The Career Discovery Program

Design is everywhere, surrounding us wherever we go and influencing cityscapes and landscapes in ways that are material, social, emotional, and spiritual. In the Career Discovery program, students go beyond studio work in order to study the broader, real-world impact of the design and planning professions. With guidance and in-depth instruction from respected faculty members and practitioners, they participate in lectures, workshops, and field trips that help them make the leap from theory to practice, idea to reality.

Each Career Discovery student selects a concentration in one of the following disciplines:

architecture
the design and preservation of individual buildings and the understanding of relationships between buildings

landscape architecture
the planning, design, and preservation of built and natural environments, from private gardens and rural landscapes to urban parks and civic infrastructure projects

urban planning
the planning for the development, preservation, and enhancement of the built environment at neighborhood, city, and regional scales, including consideration of social, economic, legal, cultural, and other forces

urban design
the design of large-scale projects—from mixed-use building complexes, neighborhoods, and cities to urban regions

Keep in mind that joint or multiple degrees in one design discipline may be required by schools to attain a degree in another design discipline. For example, the GSD offers a planning degree without requiring a previous professional degree, but requires a professional degree in either architecture or landscape architecture to obtain a degree in urban design. Contact each of the schools you are considering for their specific requirements.

Faculty

The Career Discovery Director, Jeff Klug, and principal instructors are graduates of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design or practitioners in their respective fields. They are assisted in the design studios by instructors who are advanced GSD students or recent graduates. A maximum ratio of 15 students per instructor is maintained; most studios number 13 or fewer.

Studios

short, intensive projects similar to first-year graduate school projects
one-on-one guidance from instructors
group discussions and reviews
training sessions in graphics and related skills
individual presentations to instructors and guest professionals
direct access to the GSD’s Frances Loeb Library—one of the country’s foremost design and planning libraries

Career Advising

Career Discovery attracts people who seek to test, confirm, and refine their career goals. For some, the most useful advising focuses on a series of panel discussions emphasizing pragmatic concerns: information about application procedures, admission policies, preparation of a portfolio or résumé, minority concerns, and job interviewing techniques. Another series of workshops is especially designed for older participants making career transitions. Students benefit from additional informal career advice through discussions with career advisors, faculty, and guest speakers about their professional experience, salaries, work schedules, job security, and other aspects of their practice.

Lectures and Discussions

Career Discovery invites exceptional professionals and academics to give lectures and join career panel discussions on design, history, theory, office practice, and other aspects of each profession. Speakers are often available for informal conversations afterward.

Past programs have included:

Maurice Cox, Architect, Professor at the University of Virginia's School of Architecture, former Mayor of Charlottesville, VA
Kristina Hill, Associate Professor and Director of Landscape Architecture, University of Virginia
Alex Krieger , Professor of Urban Planning and Designat the Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Dan Pitera, Director of the Detroit Collaborative Design Center, Professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture
Michael Van Valkenburgh, Professor of Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Landscape Architect - Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA
T. Kelly Wilson, Artist, Associate Professor of Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Panel discussions included:

Design and Planning Practices
Career Options
Career Change
Preparing a Portfolio.

Field Trips, office visits, and drawing workshops

first-hand viewings of important examples of architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, and urban design
visits to professional firms in the Boston area
workshops and lectures on traditional as well as computer-related drawing

Drawing and Computer Workshops

Drawing and computer related lectures and workshops are scheduled throughout the six-week program. Those seeking to learn new skills or enhance their existing skills will benefit from the sessions.

A Typical Career Discovery Week

Monday

9:00–11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional
noon–1:00pm Lunch
1:00–6:00pm Studio

Tuesday

9:00–11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional
11:15am–noon Drawing skills lecture
noon–1:00pm Lunch
1:00–6:00pm Studio
6:30–8:30pm History series American Architecture

Wednesday

9:00–11:00am Lecture by design or planning professional
11:00am–noon Computer skills lecture (optional)
noon–1:00pm Lunch
noon–1:00pm Computer skills workshop #1 (optional)
1:00–6:00pm Studio
7:00–9:00pm Film series

Thursday

9:00–11:00am Career panel Career Options
noon–1:00pm Lunch
noon–1:00pm Computer skills workshop #1 (optional)
1:00–6:00pm Studio

Friday

9:00–11:00am Review of studio problem
noon–1:00pm Lunch

Saturday

9:30am Walking Tour of Boston (space permitting)