future of architecture

larationalist
Wed, 30 May 2007 22:27:23 +0000

1) overcrowding of the workforce: this isn’t really a problem right now, grads with any intership experience are in high demand. Maybe one of the older posters can correct me if this is a misconception, but I get the impression that these things tend to be cyclical. Sometimes there are too many grads for too few jobs and people end up switching fields more than normal, and sometimes grads have several offers to choose from. It all follows the economy and specifically the new construction rate.

2) an “internship” in architecture isn’t like an internship in other fields: it doesn’t necessarily (or even usually) have a fixed time period associated with it. You are either an Architect, or you are an intern. So until you’ve passed those exams, techinally, legally, you are working internships, despite things like having benefits, being on salary, and eventually even being in charge of your own projects. So don’t let the word “internship” confuse you, as architects abuse the term.

3) yeah, the salary isn’t exactly on par with other professions of similar education requirements, but you can certainly live on it. You will definitely be able to make 50-60k/year within ten years of getting a professional degree in a major market. If I stayed where I was at now, I would hit the 50k mark either this year or next year, and I graduated in '05.

I have to say that I think doing architecture at Notre Dame is a big mistake. If you really wanted to do architecture, you’d be better off somewhere else. But I’m sure you’ve heard that before; be prepared to keep hearing it.