Architecture

Types of Degrees Architecture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general architecture graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	3,714
Master’s Degree	805
Associate Degree	108
Graduate Certificate	95
Doctor’s Degree	69
Basic Certificate	3

What Architecture Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, architecture majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Architecture Majors

Architecture majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Skills for Architecture Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to architecture:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Architecture Majors

A major in architecture will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Architecture Major?

People with a architecture degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	4.2%	$79,380
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 3,795 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general architecture in 2021, making it rank #93 in popularity. According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 53% of the graduates are women, and 47% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of architecture majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	377
Black or African American	248
Hispanic or Latino	831
White	1,740
International Students	252
Other Races/Ethnicities	266

Geographic Diversity

Architecture appeals to people across the globe. About 6.8% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Architecture

Some degrees associated with architecture may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for architecture careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	47.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	6.9%
Master’s Degree	23.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	9.1%
Doctoral Degree	10.0%

Online Architecture Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	16	2
Bachelor’s Degree	16	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	79	3
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	21	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Architecture

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to architecture.

Major	Number of Grads
Architectural Sciences & Technology	9,033
Urban & Regional Planning	2,481
Landscape Architecture	926
Interior Architecture	850
Environmental Design	719
Real Estate Development	549
Architecture (Other)	206
Architectural History	158

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Danichou under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.