arrow Career Paths   arrow Internships   arrow Professional Associations  

EXCITING options

Careers for architecture graduates are available in private consulting practice (architecture and multidisciplinary design firms, construction management firms, etc.), corporate/institutional practice (cultural and historical resource organizations, design sections of contracting companies, facilities departments within private corporations, hospitals or universities, etc.), as well as public practice (federal, state, regional and local agencies that have architecture and urban planning sections; municipal and state offices with building code and inspection agencies).

The following career paths reflect specific positions pursued by recent architecture graduates from Iowa State University, and do not represent a comprehensive list of the possible career choices available to someone with an architecture degree. Please note that some careers require additional education beyond the bachelor's degree.

  • Architectural construction materials and technology specialty
  • Architectural design
  • Architectural firm management
  • Architectural illustration/rendering, modeling and computer imaging
  • Architectural journalism
  • Architectural photography
  • Building product design and manufacture
  • Construction law practice (requires additional education)
  • Furniture and lighting design
  • Historic preservation and restoration
  • In-house design for corporations, hospitals, and other  multi-building owners
  • Movie and theater industry design (requires additional education)
  • Program management (oversee design and construction of major projects for clients)
  • Space planning and interior architecture
  • Specialty design: residential, hospitals, libraries, museums, retail, business and corporate architecture, hotels and resorts, government buildings, prisons, churches, malls, theme parks, etc.
  • University and college teaching, research and administration (requires additional education)