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Architectural Sciences

Types of Degrees Architectural Sciences Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Architectural Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	95
Associate’s Degree	642
Bachelor’s Degree	3,902
Master’s Degree	5,117
Doctor’s Degree	58

What Architectural Sciences Majors Need to Know

Studies in Architectural Sciences emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Architectural Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Architectural Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Architectural Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Architectural Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Architectural Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Architectural Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Architectural Sciences graduates include:

• Interior Design Faculty Member
• Architectural Design Professor
• Landscape Architecture Professor
• Interior Design Instructor
• Interior Design Professor
• Architectural Drafting Instructor
• Landscape Architecture Teacher
• Architecture Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	29.8%
Doctoral degree	27.0%
Master’s degree	17.5%
First professional degree	13.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.3%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%
Postsecondary certificate	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.4%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Architectural Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50.7% women and 49.3% men among Architectural Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,975	50.7%
Men	4,839	49.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Architectural Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,975	40.5%
Asian	802	8.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,808	18.4%
Black or African American	422	4.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	26	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.1%
Two or More Races	286	2.9%
Race Unknown	224	2.3%
International Students	2,263	23.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Architectural Sciences Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Architectural Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$55,693
4 years	$64,053
5 years	$73,273

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $73,273 — roughly 32% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Architectural Sciences Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Architectural Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	1
Master’s	4	6

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Architectural Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Architectural Sciences graduates earn a median of $64,053 four years after completion — roughly 69% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

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

Program	CIP Code
Architecture and Related Services	04
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation	04.08
Architecture and Related Services, Other	04.99
ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES	04.00
Architecture	04.02
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.03
Environmental Design	04.04
Interior Architecture	04.05
Landscape Architecture	04.06
Real Estate Development	04.10

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.