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Architect

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Career opportunities / Architect

Architect

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Potential job titles in this career
Architect, Design Architect, Planner, Project Architect, Specifications Writer

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
What will I do?
  • Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.
  • Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.
  • Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.
  • Consult with clients to determine functional or spatial requirements of structures.
  • Meet with clients to review or discuss architectural drawings.
  • Monitor the work of specialists, such as electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, interior designers, or sound specialists to ensure optimal form or function of designs or final structures.
  • Integrate engineering elements into unified architectural designs.
  • Plan layouts of structural architectural projects.
  • Conduct periodic on-site observations of construction work to monitor compliance with plans.
  • Prepare contract documents for building contractors.
  • In this career, it is important to know
    Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    It's useful to be good at
    Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

    Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

    Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

    Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

    Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

    Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

    Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

    Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

    Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

    Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
    Employment trends
    Location Pay period 2022
    10% 25% Median% 75% 90%
    United States Hourly $24.67 $31.36 $39.83 $50.57 $65.58
    Yearly $51,310 $65,220 $82,840 $105,190 $136,400
    Arizona Hourly $26.46 $36.34 $39.05 $49.20 $64.15
    Yearly $55,030 $75,590 $81,230 $102,340 $133,430
    2022 Median%
    United States $39.83 Hourly $82,840 Yearly
    Arizona $39.05 Hourly $81,230 Yearly

    Employment (2022)
    123,700 employees
    Projected growth (2022 - 2032)
    Average (4% to 7%)
    Projected job openings (2022 - 2032)
    8,200
    * Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).
    What are accelerated programs?
    Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

    3 year programs

    These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.

    Accelerated master's

    These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

    Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
    What are concurrent programs?
    Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
    What are joint programs?
    Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

    What constitutes a new program?
    ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the “New Programs” option.
    What are online programs?
    ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
    What is the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE)?
    The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program in which residents of western states (other than Arizona) may be eligible for reduced nonresident tuition. See more information and eligibility requirements on the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program.

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