Student Views of the Building Science Program
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Building Science graduates celebrate
on the steps of the Alumni House
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Donna Whiteneck (Sarcoxie, Missouri)
I've always been fascinated by the structural aspects of tall towering buildings as well as their unique beauty. USC put it all together in their Building Science Program by combining two coexisting disciplines that are dependent on each other. I was delighted to hear about building science since it's the field of study that interested me. The courses are interesting, challenging, and rewarding.
My objective in joining this program is to learn the engineering technology that goes into a structure and to gain an artistic awareness of what makes that structure a good design. My goal is to get a B.S. in Civil Engineering, Building Science and then continue on a Masters Degree in Architecture.
Brian Beckman (Los Angeles, CA)
The Building Science program at USC offered me the best of two worlds. With a purely architectural curriculum, I would have, upon entering the field professionally, been left dependent upon engineers to insure the structural soundness of my work, and with a purely engineering background, on the other hand, I would have no opportunity to have my aesthetic concepts realized. The Building Science program offered me the chance to develop most completely both the aesthetic and technical aspects of my mind, offering me the perfect combination of my interests. Also, I am offered a wide range of possibilities for graduate study after completing this program. Building Science has given me the perfect combination in the opportunity to develop most completely both the artistic and technical aspects of my intelligence, as well as the assurance of professional autonomy.
Michelle M. Shackford (Anaheim, CA)
I went into the Building Science field by first applying to USC in architecture. I wasn't really sure architecture was all I wanted, so when I found out about this program, I jumped at the chance. I felt this would give me what I originally had in mind, and if I really wanted to be an architect, I would go for my masters in architecture.
Now that I'm in the program I still feel it's what I want. I've come up against a few problems, but there would be problems in any course of study. I'm glad I'm in Building Science.
Kenneth Itahare (Los Angeles, CA)
The thought of being at a prestigious institution like USC may seem imposing at first, perhaps even frightening. But this is not the case as I have found in my short time at USC. A university is not only a place of research and instruction, but it is a community of people who share a concern about how knowledge relates to human needs. The Building Science curriculum provides the technical background required for professional practice and the cultural education necessary to work as a creative person. It concentrates on fundamentals ~o that the student obtains a clear grasp of basic principles. The curriculum brings about a harmonious relationship between man techniques, and the arts. The civil engineer specifically must be broadly and thoroughly prepared to discern the nature of the human problem in its environmental context, have control of the available technology in physically realizing solutions, and possess the intellectual and artistic skills for ordering the complex information into relevant and expressive design solutions. The wise use of technology for the benefit of society involves knowledge in areas such as law, social science, arts, and the humanities. The problems engineers face are so complex that our educational program must be liberal and the curriculum flexible. The purpose of the Building Science curriculum is not to train us as technicians, but rather to develop our ability to analyze and solve new problems and to participate in the development of our built-environment in the future.
