Architecture Career Paths

As the 5th “Most Hired From” architecture program in the country with 100% of our students employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation, we make it easy for students explore career opportunities in:

• Private consulting practice:
  • Architecture and multidisciplinary design firms
  • Construction management firms

• Corporate/institutional practice:
  • Cultural and historical resource organizations
  • Design sections of contracting companies
  • Facilities departments within private corporations, hospitals or universities

• Public practice:
  • Federal, state, regional and local agencies that have architecture and urban planning sections
  • Municipal and state offices with building code and inspection agencies

We have gathered data on employment statistics and salaries in our field, which provides some guidance of what our students can expect when they graduate from the College.  Recent graduates of Iowa State University’s Department of Architecture have pursued the below careers. This is not represent a comprehensive list of the possible career choices available to someone with an architecture degree. Please note that some careers require additional education beyond the Bachelor’s degree.

• Architectural construction materials and technology specialty
• Architectural design
• Architectural firm management
• Architectural illustration/rendering, modeling and computer imaging
• Architectural journalism
• Architectural photography
• Building product design and manufacture
• Construction law practice (requires additional education)
• Furniture and lighting design
• Historic preservation and restoration
• In-house design for corporations, hospitals and other multi-building owners
• Movie and theater industry design (requires additional education)
• Program management (oversee design and construction of major projects for clients)
• Space planning and interior architecture
• Specialty design: residential, hospitals, libraries, museums, retail, business and corporate architecture, hotels and resorts, government buildings, prisons, churches, malls, theme parks, etc.
• University and college teaching, research and administration (requires additional education)
  Find out more about careers in architecture at archcareers.blogspot.com.