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architectural design

Types of Degrees architectural design Majors Are Earning

Those studying architectural design can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	7

What architectural design Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in architectural design emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Design — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a architectural design program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, architectural design 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
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by architectural design professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for architectural design graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	38.0%
Master’s degree	21.4%
Doctoral degree	14.6%
First professional degree	14.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	1.6%
Postsecondary certificate	1.4%
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 design?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 85.7% of architectural design degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	85.7%
Men	1	14.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3	42.9%
Black or African American	1	14.3%
International Students	3	42.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do architectural design Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of architectural design graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$50,115
4 years	$63,317
5 years	$70,885

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $70,885 — roughly 41% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in architectural design Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, architectural design graduates earn a median of $63,317 four years after completion — roughly 67% 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	04.02
Architecture, Other	04.0299
Architecture	04.0200
Architecture	04.0201
Environmental Design/Architecture	04.0401
Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology	04.0902
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	04.0301
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.