The visual, planning and technical skills you develop while studying architecture degree prepare you for a creative, design-based career

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates of any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Finding work experience or an industrial placement will be beneficial. Opportunities like these help you to develop an understanding of architectural practices and the industry from the inside. They also enable you to make important contacts and build your confidence, as well as your skill set. Completing relevant work experience also demonstrates to potential employers that you're committed to a career in this area.

If you intend on qualifying as an architect, approach practices directly in search of work experience. Try architectural, design or construction firms. Many offer internships over the summer.

Related areas such as landscape design, the built environment and other design practices also provide good opportunities to build your experience. Practice your drawing and model-making skills and keep up to date with current trends in the industry.

Find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

As an architect, you can work in a range of establishments, from small firms with fewer than ten employees to larger practices that incorporate other areas such as planning, urban design or construction.

Public sector employers, such as local authorities and housing associations, employ a significant proportion of the profession in their planning departments, while some large organisations, such as banks and supermarkets, may have in-house architectural teams.

Find information on employers in property and construction, engineering and manufacturing, and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Studying architecture equips you with specific skills in design and architectural practice and knowledge of the building and construction sector. You'll also develop a range of transferable skills, including:

  • numeracy, design and drawing
  • IT skills, e.g. computer-aided design (CAD)
  • project management skills
  • the ability to solve problems in an analytical, logical way
  • the ability to work as part of a team
  • written and oral communication in various settings
  • research skills
  • decision-making ability
  • adaptability and flexibility for dealing with unexpected situations where necessary
  • the ability to reflect on and improve your professional performance.

Further study

Most architecture graduates eventually go on to complete the final stages of the qualifications recognised by RIBA and the Architects Registration Board (ARB) in order to progress towards qualifying and practising as registered architects.

Apart from further qualifications in architecture, you could choose postgraduate study in other technical subjects, such as engineering, design or computer science, or in subjects outside the technical and construction fields.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in architecture.

What do architecture graduates do?

Nearly half (46%) of architecture graduates are working as CAD, drawing and architectural technicians 15 months after graduation, with a further 16% working as architects, chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, surveyors and construction professionals. 3% are in design occupations. 

DestinationPercentage
Employed70.1
Further study5.7
Working and studying11
Unemployed7.6
Other5.6
Graduate destinations for architecture
Type of workPercentage
Engineering69.4
Retail, catering and customer service8.1
Arts, design and media7
Clerical, secretarial and administrative3.6
Other11.9
Types of work entered in the UK

Find out what other architecture graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Find out more

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