How Long Does It Take To Become An Architect?

A job as an architect can be the best fit for you if you want to use your creativity in a useful way. 

Being an architect allows you to play a crucial part in developing the structures that people use daily, making it a tremendously satisfying career. 

However, it takes years of study and perseverance to become an artist, so it’s a good idea to be aware of these prerequisites before you start your training for this profession. 

In this post, we outline how long it takes to become an architect in 2024.

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What is an architectural School Like? 

It takes a lot of work to succeed in architecture school, let alone just to pass! It is not something you can just fly through like most design disciplines, but if it is your thing, it can be incredibly gratifying and give you a variety of employment prospects and areas of interest.

Architecture should be practiced continuously throughout your life, and architecture school is just the beginning of your education.

To become a successful architect, you must learn a lot, and whatever you learn will help you in your career. 

It is up to you to think about how dedicated you are, how much you love it, and which architectural specialties interest you. Architecture school should be viewed as a crucial beginning. 

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Is Attending an Architect School Worth It? 

Being an architect demands full-time study and much more effort than many other university and college courses, but it also gives much more as a result.

With the help of your professors and tutors, you will design most of the projects you’ll work on while you’re studying, providing you full creative control and decision-making authority. 

This can take a very long time to complete while working in a professional setting, but as a student, you have complete creative flexibility.

With no actual clients, financial restrictions, or other consultants to deal with, there are relatively few restrictions on students’ ability to express their creativity and truly explore their architectural responses.

Although it’s not simple, if you put in the effort and are passionate about the subject, architecture can be a lot of fun.

The studio atmosphere significantly influenced this, so we suggest you spend most of your working time there. 

Working with friends and peers and discussing and bouncing ideas off of one another is really beneficial and creates a lot more laid-back working environment.

You can almost always count on someone else to have the solution or at the very least to assist you because you are all in this together.

Students will be expected to manage their own time extensively throughout the course in order to meet project deadlines. 

This provides excellent insight into what we might expect when working in professional practice and gives students the chance to gain some practice managing their own time.

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What Schooling Do You Need to Be an architect? 

High school graduates who desire to become architects can pursue A Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) program; it normally takes five years to finish. 

Four years is required to complete pre-professional bachelor’s degree programs in architectural studies or construction management. 

Building and construction, architectural theory and history, and computer-aided design and drawing will all be covered in undergraduate courses (CADD). 

Students work in design studios where they sketch and build three-dimensional models.

A Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) program is open to aspiring architects who have a bachelor’s degree in another subject, such as architectural history or construction management. 

Candidates with professional B.Arch degrees who desire to concentrate on historic preservation, design theory, solar design, or another related field are also welcome to apply to these advanced programs.

An M. Arch. degree can be obtained in one to five years, depending on prior training and experience. 

A pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture, for instance, allows students to complete their M.Arch. degree in two years, or three years if they also hold a bachelor’s degree in another subject. An M.Arch. program can typically be finished in one year by students who have already completed a B.Arch. program.

Students who have design experience and a bachelor’s degree in the humanities or the arts may have an advantage when applying to professional M.Arch. programs. 

Some colleges need an applicant’s best models and sketches in a portfolio. 

After enrolling, M.Arch. students might need to finish a few prerequisites, like architectural theory classes, before moving on to professional coursework.

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How Long Does It Take To Become a Licensed architect in 2024? 

To become an architect in 2024, you must complete a bachelor’s degree program in at least four years. 

You must complete a bachelor’s degree program in order to meet the educational requirements of your jurisdiction in order to become an architect.

A bachelor’s degree in architecture from one of the 122 institutions accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board is currently required by 35 states, according to the BLS (NAAB).

There are a few things to consider when furthering your education if you’re interested in finding out how to get your architectural license and become a certified professional architect. 

A successful licensed architect often possesses a variety of other fundamental abilities besides mathematical proficiency and a flair for inventiveness, such as:

• Analysis Capabilities
• Skills in Communication
• Creativity
• Organizing Techniques
• Technical Expertise
• Skills in Visualization

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How Much Does It Cost to Become a Licensed architect? 

