General Architecture

Types of Degrees General Architecture Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general architecture graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	903
Doctor’s Degree	111
Graduate Certificate	82

What General Architecture Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to architecture were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Architecture Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.

Skills for Architecture Majors

architecture majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Architecture Majors

Architecture majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a General Architecture Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with architecture:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval	4.2%	$79,380
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Architecture Professors	10.5%	$86,980

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in General Architecture?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 47% of the graduates are women, and 53% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of architecture majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	32
Black or African American	73
Hispanic or Latino	146
White	495
International Students	110
Other Races/Ethnicities	47

Geographic Diversity

Architecture appeals to people across the globe. About 12.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• South Korea
• Canada
• India
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do General Architecture Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that general architecture students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $53,394 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $50,091 (25th percentile) and $56,407 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in architecture, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $88,860 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to architecture. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to General Architecture

Some careers associated with architecture require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for architecture careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	47.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	6.9%
Master’s Degree	23.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	9.1%
Doctoral Degree	10.0%

Online General Architecture Programs

In 2020-2021, 150 schools offered a architecture program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	17	3
Bachelor’s Degree	15	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	89	2
Post-Master’s	4	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	23	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in General Architecture Worth It?

The median salary for a architecture grad is $99,320 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 149% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,188,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to General Architecture

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to architecture.

Major	Number of Grads
Architectural Sciences & Technology	3,366
Urban & Regional Planning	1,613
Landscape Architecture	285
Real Estate Development	223
Interior Architecture	169
Environmental Design	114
Architectural History	45
Architecture (Other)	33

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Danichou under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.