Pratt Institute-Main Reviews of Master's in Architecture

"The truth about Pratt’s Interior Architecture Graduate program is that it looks amazing on paper and is great in theory, because you do have access to these world class designers and professors but the curriculum in practice feels like a kind of mental torture with all of the same tools of manipulation used by cults (sleep deprivation, guilt, personal critiques). The workload is on par with what you’d expect studying medicine or law. The faculty clearly feels that the study of interior design is akin to these fields in importance but it is factually not. The most valuable tools I learned were all technical, the Photoshop, Autocad and Revit classes were incredible and I cannot recommend those professors enough, so knowledgeable and appropriate amounts of homework. But studio is a nightmare and it will eat up 93% of your life. Prepare to watch your health decline, your relationship end, your friendships suffer and your parents to tell you you look terrible and they’re worried about you. Expect to have four professors telling you that the ten models you made while not sleeping for 72 hours are not good enough. Expect to have to cut pieces of colored paper into a hundred identical small squares and then glue them perfectly onto a piece of paper for literally no reason (Color & Materials, waste of time classes - they make you take 2 of them!!) The undertone if every critique is, why haven’t you cured cancer yet? If I could go back in time and convince myself not go to Pratt, I would 1000% do it and save myself the 100K tuition and the literal YEARS of therapy bills for what they did to my psyche and my confidence in my natural abilities. They managed to make me hate the only thing I’m qualified to do, while not teaching very much of the practical side like important project management skills. Instead they will force you to make 20 abstract clay sculptures in 48 hrs and then critique you into a panic attack. Go back while you still can. This is not the way. Take heed and go no further. Just take some online classes for the necessary computer programs and trust your aesthetic instincts while you still enjoy them. Thank you very much."

"The M.Sc.Arch program is very diverse and rigorous. The Summer semester is a parametric boot camp. It is less focused on design and more focused on bringing you up to speed on your parametric skills. The Fall semester is the best one at Pratt, because the students from M.Sc.Arch will be teamed with M.Arch students for the design studio. The spring semester is the thesis semester. I would say that the summer studio was the sloppiest of all. The professors weren't very keen on teaching new ideas. The thesis studio was a little unstructured. And I personally felt as if nobody really cared about the M.Sc.Arch students because everyone only really got involved with the M.Arch students."

"The school is very well located. It puts you in the best city in the world for architecture, art, and design, and gives you a network of other graduates and professionals to help you along the way! Cost of living is extremely expensive though. Only drawback."

"I feel as though I'm getting a great education, however the cost of living in New York in addition with cost of tuition and materials is very overwhelming."

"Pratt has excellent educators! What I appreciate most about this school is that the professors are working architects. The questions they raise are about as real world as you can get. They offer actual examples of projects both past and present from their own experience. Students are asked to problem solve and engage through very real design situations. What I dislike is there a very few scholarship opportunities through Pratt. The school is very expensive. There are various teachers assistant positions and other jobs but they are not enough to cover even a fraction of the tuition."

"The graduate school of architecture at Pratt is both challenging and rewarding. The professors provide knowledge that both benefit the students in an academic situation while still referring to in the field experience. The workload is intensive that leaves the student with many areas interest to develop. I thoroughly enjoy the program and the teachers that I have met on the way."

"Pratt is a very prestigious school and lives up to it's name. The professors are very involved and open to questions and the staff is extremely helpful. I haven't encountered any problems with communication or information. The Architecture program is difficult, but not overwhelming. I have never regretted my decision to attend Pratt Institute."

"Probably the best graduate education you can get. Class sizes are very small, all of the professors care deeply about their fields because all of them are working professionals in their fields. Pratt Institute feels like diverse art institution. I think that the size of the school contributes to the overall phenomenon. Not only do students have New York City and Brooklyn as their playground for inspiration, but they are also surrounded by fellow creative genius. The school is intimate with not many students; therefore, we are almost socially forced to be very accepting of each other. Pratt students come in so many different ethnicity, economic backgrounds and sexual orientations that we all learn to embrace one another. By being surrounded by such a diverse group of people we learn about ourselves and what we are there to do.Students should take advantage of student clubs and organizations, recreational sports teams, residential life, city excursions, and recreational activities."