<p>i’m planning to major in architecture, but job prospects don’t look that great right now - apparently many architects are self-employed? How do you get jobs, and is it common to get jobs straight out of college? </p>
<p>I’m a bit nervous, it sounds like these days people with business majors are hunted down for jobs, but I don’t hear anything about people with majors in architecture.</p>
<p>By the way - are graphic design job prospects good? I’m going to apply for one of my schools with a major in that. Same questions as above [architecture sect] . Thank you!</p>
<p>Actually, when I graduated from architecture school just over a year ago, I was contacted by about 50 different firms. Right now there is a huge construction boom and architects are in high demand. Of course it’s common to get a job straight out of college- I’m not really sure what the other option would be. Not get a job and become a hobo instead?</p>
<p>The reason that many architects are self employed is office politics and creative feedom. When you work for someone else, that someone else is the one with the design control. So while pretty much nobody goes out on their own right out of school, after being in the industry for ten years or so, many people start to think that design control is worth the instability of being self-employed. Also, architecture is notorious for long hours and does not pay as well as the other licensed professions, so once people start having kids, they find that self-employment is one of the best ways to get the flexible schedule they want to be able to spend time with their families.</p>
<p>Graphic design on the other hand is not experiencing quite the same boom (hope it will be by the time I get out of grad school!), so jobs are more competitive. This industry is similar to architecture in several ways: self-employment tendencies, wages, and hours. Because of the lack of liability, entry-level employees are given a bit more design freedom, however. </p>
<p>In terms of what you can do with it… With an architecture degree, you can be an architect, a preservationist, a builder, a developer, a set designer, or a public employee in a related field. With a graphic design degree, you can become a print, packaging, environmental graphics, or web designer, or an art or creative director. The unique thing about graphic design is that you have the choice to work freelance, work in a design firm, or be an in-house designer at pretty much any sort of business.</p>
<p>I should note that there is a new, third option; Digital Design, also known as New Media Design. This is graphic design carried into the 21st century. A digital design degree prepares folks for:</p>
<p>1 Web design
2. Interactive media design such as educational software etc.
3. game design
4. Special effects
5. Graphic design</p>
<p>It also pays better than graphic design; however, you do need a bit of programming and some computer skills too, which is why it pays better.</p>
<p>Some schools that have these programs are:</p>
<ol>
<li>University of Cincinnati</li>
<li>RIT</li>
<li>RISD ( graduate only)</li>
<li>Pratt Institute, with combined computer art and graphic design</li>
<li>MICA somewhat</li>
</ol>
<p>As you can see digital design is a combination of graphic design and computer art/design.</p>