Architecture

The visual, planning and technical skills you develop while studying an architecture degree prepare you for a creative, design-based career

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Architect
• Architectural technologist
• Building control surveyor
• CAD technician
• Fire risk assessor
• Interior and spatial designer
• Town planner
• Urban designer

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Building surveyor
• Commercial/residential surveyor
• Construction manager
• Estates manager
• Estimator
• Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
• Landscape architect
• Planning and development surveyor
• Production designer, theatre/television/film
• Structural engineer
• VFX artist

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates of any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Finding work experience or an industrial placement will be beneficial. Opportunities like these help you to develop an understanding of architectural practices and the industry from the inside. They also enable you to make important contacts and build your confidence, as well as your skill set.

Completing relevant work experience also demonstrates to employers that you're committed to a career in this area. If you intend on qualifying as an architect, approach practices directly in search of work experience. Try architectural, design or construction firms. Many of these offer internships over the summer.

Work or shadowing carried out in any related areas such as landscape design, the built environment and other design practices will help you build your experience. You can also practice your drawing and model-making skills and keep up to date with current trends in the industry.

Find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

As an architect, you can work in a range of establishments, from small firms with fewer than ten employees to larger practices that incorporate other areas such as planning, urban design or construction.

Public sector employers, such as local authorities and housing associations, employ a significant proportion of the profession in their planning departments, while some large organisations, such as banks and supermarkets, may have in-house architectural teams.

Find information on employers in property and construction, engineering and manufacturing, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying architecture equips you with specific skills in design and architectural practice and knowledge of the building and construction sector. You'll also develop a range of transferable skills, including:

• numeracy, design and drawing
• IT skills, e.g. computer-aided design (CAD)
• project management skills
• the ability to solve problems in an analytical, logical way
• teamwork
• written and oral communication in various settings
• research skills
• decision-making ability
• adaptability and flexibility for dealing with unexpected situations where necessary
• the ability to reflect on and improve your professional performance.

Further study

Most architecture graduates go on to complete the final stages of the qualifications recognised by RIBA and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to progress towards qualifying and practising as registered architects.

Apart from further qualifications in architecture, you could choose postgraduate study in other technical subjects, such as engineering, design or computer science, or in subjects outside the technical and construction fields.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in architecture.

What do architecture graduates do?

Half (50%) of architecture graduates report working as CAD, drawing and architectural technicians 15 months after graduation, with a further 15% working as chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants (12%), and architects (3%). Interior designers, graphic and multimedia designers, building and civil engineering technicians, civil engineers and chartered surveyors are also among the top ten jobs held by these graduates.

Find out what other architecture graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.

Find out more

• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT)
• The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB)