<p>What is Architectural Studies and what types of jobs can you get with this major?</p>
<p>@CARRiBeaN: I think Architectural Studies is an undergraduate pre-professional architecture program for people who want to get a M. Arch degree.</p>
<p>Ohh ok. Because I love architecture, but I don’t really have the skills to major in architecture yet, so I was wondering if I should major architectural studies. Plus, since I want to become an urban planner and I have to get my masters, I should get my bachelors in something I can see myself doing.</p>
<p>But say I don’t go for a masters, what jobs could I get with architectural studies bachelors?</p>
<p>@CARRiBeaN: I’m not too sure about that. Because normally for architecture, people either have the B. Arch degree or M. Arch degree when they start their job as an architect.</p>
<p>As others have said, Architectural Studies is a pre-professional sort of degree within liberal arts. Programs differ from school to school, but you will study many facets of the field of architecture, and your program may or may not have some architecture studio work. </p>
<p>From there, if you want a professional sort of job, you likely would then need to go to grad school. If you want to become an architect, you’d need to get an MArch degree. If you want to go into urban planning, then a grad degree in that would be needed. </p>
<p>You ask what jobs you could get with just an undergrad degree in Arch Studies…you could work in architect or urban planning offices or many other settings, in a less professional capacity. When my daughter did a BA in Arch Studies, she was able to get summer jobs working for architects doing architecture work for pay, though was considered an “intern” and has since worked in other architecture offices under the supervision of a licensed architect. So, that is a possibility. Without a grad degree, you can’t climb that much higher though.</p>
<p>I think there are a lot of varieties of architectural studies programs. Some have studio components and some don’t. As long as you have two, or preferably three years of studio, you have a decent shot at getting a job with an architecture firm. I have seen programs like KU’s where you just take the history and technical courses and the studios are all in the MArch potion of the program. It would be very tough to get a job with that degree because you will not have the skills to contribute in an office.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>^^^I agree somewhat, but will just share that my D majored in Architectural Studies at Brown, which doesn’t have a studio component to the program. But she had some other experiences such as one summer at Career Discovery at Harvard GSD, a semester abroad in an architecture program in Florence through Syracuse University, and took manual and digital representation courses at RISD. </p>
<p>With that background, she worked in an arch firm after junior year in college in Paris and did floor plans, framing plans and site plans for their clients. The summer after senior year, she worked in an arch firm in NYC and built models, prepared presentation drawings, did layouts for project proposals, and so on. As well, these various experiences created plenty of stuff for her portfolio when she applied to MArch programs and got into six highly regarded ones. </p>
<p>(she has since worked for other arch firms as well, but after at least a year in an MArch program…and not two to three years of studio…but actually did significant arch work in firms at this point in her career, such as schematic designs and renderings, and drafting)</p>
<p>Just saying that with the experience that I outlined, and coming from a BA in Arch Studies program that did not have studio courses, my D did work in arch firms for pay, though was considered at the “intern” level. Of course, without more education, she would not be able to progress too far in the work world. She has gone onto graduate studies.</p>