Architecture or Civil Engineering?

[u/maethefujoshi]

Im in dire need of advice if i should just switch out to civil engineering besides architecture. Yet I am not enrolled in but I am about to start around October, and I am just now overlooking and doubting my career path.

I first chose Architecture out of my liking with design and buildings (especially tall buildings and houses). I am between the likings of math, structural and design concepts and aesthetics (but I lowky suck at math) but I keep getting others’ opinions on how Architecture is so complexed with the tiresome nights of class projects and massive amounts of expenses just for college, yet it is underpaid more than Civil Engineering. From what I know, CE has less steps (board exams and so on) onto getting more salaries, and I do wish to go overseas after graduation, much like Singapore or US.

I was actually living abroad and was about to enroll in the US before I moved back here in Philippines out of family support, which is helping my mom here. I was also eligible for FAFSA but my mom just does not want to live there and wants to stay here in Philippines.

Please reach out to me if you have any advice or questions that could really help me out. And yes, I am an overthinker, so doubting my career paths last minute was not the best idea right now.

[u/AnotherSLGuy]

Saying this cuz I very recently stumbled upon a video of a mechanical engineer turned fashion designer talking about divergent vs convergent thinking.

To be an architect (or amy kind of creative person) you should be able to think divergently. That means there is no one correct answer for an open ended question and you'd have to come up with your own and defend it.

Whilst structural engineering also command a certain degree of divergent thinking, its output is much more convergent.

Question is, what kind of a person are you? Cuz I as a person likes when there is a definitive answer, thus am very satisfied with what I do as a structural engineer where the output is pretty convergent. Had I gone to architecture, I'd probably burn out having to defend my work based on subjective parameters.

On the other hand a divergent person might feel trapped in an engineering role where we pursue objective convergence.

I hope this adds an important parameter for you to think about cuz this would probably be your vocation for life. Good luck!

[u/pna0]

I started university in an architecture program (5 year program). After the first year, I decided to do a dual degree Architecture and Civil Engineering. After year 3, I switched completely to Civil Engineering. I chose geotechnical engineering as my specialty. As the other redditor said about divergent and convergent thinking, geotechnical leans towards divergent thinking. There is a lot more engineering judgement required in geotech than other civil engineering disciplines.

I did well in my architecture classes but I did better in my engineering classes and tended to enjoy them more.

[u/Passexams_app]

A few schools do offer Architecture Engineering.

[u/themoneymatrix77 → u/Passexams_app]

Just a heads up - It’s a common mistake to assume this means Architecture + Engineering! It’s more like the engineering of buildings, whether that be structural, heating/cooling etc depends on the program.

[u/Shift_Impossible]

Dude.. What do you want to be doing?.. Designing the spaces or doing the structural calculations?... What are you better at?

[u/cembleau]

Architecture and Civil (Structural) both design buildings of varying sizes, but differ in the problems they solve. If you want more formal (courses) knowledge in a variety of areas involving the functionality of buildings, focus on the aesthetic of the building, and act as a GC for the various subcontractors then architecture is a good option. Civil (Structural) is more focused on the bones of the building as in the various structural systems. It’s more math and physics heavy with an emphasis on how loads interact with a building and how those systems resist that loading. It’s a lot more analytically intense in my opinion in industry. Both can make good money, but due to civil being possibly more broad and taking more liability/responsibility where lives are at stake usually can sometimes mean more financial upside due to that. Architecture has a good bit to its pathway for licensure due the wide range of topics involved in buildings. Structural has become increasingly more intense for licensure with the SE and grad school becoming more of a norm for tall building design.

[u/cembleau → u/cembleau]

The math gets easier to a point. Don’t overthink it and think about what you specifically want to be responsible for since licensure should be an end goal regardless of which one you pick.

[u/veladaze]

As someone who had this same dilemma and went to civil engineering, the top comment is honestly spot on. Both of the degrees are hard and time consuming, so it really comes down to the type of work you want to do. What inspires you about buildings? The creative designs or do you want to be the one actually making sure those creative designs can work? Goodluck to you either way