Online Degree in Architecture | How to become an Architect

Online Degree in Architecture | Our TOP Recommendations
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Your dream of becoming an architect can come true. There are three key steps in pursuing a career in architecture. First, you need to earn a professional degree in architecture. Second, you need to gain valuable work experience through an internship, and finally, you must earn your license by successfully completing the Architect Registration Exam.

• Architect's Work - Architects design the complete aesthetic and appearance of buildings and other structures, but a building’s design is made up of much more than just its facade. Architects’ duties entail special skills—engineering, designing, supervising, managing, and interfacing with builders and clients.
  
• Architecture Training - There are three kinds of professional architecture degrees: a 5-year bachelor’s degree, which is the most common and is meant for students with no prior architectural training; a 2-year master’s degree for students with an undergraduate degree in architecture or a similar discipline; and a 3- or 4-year master’s degree for students with a degree in another major.
• Licensing for an Architect - All States and the District of Columbia require people to be licensed or registered before they may refer to themselves as architects and provide architectural services to clients.

Online Degree in Architecture | How to become an Architect

In most states, the professional architectural degree must be awarded by one of the 114 schools of architecture that provide degree programs accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Nonetheless, state architectural registration boards create their own standards, so graduating from a non-accredited program may still meet the educational requirement for licensing in some States.

A typical architecture online degree involves courses in building design with an emphasis on CADD, architectural history and theory, physical sciences, construction methods, structures, technology, liberal arts, professional practice, and math. Vital to many architectural programs is the design studio, where students employ the concepts and skills learned in the classroom, generating drawings and three-dimensional models of their creations.


Online Degree in Architecture - Graduate - Job Outlook

Employment of architects is predicted to grow quicker than the average for all careers through 2016. Tough competition is anticipated for jobs at the most influential firms, and opportunities will be better for those architects whose creativity really stands out from the rest.

In 2006, architects held approximately 130,000 jobs. Around 7 out of 10 jobs were in the engineering, architectural, and related services industry—mainly in architectural firms with fewer than five employees. A few were employed by residential and nonresidential building construction companies and for government agencies responsible for community planning, housing, or construction of government buildings, such as the General Services Administration or the U.S. Departments of Defense and Interior. Approximately 1 in 5 architects are self-employed.


Salary for a Graduate with an Architecture Degree

In 2006, the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that the middle 50 percent made between $49,750 and $83,500. The bottom 10 percent made less than $39,500, and the top 10 percent made in excess of $104,750. Architects just beginning their internships should anticipate earning much less.

Incomes of partners in recognized architectural firms may vary due to fluctuating business conditions. Several architects find it difficult setting up their own practices and may experience a period when expenses outpace their income, requiring considerable financial resources.

Related Occupations: Architects design buildings and similar structures. Like architects, construction managers also coordinate and plan activities related to the construction and maintenance of facilities and buildings. Other people involved in similar careers are civil engineers, landscape architects, urban and regional planners, and designers, including commercial and industrial designers, graphic designers, and interior designers.

Online Degree in Architecture - Schools and Universities

There are an excellent number of choices for an online degree in Architecture. Online colleges and universities now provide the same curriculum as the traditional education. Learning online provides you with so much more flexibility to suit your lifestyle and current employment. We include our top recommendations for an online degree in Architecture.


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