What can I do with a degree in Architecture?

The occupations listed below are a selection of those which may interest students and graduates from the School of Architecture.

Architect

Working in the construction industry, Architects can be involved with buildings old and new.  They may be designing new buildings and extensions or in planning alternations to existing buildings and advising on restorations and conservation.

Prospects job profile: Architect
Royal Institute of British Architects: Education, CPD and careers

Architectural Technologist

Architectural technologists are specialists in the science of architecture, building design and construction. They work closely with architects and help to turn the architect's concept into reality in the completed construction. Concerned with the technical side of design, they ensure that an attractive functional building performs successfully.

Prospects job profile: Architectural technologist
Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists: Education, CPD and careers

Interior and Spatial Designer

Interior and Spatial Designers design, plan and construct interior spaces.  This could involve restructuring of spaces, fixtures and fittings, lighting and decoration.  This role typically involves working closely with clients and construction professionals.

Prospects job profile: Interior and spatial designer
British Institute of Interior Design: Education and CPD

Please note that some of these careers may require further study.

For further information on these careers, see also:

• I Want To Work In
• Prospects: Job profiles
• Target jobs: Graduate career sectors

Thank you to Prospects for the content on these pages.

An Architecture degree may be useful in the following career areas:

Building Surveyor

Building surveyors advise on the design and construction of new buildings as well as the maintenance and repair of existing buildings.

Prospects job profile: Building Surveyor

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors: Why become a surveyor?

Commercial/Residential Surveyor

This type of surveyor’s activities relate to management, purchase, sale, or leasing of land and property, as well as valuing and surveying property.

Prospects job profile: Commercial / residential surveyor 

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors: Why become a surveyor?

Building Control Officer

Building Control Officers ensure that construction of both new buildings and alterations to existing buildings meet regulatory standards in safety, sustainability, accessibility and design.

Target jobs: Building control officer
National Careers Service: Building Control Officer

Conservation Officer

Conservation Officers advise on and promote the preservation of historic sites. 

Prospects job profile: Historic buildings inspector / conservation officer

Landscape Architect

Landscape Architects design, plan and oversee the construction of outside spaces ranging from parks and gardens to industrial and commercial sites.

Prospects job profile: Landscape architect                   

Landscape Institute: Landscape architect

Production Designer

Production Designers work in Film, Television and/or Theatre creating the set in collaboration with other members of a production crew.  Clear communication and creativity are essential for this role.

Prospects job profile: Production designer    

Screen Skills: Production designer                                                                                                               

Structural Engineer

Structural Engineers are involved in the design, planning and construction of buildings and bridges that are both aesthetically pleasing and safe.

Prospects job profile: Structural engineer                                        

The Institute of Structural Engineers: Become a structural engineer

Town Planner

Town planners are involved in the development of cities, towns, villages and the countryside.  This is in relation to housing, transport, leisure and the community.

Prospects job profile: Town planner                              

Royal Town Planning Institute: Become a planner

University Lecturer

As well as teaching through lectures and seminars, academic staff in higher education also carry out research and a wide range of administrative and pastoral tasks. Although a teaching qualification is not required, you will need a higher degree, normally a PhD. Competition is strong for entry-level academic posts.
Prospects job profile: Higher education lecturer
Target job profile: Higher education lecturer
I Want to Work in: A University

You may be interested in graduate roles outside of Anthropology. Most employers are looking for graduates with good degrees but don’t require a specific subject. To explore different career options see:

• Path to Employment
• I Want To Work In
• Prospects: Job profiles
• Target jobs: Graduate career sectors

An ability to:

• To devise and sustain arguments, and/or to solve problems, using ideas and techniques
• To describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in architecture
• Apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply their knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects
• Critically evaluate arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data (that may be incomplete), to make judgements, and to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions - to a problem
• Communicate information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Make decisions in complex and unpredictable contexts 
• To deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry within architecture
• To manage their own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to architecture).

Source: QAA Subject benchmark statement

This is not an exhaustive list of skills - you will develop many skills from your course, extra-curricular activities and work experience. You can find out more about the skills employers look for and how you can develop them here.

The Careers and Employability Service provides information and advice on job searching to University of Kent students and recent graduates. This includes a vacancy database advertising a range of graduate jobs, sandwich placements and vacation work/internship.

These websites may be useful in job searching and for providing further information on careers and employers related to Architecture.

• Adrem Group: The jobs site for an Architecture & Design recruitment agency
• Architecture Jobs: Features vacancies for architects, CAD technicians, architectural technologists/technicians and assistants.
• BD Online:  The architect's website. Includes a jobs section
• Building  recruitment pages: Building industry's market-leading publication
• Careers in Construction: Recruitment agency
• Careerstructure.com:  Building, civil engineering and design jobs UK-wide
• Creativepool: Recruitment Agency covering the creative industries including: Advertising, Architecture, Graphic Design, Journalism and Writing, Media Careers, Multimedia and New Media and Publishing
• Dezeen Jobs: An international design and architecture jobs site
• Eden Brown: Technical recruitment agency for jobs in architecture, interior design, building services, engineering, town planning, charities, construction, education, housing and social care besides others
• Energy Job Line: Provide a range of engineering opportunities including mechanical engineering jobs, electrical, structural, offshore and many more vacancies with the leading engineering industry companies and recruitment agencies worldwide
• Hunter Dunning Recruitment: UK Architectural Jobs & Recruitment, Job Search for Architects, Technicians and Assistants with Architecture Recruitment Specialists.
• Laing O'Rourke: Includes specific roles for graduates
• Modern Building Services Online: Offers an editorial perspective covering the Building Services industry, principally in the UK
• Online Yellow Pages: Always worth searching for appropriate employer types in your local area to whom you might send a speculative CV
• Premises Recruitment: Specialist recruitment consultancy for professional and technical personnel in the property and construction industry
• RIBA Jobs: An industry recruitment site that also offers careers advice
• Stock Harvard: Specialises in Architecture and Interior Design jobs. Cover London, the South East and East Anglia
• The Architect's Journal: An industry journal site with news and information including a jobs page

Professional Bodies
Many of the professional bodies listed below have careers sections on their websites.

• Architects Registration Board
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers 
• Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists: Includes a careers and jobs section
• Chartered Institute of Building: Includes a careers section
• National Association of Estate Agents 
• Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland 
• Royal Institute of British Architects: Includes a careers section.
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors: Includes a jobs section
• Royal Town Planning Institute: Includes a careers section

 More websites offering: Graduate jobs, internships and placement years

Company reviews and application / interview tips for specific organisations:

Glassdoor
The Job Crowd

In order to qualify and practise as registered architects, many graduates go on to complete the final stages for the RIBA and ARB recognised qualifications. 

Some graduates opt for further study in other technical subjects, such as engineering, design or computer science.  Others look to subjects outside of the construction and technical fields, there is a range of postgraduate courses open to graduates of any degree subject.

There are many reasons for choosing to continue into postgraduate study. Whatever your motivation, you need to consider issues such as your suitability, funding options for postgraduate study and research the options available to you to enable a fully informed decision to be made.