This is a controversial subject that challenges some of the most sacred artifacts of any architectural or engineering firm’s walls: the university degree. Stacy Straczynski of talkcontract posted a question on the site’s facebook page that prompted the following response from a recent design school graduate:

“When I think about what I learned from my time at two NCIDQ certified institutions, I know I could easily have learned the important life safety and sustainable material to pass the NCIDQ and LEED exams on my own. In fact, I am not prepared for them from my four years of class. Technologies can be learned from a two-year technical degree focusing on the multiple Autodesk programs that would be highly detailed and effective. Firms shouldn’t assume the role of “college instructor,” rather we should reform what is required for licensure, down from the four-year bachelor’s degrees that are often very loose in instruction and extremely expensive when compared to short-term degrees with a higher concentration. The ROI of $50,000 to $60,000 of debt to the first five-plus years of non-payment, due to lack of just and profitable work, does not make much sense anymore. We should sustain education, just take control of its insane inflation.”

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