: either ur own clothing, a sculpture or a tent/shelter, then moving on to ur own room or a room for 2 people, and later on a house for 2-4 people. eventually u'll design the entire city. no skipping. architects do everything.

yes.

well, it is totally up to u. u know what u're capable of. if u think architecture is way too much pressure for u, then dont.

the reason why people say ID has little or no future is bcoz architects can do it. and there are more architecture graduates produced each year in malaysia than ID. so if the architecture graduates couldnt find architecture jobs, where do u think they'd branch into? get what i mean?

if u like dr. rashid, try dr. khairul. ideas is one thing, but implementation is another. khairul is both. total mindfak.

i'm not sure how popular revit is, as i dont use it. but it's one of the options of softwares that u can learn to produce drawings or 3d modelling etc.