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architectural studies

Types of Degrees architectural studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in architectural studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	19
Master’s Degree	2

What architectural studies Majors Need to Know

Programs in architectural studies build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that architectural studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in architectural studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Design — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 6.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a architectural studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to architectural studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, architectural studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by architectural studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Course management system software	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Autodesk Inventor	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Image scanning software	Optical character reader OCR or scanning software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for architectural studies graduates include:

• College Faculty Member
• Architectural Drafting Instructor
• Interior Design Faculty Member
• Architecture Instructor
• Professor
• Instructor
• Architectural Design Professor
• Associate Professor
• Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Architecture Professor
• Interior Design Professor
• Architecture Faculty Member
• Landscape Architecture Professor
• Assistant Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to architectural studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	44.6%
First professional degree	20.3%
Bachelor’s degree	14.4%
Master’s degree	10.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	9.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in architectural studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 76.2% of architectural studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	16	76.2%
Men	5	23.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of architectural studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8	38.1%
Asian	5	23.8%
Hispanic or Latino	2	9.5%
Black or African American	4	19.0%
International Students	2	9.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do architectural studies Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of architectural studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$30,189

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	04.08
Architectural Conservation	04.0802
Architectural History and Criticism, General	04.0801
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation, Other	04.0899
Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology	04.0902
Architectural Design	04.0202
Architectural Sciences and Technology, Other	04.0999
Architecture, Other	04.0299
Architecture	04.0201
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.0301
Environmental Design, Other	04.0499
Environmental Design/Architecture	04.0401

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.