The Impact of Changing the Level of Education from Continuous to Discontinuous Master of Science on the Student Selection for Majoring in Architecture

The process of student selection for studying in Architecture needs more attention due to the different characteristics of this field of study in comparison with other technical-engineering fields of study. Two major evolutions have occurred in the National Entrance Exam for the process of student selection for majoring in Architecture. First, the drawing test was omitted from its exam. Then, its level of education was changed from the continuous Master of Science to the discontinuous Master of Science. Changing the level of education of this field of study has resulted in selecting students who have different talents and motivations in comparison with the previous method of student selection process. The impact of this issue can be analyzed through investigation of the performance of the accepted applicants in the National Entrance Exam and during their education at university. In this research, the differences between the characteristics of the accepted applicants in Architecture in the National Entrance Exam before and after changing its level of education are investigated and analyzed. In this research, the performance of the accepted applicants in Architecture in the National Entrance Exam before and after changing its level of education was investigated quantitatively through the data received from the Sanjesh Organization. For this purpose, the overall ranks of the first 100 accepted applicants in Architecture were compared with the overall ranks of the first 100 accepted applicants in Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering in the National Entrance Exams of the two years before and after changing the level of education of Architecture from continuous Master of Science to the discontinuous Master of Science. Furthermore, the motivations of the accepted applicants for Architecture were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively using the questionnaires which were filled by the accepted applicants for studying in the field of Architecture at the University of Tehran in the National Entrance Exams of the two years before and after changing its level of education. Moreover, the educational performance of the students in Architecture was analyzed qualitatively by means of a questionnaire designed for interviewing with the university professors who taught in the field of designing in Architecture at the Design Studios 5 and 6 at the University of Tehran. The results of this research show that changing the level of education for studying in the field of Architecture from the continuous Master of Science to the discontinuous Master of Science has resulted in accepting students with different motivations and talents in comparison with those who were admitted before changing this level of education. Additionally, according to the attitudes of the interviewed professors of Architecture at the University of Tehran, changing the level of education in Architecture has had some positive and negative aspects. Therefore, it seems that some evolutions in educational methods to the accepted applicants in Architecture need to be organized due to the positive and negative aspects of this change in the entrance exam for Architecture.