{"id":3571,"date":"2018-05-09T08:56:29","date_gmt":"2018-05-09T13:56:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dunwoody.edu\/news\/?p=3571"},"modified":"2018-05-09T10:11:04","modified_gmt":"2018-05-09T15:11:04","slug":"first-dunwoody-architecture-class-to-graduate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dunwoody.edu\/news\/2018\/first-dunwoody-architecture-class-to-graduate\/","title":{"rendered":"First Dunwoody Architecture Class Prepares to Graduate"},"content":{"rendered":"
Six Dunwoody students to earn a Bachelor of Architecture degree May 17.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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Six Dunwoody graduates will take a step closer to becoming architects as they walk across the stage May 17 at the College\u2019s 2018 Commencement Ceremony<\/a>. The students are the first to graduate from Dunwoody\u2019s Bachelor of Architecture program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The degree \u2014 which launched in fall of 2015 \u2014 is structured as a plus three stackable credential. Students enter the program with an Associate of Applied Science in Architectural Drafting & Design<\/a> (or a related two-year architectural degree) and leave with a comprehensive, professional Bachelor of Architecture degree after the final three years.<\/p>\n

Dunwoody is one of the only schools in the nation to use this structure.<\/p>\n

\"Several
Several Dunwoody Architecture graduates at a final project presentation in 2015.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cGraduating our first class is a significant milestone in the academic and professional communities throughout our region,\u201d said Architecture Program Manager John Dwyer.<\/p>\n

“This is the first new school of architecture in more than 100 years in Minnesota and the only Bachelor of Architecture in the state. The significance of this moment cannot be understated, particularly as our city continues to rapidly grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

A new approach to architecture education<\/strong><\/h6>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Since day one, Dunwoody\u2019s Bachelor of Architecture has flipped the standard model of architectural education.<\/p>\n

Instruction from actively practicing faculty; real, hands-on projects; and training on current design software and equipment gives Dunwoody Architecture students a more practical and focused education than traditional Architecture degrees \u2014 a selling point for many of the College\u2019s students.<\/p>\n

\"Tyler
Tyler Bares mapping out plans for the IFP Minnesota project<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to be an architect,\u201d soon-to-be Architecture graduate Tyler Bares said. \u201cIt was between a couple of schools and I ended up at a more traditional, 4-year college. And there, I was expecting to learn something that was not even mentioned. The first class was about the theory of design \u2014 it wasn\u2019t what I was ready for. I hardly went to class, and I didn\u2019t enjoy it. At the end of the year I was debating, ‘do I change schools?’ ‘Do I change majors?’ Because I just could not stand it. And that\u2019s when I toured Dunwoody.\u201d<\/p>\n

The approach has also reassured students that what they are learning is valuable and relevant.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning about the technical side of architecture \u2014 the software used and various building methods \u2014 before <\/em>theory, makes students more employable early on,\u201d Bares said. \u201cI started my first job in the architecture field just after my first year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ensuring students find jobs in their field during school \u2014 and immediately after \u2014 is another building block of Dunwoody Architecture. During the 2016-17 school year, each Architecture student received an average of 14.2 job inquiries.*<\/p>\n

\u201cOftentimes employers prefer to hire Dunwoody students and alumni because they are confident they are going to be working with someone who has a solid technical education,\u201d soon-to-be Architecture graduate Gianna Madison said. \u201cThe field of architecture cannot and should not be taught in a vacuum. The quality and richness of Dunwoody\u2019s Architecture curriculum is invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n

A look back<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Over the last three years, Architecture students have worked on a number of real assignments with real clients, including:<\/p>\n