The cost of obtaining a license is quite high. People frequently criticize the fees, which NCARB is working to improve. However, it is challenging for NCARB to provide everything for free.

The Intern Development Program (IDP), originally known as the Architectural Experience Program (AXP), is a reasonably priced program. It is $350. 

You can divide it up such that you pay $100 while you’re still in school and the remaining balance after you graduate or are prepared to take the Architect Registration Exam (ARE). 

You are expected to finish the AXP in three years, even though you only need two years of practical experience right now. 

However, they add an extra $75 per year for retaining your records in their system after three years. 

Since they want you to be licensed, many sizable companies will actually pay you for that once you pass. 

People who are striving for licensure often get this wrong. The goal of architects is to keep you in the field. 

They want to hire you because having more licensed architects on staff benefits their company.

If your company has 30 employees and you can boast that 15 of them are certified architects, that’s a terrific selling point for the company. Much superior to having merely three.

That NCARB keeps your records on file might seem amusing, but it is beneficial.

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2024 Salary and Job Outlook for an architect after Study 

It’s vital to remember an architect’s salary can vary depending on their work experience, education, licensing, job title, company, industry, and place of employment if you’re wondering, “How much do architects earn?” An architect can typically expect to make $54,616 a month. 

This pay package may also include accommodation, transportation, and insurance.

Job Outlook 

According to research, the employment outlook for architects is expected to increase by 8% between 2018 and 2028. 

This is much greater when compared to other occupations. 

The activity of the construction industry has a strong correlation with the employment of architects. GlobalData projects that Hong Kong’s construction market will expand by 1.5% in 2021.

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Conclusion 

Considering the aforementioned, architecture is a fascinating subject to study because it allows you to explore your utmost level of creativity. 

To become an architect, you must complete several steps, including three years of undergraduate study and two years of graduate study.

Under the canton in which you live and work, as previously mentioned, you may also need to get a license in order to practice your profession. Remember that architecture is absolutely worth it, no matter what the methods might be.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

How many hours does an architect typically work? 

Whether you work for a start-up or an established business, an architect’s hours can vary, but architects put in 40 hours per week, with occasional weekend work to meet deadlines. 

They typically work from an office, making frequent trips to construction sites to assess the progress of the job. 

Hours and flexibility may change whether you’re self-employed or working on project-based tasks.

Is it easy to find work as an architect? 

Although there are many job prospects for architects, applicants may find it simpler to gain employment if they follow these steps:

• Acquire advanced coursework or a focus in a certain area.
• Acquire professional experience, including volunteer and internships
• Desire to move to the location of the job.
• Preparation for interviews by creating a strong CV and cover letter.
• Enhance your interpersonal and communication skills. 

How many years does it take to become an architect?

After high school, it takes a minimum of seven years to become an architect. If you meet the requirements for a bachelor’s in architecture, you will study for three years to earn your degree before moving on to a two-year master’s program.

As an alternative, you might finish a second bachelor’s degree, which often takes three or four years to accomplish. 

Your Master’s in Architecture degree will take three years to complete with a non-architecture bachelor’s degree. 

You’ll need to spend at least two years after earning your master’s degree accumulating the hours of practical experience required to pass the Architectural Practice Exam and register.

What type of education do you need to be an architect? 

To train as an architect, you can attend college. For registration and employment, postgraduate studies are necessary. 

You can gain the knowledge you need for your position via these studies.

Is it hard to become an architect? 

Since admission to architectural programs often demands an ATAR in the mid-70s to mid-80s, put in lots of effort in high school to meet the requirements. 

A more general bachelor’s degree is possible, although it takes longer to complete this course of study. 

While some students with a natural aptitude for architecture may find their university coursework to be straightforward, others may find the subject to be more difficult.

References 

• https://archimash.com/what is architecture school like
• https://www.archisoup.com/is attending an architect School Worth It
• https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/What schooling do you need to become an architect
• https://www.zippia.com/How long does it take to become a licensed architect
• https://www.google.com/how much does it cost to become a licensed architect
• https://hk.indeed.com/salary and job outlook for architect