Architecture

AGCAS editors
April, 2022

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

Job options
Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Architect (/job-profiles/architect)
Architectural technologist (/job-profiles/architectural-technologist)
Building control surveyor (/job-profiles/building-control-surveyor)
CAD technician (/job-profiles/cad-technician)
Fire risk assessor (/job-profiles/fire-risk-assessor)
Interior and spatial designer (/job-profiles/interior-and-spatial-designer)
Town planner (/job-profiles/town-planner)
Urban designer (/job-profiles/urban-designer)

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Building surveyor (/job-profiles/building-surveyor)

Commercial/residential surveyor (/job-profiles/commercial-residential-surveyor)
Construction manager (/job-profiles/construction-manager)
Estates manager (/job-profiles/estates-manager)
Estimator (/job-profiles/estimator)
Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer (/job-profiles/historic-buildings-inspector-conservation-officer)
Landscape architect (/job-profiles/landscape-architect)
Planning and development surveyor (/job-profiles/planning-and-development-surveyor)
Production designer, theatre/television/film (/job-profiles/production-designer-theatre-television-film)
Structural engineer (/job-profiles/structural-engineer)
VFX artist (/job-profiles/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.

Take a few minutes to answer the Job Match quiz and find out what careers would suit you

Try Job Match

(https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner-
beta)

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 en-
able you to make important contacts and build your confidence, as well as your skill set. Completing relevant work experience also demonstrates to potential 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 offer internships over the summer.

Related areas such as landscape design, the built environment and other design practices also provide good opportunities to build your experience. 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 (/jobs-and-work-experience/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 (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/property-and-construction), engineering and manufacturing (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-
sectors/engineering-and-manufacturing), and other job sectors (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors).
 Employers hiring architecture graduates now
Planning Management Year Out Placement Programme
Wates Building Group
London

Competitive salary

(/graduate-jobs/planning-management-year-out-placement-programme-2699249)

Civil and Structural Engineering Graduate Programme

Babcock
Various locations

£29,501-£32,000

(/graduate-jobs/civil-and-structural-engineering-graduate-programme-2697808)

View more property and construction jobs (/graduate-jobs-results?sortBy=dp&careers=171)

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
the ability to work as part of a team
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 eventually go on to complete the final stages of the qualifications recognised by RIBA (https://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Home.aspx) and the Architects Registration Board
(ARB) (http://www.arb.org.uk/) in order 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 (/postgraduate-study/masters-degrees) and search postgraduate courses in architecture
(https://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate-courses?keyword=architecture).

What do architecture graduates do?

Nearly half (46%) of architecture graduates are working as CAD, drawing and architectural technicians 15 months after graduation, with a further 16% working as architects, chartered architectural technol-
ogists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals. 3% are in design occupations.

Destination Percentage

Employed 70.1

Further study 5.7

Working and studying 11

Unemployed 7.6

Other 5.6

Graduate destinations for architecture

Type of work Percentage

Engineering 69.4

Retail, catering and customer service 8.1

Arts, design and media 7

Clerical, secretarial and administrative 3.6

 Type of work Percentage

Other 11.9

Types of work entered in the UK

Find out what other architecture graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do? (https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/what-do-graduates-do)

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Find out more

Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) (http://www.ciat.org.uk/)
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) (http://www.citb.co.uk/)

(http://agcas.org.uk/)

Written by AGCAS editors

April 2022
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