What Can I Do With a Major in Architecture

When your university major is architecture, you have studied history, science, art, mathematics, communication, business, and project management. Any respected architecture school will give you a good, well-rounded education. But did you know that you can study architecture and NOT become an architect? Its true. Its one of the things any aspiring architect should know. Most schools of architecture have tracks of study that lead to a professional OR a nonprofessional degree. If you have a  pre-professional or nonprofessional degree (e.g., a BS or BA in Architectural Studies or Environmental Design), youll need to take extra courses before you can even apply to become a licensed architect. If you want to become registered and call yourself an architect, youll want to earn a professional degree, like a B.Arch, M.Arch, or D.Arch. Some people know when theyre ten-years-old just what they want to be when they grow up. Other people say that theres too much emphasis on career paths. How could you possibly know at age 20 what you want to be doing at age 50? Nevertheless, you have to major in something when you go to college, and you chose architecture. Whats next? What can you do with a major in architecture? When considering the steps involved for a life in architecture, most graduates from professional programs do go on to an internship, and many of those entry-level architects pursue lecensure to become a Registered Architect (RA). But then what? Every successful business supports a variety of tasks, from marketing to areas of specialization. In a small firm, youll have the opportunity to do everything. In a large firm, youll be hired to do a task within a team. Diverse opportunities exist within large architectural firms. Although the face of the business is often the flashy marketing of designs, you can practice architecture even if youre very quiet and shy. Many men and women architects work for years out of the spotlight and behind the scenes. More common, however, are the professionals who just cant continue to abide by the low pay often associated with novice positions. Choosing the Nontraditional Path Grace H. Kim, AIA, devotes an entire chapter to nontraditional careers in her book The Survival Guide to Architectural Internship and Career Development (2006). Its her belief that an education in architecture gives you the skills to pursue careers peripheral to the traditional practice of architecture. Architecture provides ample opportunities for creative problem solving, she writes, a skill that is incredibly helpful in a variety of professions. Kims first genuine architecture job was in the Chicago office of one of the largest firms in the world — Skidmore, Owings Merrill (SOM). I was working in their applications support group, which is basically their computer group, she told AIArchitect, doing something that I didn’t think I would ever be doing: teaching architects how to use computer programs. Kim is now part of the much smaller Schemata Workshop in Seattle, Washington. Plus, shes a writer. Even in a two- or three-person professional office, diversification of skills will make for a successful business. An architect-writer may also be a teacher who keeps the firm up-to-date with design trends and the research on new construction materials. And architect-administrator will keep accurate business records, including contracts. This system is nothing new  Ã¢â‚¬â€ the 19th century Chicago firm of Adler and Sullivan is said to have adopted this approach of specialization, with Adler doing the engineering and business and Sullivan designing and writing. Architecture is an art and a science that involves many talents and skills. Students who study architecture in college may go on to become licensed architects, or they can apply their learning to a related profession. Maverick Architects Historically, the architecture that becomes known (or famous) is designed by someone who is slightly rebellious. How audacious was Frank Gehry when he remodeled his house? Frank Lloyd Wrights first Prairie House was hated because it looked so out of place. The radical methods of Michelangelo were known throughout Renaissance Italy just as the parametric designs of Zaha Hadid astonished the 21st century. Many people become successful for being what author Malcolm Gladwell might call the outliers of architecture. For some people, the study of architecture is a stepping stone to something else — perhaps its a TED talk or a book deal, or both. Urbanist Jeff Speck has talked (and written) about walkable cities. Cameron Sincllair talks (and writes) about public design. Marc Kushner talks (and writes) about future architecture. Architect Neri Oxman invented material ecology, a biologically informed design approach. The soapboxes of architecture are many — sustainability, technology-driven design, green design, accessibility, how architecture can fix global warming. Every special interest is important and deserves dynamic communicators to lead the way. Dr. Lee Waldrep reminds us that your architectural education is excellent preparation for many sorts of jobs. The novelist Thomas Hardy, artist M. C. Escher, and the actor Jimmy Stewart, among many other, are said to have studied architecture. Nontraditional career paths tap into the creative thinking and problem-solving skills you develop during your architectural education, says Waldrep. In fact, the career possibilities for people with an architectural education are limitless. If you started to become an architect in high school, your future is limited only by your own imagination, which got you into architecture in the first place. Summary: Nontraditional and Traditional Careers Advertising DesignerArchitectArchitectural EngineerArchitectural HistorianArchitectural Model MakerArt DirectorBuilding ContractorBuilding DesignerBuilding InspectorBuilding ResearcherCAD ManagerCarpenterCartographerCivil EngineerCivil Servant (e.g., Architect of the Capitol)Construction Project ManagerCrowdsourcerDraftspersonEngineering TechnicianEnvironmental EngineerFashion DesignerFurniture DesignerHistoric PreservationistHome DesignerIllustratorIndustrial DesignerInterior Designer or Interior DecoratorIndustrial EngineerInventorJournalist and WriterLandscape ArchitectLawyerLEED SpecialistLighting DesignerMechanical EngineerNaval ArchitectOld-House RenovatorProduct DesignerProduction DesignerReal Estate AppraiserSet DesignerSurveyorTeacher / ProfessorUrban Planner or Regional PlannerVirtual Reality Specialist Sources The Survival Guide to Architectural Internship and Career Development by Grace H. Kim, Wiley, 2006, p. 179Becoming an Architect by Lee W. Waldrep, Wiley, 2006, p. 230Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Little, Brown and Company, 2008Face of the AIA, AIArchitect, November 3, 2006 [accessed May 7, 2016]U.S. Requirements for Certification and Difference Between NAAB-Accredited and Non-Accredited Programs on the NCARB website [accessed March 4, 2017]