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Building Sciences/Technology

Types of Degrees Building Sciences/Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Building Sciences/Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	92
Bachelor’s Degree	3,799
Master’s Degree	4,586
Doctor’s Degree	58

What Building Sciences/Technology Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Building Sciences/Technology emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Building Sciences/Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Building Sciences/Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a Building Sciences/Technology 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 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Building Sciences/Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Building Sciences/Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Building Sciences/Technology professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Building Sciences/Technology graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	36.3%
Master’s degree	20.5%
Doctoral degree	19.6%
First professional degree	10.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.4%
Post-master’s certificate	2.2%
Postsecondary certificate	1.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	0.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Building Sciences/Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 52% women and 48% men among Building Sciences/Technology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,440	52.0%
Men	4,095	48.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,669	43.0%
Asian	639	7.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,191	14.0%
Black or African American	381	4.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	253	3.0%
Race Unknown	168	2.0%
International Students	2,206	25.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Building Sciences/Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Building Sciences/Technology 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 Building Sciences/Technology Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Building Sciences/Technology. 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
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 Building Sciences/Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Building Sciences/Technology 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
Architectural Sciences and Technology	04.09
Architectural Sciences and Technology, Other	04.0999
Architectural Technology/Technician	04.0901
Architectural Design	04.0202
Architecture	04.0201
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.0301
Environmental Design/Architecture	04.0401
Healthcare Environment Design/Architecture	04.0402
Interior Architecture	04.0501
Landscape Architecture	04.0601

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.