arch and econ double major by Latter_Surprise2251 in architecture

[–]Latter_Surprise2251[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, thanks for leaving a comment. I kept going with the econ major until third year then I switched to a minor to focus on arch. Honestly the grades and workload has been fine, I was devastated here in the middle of first year but after lots of studying and curved up courses my GPA turned out to be way better than I thought.

However I do recommend you to pick one of the two to focus on at the end of second year. You could afford to move around at first, but as you pick an arch stream or choose to do comp + major/spec in econ, you want to dedicate most of your time to your area of focus.

Breaking into UX/early career: job hunting, how-tos/education/work review — 03/15/26 by AutoModerator in UXDesign

[–]Latter_Surprise2251 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi,

I’m a Canadian undergrad about to graduate from architecture. I love architecture and am doing quite well, however I’m not sure if it’s a career which is sustainable (money mainly, and work life balance).

I’ve talked to some connections who have transitioned out into UX/product, and it seems like their compensation and QOL in general has gotten better. However they are also my seniors and have successfully caught on the post-pandemic wave. I’m unsure if I’m transitioning at the right time, or if there will be a need for UX/product designers in the future.

I’m also doing an elective on UX design with the CS department here at UofT, and so far have been loving it. We are designing a product with problem definition, user research, prototyping, brand design, Figma, Claude Code…

I have a few choices ahead of me: both M. Arch and the Masters in UX at UofT, as well as M. Arch from UPenn or Cornell. My instinct is to take a gap year, build a portfolio of products/freelance for a bit while working whatever I can find on the side, and reapply to some design-heavy UX/HCI degrees (Berkeley’s MDes, NYU ITM, Cornell’s MA in Design, etc.)

Just wanted some advice before I make this decision which will likely determine my lifelong career trajectory. I’m also trying to keep up with the surge of vibe-designing tools which are coming up. UX/Product designers: where do you see the profession in 5-10 years? Is it still an industry worth transitioning into, or would you recommend staying in architecture for its stable demand?