Leading Technical College Rolls Out More Stackable Courses
Dunwoody College of Technology, one of the country’s longest running technical colleges, is to begin graduating bachelor degree students in Architecture. The announcement follows approval from the Higher Learning Commission and comes as part of Dunwoody’s plans to expand their selection of stackable education programs.
Dunwoody also received eligibility for candidacy with the National Architectural Accreditation Board, which will soon allow graduates to receive a professional Bachelor of Architecture degree and become licensed architects.
The College is currently accepting applications for freshmen starting in fall 2014 and will begin accepting current students, alumni and transfer students into year three of the program starting in fall 2015. All students will graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture.
“Dunwoody has a long history of training architectural drafters,” says Bridget Reynolds, dean of Construction Sciences & Building Technology. “Discussions with industry and alumni over the past few years have suggested that there is a strong need to bring the Dunwoody model of applied education to preparing students to become licensed architects.”
The program is structured as a two plus three stackable credential, awarding an Associate of Applied science degree after the first two years and a Bachelor of Architecture degree upon completion of the final three years.
In their first, immersive two years of study, students will become experts in current design and building technologies, making them ideal employees in building design and construction industries. In their final three years, they will then become leaders in the profession of architecture as well as in the advancement of design and building technologies.
“This method flips the standard model of architectural education,” says John Dwyer, Senior Instructor of Architectural Drafting & Design. “Usually it’s abstract thinking first, technical proficiency second. This model allows students to become very employable very early in their education. And, much like Picasso who began with technical figure drawing, it gives students foundational knowledge to draw from, giving them a stronger ability to apply abstract thinking. This way, theory, history, design, leadership, research and everything else can be taught within the hands-on, project-based Dunwoody model.”
Enrolled participants in the program will have the opportunity to collaborate with students in other Dunwoody technical programs such as Interior Design, Construction Management, and Machine Tool Technology. This will help them develop skills in communicating with professionals in other fields while learning to manage design challenges within real-world applications.
For more details on the program, visit: http://dunwoody.edu/construction/architecture/
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About Dunwoody College of Technology
Founded in 1914, Dunwoody College of Technology is the only private, not-for-profit technical college in the Upper Midwest. It provides a hands-on, applied technical education to men and women who go on to have meaningful and rewarding careers. Located on the western edge of downtown Minneapolis, the College is currently celebrating its Centennial year.
Dunwoody is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. The commission’s web address and phone number are: www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org and 312-263-0456.