Are you thinking of learning the skills to be able to design houses, or becoming an architect?

Nursing is the safer career path, for sure. Unless you’re naturally gifted in design, which is different from devoting a lot of time to it, maybe don’t quit your day job and pursue the drafting education at nights. Warning: I believe the question asked above is a trick question.

Worthy wins the internet today! Oye! is that statement true.

however, there is definitely a need for talented CAD designers but infields that are not home designed related.

It is not a trick question. It is just a big difference between learning to design houses and doing what it takes to become an architect. Houzz is not smart enough to distinguish between the two.

I spent eight years working for a hospital designing health care spaces from operating rooms to offices to patient spaces to (one of my favorites) holding morgue to imaging rooms to laboratories to parking lots and more.

Designing healthcare spaces would be so cool! The morgue would be even better! Lol

Kudos to the OP for asking those sorts of questions, though. Too many people decide to make a career change because they've decided that life would be perfect if only I was XYZ. Without bothering to look into it first.

Also consider asking these questions of various academic programs you're considering. See if they will be specific. What percentage of enrolled students graduate in 4 years? 5? What percentage of students are employed IN THAT FIELD within 6 months of graduation? What is the average starting salary? How many graduates remain in that field 5 years later? 10? (Fun fact: 50% of the graduates from the degree program I attended have left the profession or cut back their hours to part time within 5 years. This keeps unemployment low, but has the rest of us running our rumps off while the admission committees try to figure out how to fix that problem).

Sadly, too few potential students ask these questions of potential schools. Many institutions no longer even track the data, because no one asks for it. Ask for it.

And I want to learn to design building and homes. Both I guess.

Buildings*

(one of my favorites) holding morgue

Where the residents keep their opinions to themselves!

Planning for an aging population, which can combine your medical knowledge, residential styles, and commercial techniques, will probably be valuable until the last of us baby boomers are gone in 40 years.

Where are you located and what degree are you considering? In the US it takes many years to get a degree in archtecture that counts toward a license and several years of experience before you can take the exam. But you don't need a degree or a license to design houses so there are many paths to that goal.

As for income and job security its generally not good but skill and location matter more than your degree.

During one of the many building recessions I designed medical facilities and even worked out of site trailer at a hospital for 2 years. Dealing with home owners is more fun than dealing with hospital administrators.

I was advised to only become an architect if there was nothing else I could do and playing the 5 string banjo didn't pay well.

Architect's tell the story of an architect who won several million dollars. When asked what he wanted to do he said "practice architecture 'til it's all gone."

There are so many things to be considered and to become an architect will require years of study so you need to decide what your actual timing is for this huge change . I am a chef and an ID I specailize in contemporary kitchen design because that is where my interests lie but I still needed to go to school for both and that took years of study. I was lucky to have a husband that could financially support us while I went to school.

Keep in mind that there is a vast difference between an architect and a drafter or home "designer".

Maybe do a little more research about the differences in occupations (as well as the differences in becoming one or the other).

Would you be OK with a CNA health aide assuming the most of the duties of a FNP without any of the education or training? And just letting people assume that they held a qualification that they don’t?

Are you prepared financially to go to school full time for the next 6 years? Or 12 years part time while you keep working? Is there a family or partner support system for that? For tuition and basic living?

What innate talents do you bring to the game? What type of home crafty creation stuff are you compelled to do? What obsessive compulsive creative activity fills your spare room and your friends homes?

What education do you have that is applicable? An art degree? A history degree? A math degree? An engineering degree? A psychology degree? A minor in any of those? Any classes in any of those? Is all of that going to be new to you?

Exciting that you are considering a career change. If you check out the AIA (American Institute of Architects) for a local chapter you can reach out to firms in your region and go thru their websites to
See kinds of projects they do. Check out the local colleges to see if they have an architecture program. They will be happy to walk you through the process of becoming a new student, what you’ll need to apply, etc.

Being a nurse you are used to hard work and long hours. Going back to school is not easy, but if you already have a bachelors degree you may only need a few prerequisite classes before getting into a masters of architecture program.

The architectural education was the hardest thing I have done in my life. Other than being a father and husband, practicing architecture is the most rewarding thing in my life.

