The Academy of Art University

Architecture Department:
I enrolled in AAU's architecture department expecting to receive the tools that would help me grow creatively and academically. I don't even know where to begin to explain why AAU's architecture department is so faulty.

First of all, I'm warning that although some places they advertise that the program is accredited. It is only accredited by WAASC, NOT by the architecture accreditation board. And they just started the architecture department so no one has graduated yet, and they still don't have the curriculum don't pat.

If all you want out of an architecture degree is to be a little creative, then go for AAU. Other than that, graduating with their BFA in architecture will do nothing for you. The classes that should be there to support your future in being an architect like physics, language,and mathematics are ALL A BIG FAT JOKE. Excuse me but - I want to be a seriously taken architect and I want to have a level of higher education in subjects other than what is esthetically pleasing for a building.

Most of students are fairly all nice, but some of them are unmotivated and are just wasting their time and money. Whats worse is that they think they're better than you just because they went to a few years of community college. If you're straight out from high school - don't go here. You'll be treated like a baby. A stupid one at that.

Theres no communication with the some of the staff and the head of the department Alberto Bertolli. He just sits around and doesn't give a fuck when the instructors try to talk to him about regulating the curriculum. He honestly has no clue whats going on when the students bring up an issue to him.

Dont get me wrong. There are a few good things about the department. The computer labs and wood shop are all new, and the printing system is pretty efficient. The IT's and the shop helpers are all super nice. The actual architecture studio itself really is a good class to take, but only if you're lucky enough to have at least one of the 3 good instructors there (Ethan Wood, Beverly Choe, & Geoffrey Gibson).

Overall:
If there were one thing to make you feel better about how dreadful the architecture department is, it would be the city of San Francisco itself. It's always alive and there's always something to do with lots of opportunities to meet people. Yes there's a big homeless population, but unless they're hobos in the tenderloin; they usually don't harm people or cause too much trouble.

The public transit system is pretty good, and if you don't feel like taking a bus everyone walks in San Francisco.

In the end you'll realize that San Francisco is your campus because AAU doesn't really have much of one. There is no school spirit. Since there really isn't a campus to unite the students, a lot of people kind of go off and do their own thing in the city. This could be a good or bad thing to someone.

To anyone thinking about going to AAU for majors other than the Architecture department: pretty much the only worth while degree is the Fine Arts.

My room mate was a Fine Arts painting major, and she loved every single one of her teachers. I've seen their course work and how much she and the other Fine Arts kids were improving and i can tell you that it is definitely professional grade work.

1st Year Female -- Class 2014

Surrounding City: A+, Extracurricular Activities: F

I would suggest that you check out a few schools BEFORE making a decicion. I am a Motion PIcture/TV student, and I can say confidantly that the school's strength is the access to equiptment. You get 35mm, 16mm, they have some digital cameras as well, decent lighting kits, dollies, tracks, etc, and they teach how to use most of it.

Most of the teachers are OK. A few great teachers and a handfull of bad ones as well.
This school is for motivated people and not people who expect to be baby-feed info and book info. The more important info you will not find in-class but by working on sets with student and just chatting within the school body.

If you want more of a structured and theory-based film making education, I would suggest checking out a REAL university like USC or UCLA, NYU. The AAU is for people with poor high school grades.

Lastly I would STRONGLY suggest that you stay where you are and attend a community college- take classes that you are going to have to take to achieve your degree anyway. Like basic Mac computer classes, digital design, Art History, sketching. The reason why is because once you attend the school NO transfer credits will be accepted either in or out. In other words once you attend the school you are forced to continue your education at the school and you may not go to other schools carrying the class credits you've already earned. THIS SUCKS! so earn as many credit as possible. Do you wanna pay maybe $100-300 dollars for community college art class, or $1,500 at the AAU?

I would also suggest to save a nice some of money
to invest in some equiptment what ever your major is. You will find more work and friend with your own equiptment.Lastly, if you have no knowledge of the movie making industry I would suggest picking up a book and just getting som ebasic info. The first two years or schooling will seem wastfull. You will not get any good equiptment, yo uwillnot get to shoot the short movie that you have in your head right now. You will be frustrated and broke. from the first year alone, I think maybe only 15% of the students stay. So yuo better know that this is what you wan to invest your time and SOUL to. I owe over $100,ooo in student loans. be wary.

4th Year Male -- Class 2007

Perceived Campus Safety: A, Scholastic Success: D

First of all, you need to know the bad side. The school is expensive and drains your money from you. It's all in the administration at 79 New Montgomery. This is my third semester, and I have had my advisor changed five times in the last two. Advisement is probably one of the worst parts of this school. If you want to make it, you're going to have to know how to be independent; choosing your own classes, making sure your classes meet the requirements, keeping up with everything. They will not help you. They are nice to an extent, but the majority of the advisors are very busy and have very low patience. It seems like they treat students like high schoolers. If you can know or learn how to do what you need to do on your own with out much help from them, you should be good. Another negative thing about this school is the housing department. This is a for-profit school, and housing finds a way to squeeze you for more and more of your money. If you can stay off campus, that would be best. First year housing is nice to meet new people, but there's a lot of drama, especially at the dorms on Sutter, aka "Slutter".

The best thing by far about this school is the education. A lot of the instructors are douches, but they do their job- they prepare you for the real world. They don't always know how to teach well or deal with immature students, but they are working professionals (for the most part) and give you the best insight on what it's really like out there. I personally would rather have a hard ass teacher who was a prick, but taught me how to survive in the industry rather than an instructor who was nice, sugar coated everything, encouraged me, but did not show me what the industry is really like.

When going to this school, you have to do two things mentally- the first is accept that you're going to art school and that it isn't always taken seriously. What you are choosing to do with your life is difficult, and you have to be ready to take on the challenges that you WILL have once you graduate. No one is going to hold your hand. Despite this, the other mentality you will have to hold onto is the creative side that can take you where you want to go. Often when you get discouraged (which happens a lot, if not every day at this school), you tend to lose some of your creative energy and not focus well or try as hard. This causes you to not do so well or just slack off and get angry with the school for "not teaching you right" or some other lame excuse.

You have to understand that you're the only one you can really blame for how you do after you leave the school.

A lot of people come here and get distracted by the city and the social life. I see it happen every day. If you can have fun, but take your work seriously and learn how to put that before anything else, you should do great! Working hard is the number one key though. You can only be so good, but if you aren't putting in the hard work, you're not going to make it. Even the best ones sweat.

There are some programs at this school that might not suit you like you think. It's best to look through the degree breakdown online and then look through the course book and see each class description. Ask yourself "Am I going to be passionate about all or most of these classes?" If not, maybe you should change your major or find another school. Also ask, "Is what I learn here right now going to correlate to the future, or will things most likely change (making this degree worthless)?" That's a big one to ask, and the answer isn't no like a lot of people that go here think. It's what you do with what they teach you that counts.

It all comes down to "Am I willing to work hard all the time, spend a lot of money, and handle the mental stresses of juggling hours of homework, partying, possibly work, and anything else going on all at the same time?" If you don't think you can, then don't try. If anything, start in the summer semester and take two classes to see if you can handle it. If you can't, it isn't the right school, and at least you haven't wasted as much time and/or money as you would have if you'd have started in the fall or spring.Best of luck!

1st Year Male -- Class 2014

Surrounding City: A+, Individual Value: F