Architecture: scrapping the seven-year myth

“I’m not going to study architecture – it takes seven years to graduate.”

As a university counsellor, you have probably heard this, or variations of it, from your students.

Yes, gaining a licence or being registered to practise as an architect can take seven years or longer, but this doesn’t mean sitting in university lectures for seven years, as much of this time is spent in a work environment. Furthermore, studying architecture is not the same thing as studying or training to be an architect.

Studying architecture or becoming an architect?

Let’s look at that (misleading) opening sentence again. Studying architecture at university normally means pursuing a three- or four-year bachelor’s degree, depending on which university and country is chosen.

After that, students graduate with a degree in architecture and can start work in architecture practices or studios in a range of jobs, such as:

• Architecture design assistant
• Architectural model maker
• Architectural project manager
• Landscape architect
• Interior designer
• CAD designer
• Town planner or urban designer
• Restoration and preservation of historic buildings

Becoming an architect: what does it involve?

For students who want to become architects, as opposed to working in one of many fields of architecture, the bachelor’s degree is the first of three components (in the British system, this is called “Part 1”) that make up the full qualification.

After completion of the bachelor’s degree, the next step is a master's or equivalent qualification, preceded by or integrated with professional experience in an architecture practice (“Part 2”).

The final stage (“Part 3”) is further professional experience and qualifying professional exams. So the time spent actually studying at university could be about half of that total qualification time.

Students and parents often find it reassuring to understand that the architecture route is not an all-or-nothing decision, and that there are many opportunities for creative students who decide not to continue studies after the undergraduate degree phase.

This is similar to the option of training to become a doctor by doing a bachelor’s degree followed by a graduate medicine course, rather than committing to five or six years of medical training – the bachelor’s degree offers a gateway to a multitude of medically related careers for those who decide not to continue on to become a doctor.

Not all architecture courses are the same

At undergraduate level, a wide range of architecture courses is available, from those focusing on the engineering and structural aspects of building design (such as structural and architectural engineering at the University of Bath or University of Adelaide) to those that have a crossover with interior design (such as interior architecture and design at Concordia University Wisconsin, or interior architecture and product design at LISSA Paris).

Alongside these are joint honours degrees (structural engineering with architecture at the University of Edinburgh), double degree options (bachelor of architecture/bachelor of business at Queensland University of Technology) and degrees that allow flexibility with “breadth” options alongside the major in architecture (bachelor of design at the University of Melbourne).

So, for students who want a design-led degree course involving lots of practical work, that develops skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication and, of course, creativity, studying architecture could be an exciting opportunity. And it is one that offers good job prospects after three or four years, as well as the option of further study towards a creative, rewarding and well-paid career as an architect.

Practical tips for students

• Many (but not all) application processes for architecture degree courses require a portfolio or set a creative task as an entrance test. Students studying art and design in years 12 and 13 (grades 11 and 12) therefore have a distinct advantage. If students aren’t able to do this, they should think about taking art classes during holidays or at weekends.
• Demonstrating a real interest in architecture is an important part of the application. One easy way for students to do this is to keep a notebook of sketches, photos and cuttings of buildings or structures that have inspired them.
• Unless students want to focus on historic buildings – perhaps in a career as a restorer – architecture is about contemporary design. Students should therefore do some research on modern buildings and contemporary architects that inspire them. They should be ready to write about these buildings and architects in a personal statement or talk about them at interview. Rather than discussing the Taj Mahal, Notre Dame or the Empire State Building, if possible, students should choose something they have seen and that is local to them.
• Architects are increasingly concerned with sustainability and environmental issues, so students should do some research on green architecture or zero-energy buildings. They could start by looking at this website on green architecture or this one.
• Students should learn to use the language of architecture: terms such as modernism, postmodernism and brutalism, as well as the classical orders. This article on common phrases in architecture is a good starting point.
• Keep up to date with current issues in architecture – for example, by regularly checking the RIBA website or the Architects’ Journal.