I did it when it took 3 1/2 years in grad school to get a B. Arch. but you could take the exam if you had worked for 10 years. There are more options today but some are very expensive..

It would help to know the OP's location, what kind of program she is considering and if she needs to work to continue working to pay for it.

I'm not an architect and I don't play one on TV so I won't offer any counsel about the particular profession. I did, however, make a significant mid-career change from a good-paying corporate job with a large company to become managing director of a small design/build firm. The pay and benefits are a lot less, but I really like what I get to do each day. Follow your passion. Love whatever you do for a living, and make a difference in the world--even if it's a small one.

Architects and building designers have to be resilient. They get laid off in a recession. They may need to move to an area that's growing. They always keep their resume current as changing jobs is their best chance at advancement (very few "lifers" at architectural firms). They often work for people with no business training. They find that all of the designing to be done is done by a select few, and that their biggest challenges are laying out toilet rooms and being a technician.

So why do it? There's a pride in seeing things built that you can point to as you drive by. If you're good and you're lucky, you might get to design things. You can be an expert on Houzz!

But you probably won't get rich.

>Anatomy is easier than engineering, for the most part.

I was with you up until the above sentence. Unless you've worked both in positions of comparable responsibility, I don't see how you can say this. It's like saying math is harder than language-- it demonstrates a lack of understanding of one or both fields.

Anatomy and physiology

statistics

epidemiology

microbiology

chemistry

pharmacology

nursing is a lot more than emptying bedpans and taking blood pressures. the attrition rate in most nursing schools is high because lots of folks think that anyone can be a nurse. They can’t.

I'd also object to the statement that "Anatomy is easier than engineering." Only if you took very basic anatomy and never went any further.

Most people who really thrive in nursing are both adept at the science and enjoy the patient care aspect. Attrition from the profession is often due to the extreme regulatory burden interfering with patient care. Many of them dislike losing that time and interaction.

However, if you dislike the human contact aspect, don't go into architecture thinking you'll avoid it. :-) Architects often have to balance competing stakeholders' needs and wishes. Or just deal with extremely difficult clients.

The nurses that had to deal with me when I was in the hospital would probably find architecture relatively a breeze.

Whereas the architect who had to deal with me might be considering taking up nursing... ;-)

You need to define your professional desires and expectations of your education. You won’t leave architecture school with the knowledge and skills to design a home. At least not a good one. Besides, as someone mentioned above, you likely won’t earn a living wage designing only homes fresh out of school or even recently licensed.

"taking up nursing..."

No way, I don't have the patients.

(slight pun intention)

Architecture and drafting are two very different occupational fields. Architectural schools don't teach drafting or give a degree in drafting. Drafting schools don't teach or give a degree in architecture. So one needs to decide which of the two--architecture or drafting--is the appealing career.

There are various state regulations for becoming a (licensed) architect (note: all "architects" are licensed since in virtually all states, whether they have a practice act or a title act, "architect" is a legally protected term and can only be used by those who fully meet the state architectural act, whatever it may be.

Generally speaking, to become an "architect", one must:

--Have a professional degree from an accredited university architectural degree-granting program (there are various undergraduate and graduate degree programs from which to choose--not all universities offer accredited architectural degree programs, and there are substantial differences in the programs that are offered at various universities);

--After graduation, serve a minimum of three years practical experience under the direct supervision of an architect;

--Successfully pass the state's architectural licensing examination and subsequent personal interview process (if any).

At that point, one may legally hang out one's architectural license and practice as an architect. The challenge at this point, however, is to have enough continuing clients to successfully and consistently make a living. And enough savings to withstand the next economic downturn in the cyclical design and construction industry which is sure to come.

All of that said, for many students an architectural education is a wonderful, universal education, the benefits of which become more and more apparent over a lifetime. Of course, there are always some who can't say that.

Good luck!

A major factor will be how much time and money you have for the study of design and in what major city you live.

Agree with RES2, also how old you are, and do you have children? I was a nurse before retiring. I was never passionate about my chosen career path, but was able to pay for my children's college, and help my husband pay off the house early. That being said, if young and just starting out I would pursue architecture!

It appears Brook left the discussion 2 months ago.

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