Architectural Designer Overview

Required Education and Training To Become an Architectural Designer

Best Schools to become a Architectural Designer in U.S. 2024

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY

In-State Tuition:$61,989
Out-of-State Tuition:$61,989
Admission Rate:4%
Graduation Rate:95%
Total Enrollment:34,782

Pratt Institute-Main

Brooklyn, NY

In-State Tuition:$55,575
Out-of-State Tuition:$55,575
Admission Rate:50%
Graduation Rate:76%
Total Enrollment:5,494

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA

In-State Tuition:$5,742
Out-of-State Tuition:$17,622
Admission Rate:30%
Graduation Rate:85%
Total Enrollment:22,000

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA

In-State Tuition:$12,104
Out-of-State Tuition:$31,754
Admission Rate:57%
Graduation Rate:86%
Total Enrollment:38,170

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

Denver, CO

In-State Tuition:$8,736
Out-of-State Tuition:$25,992
Admission Rate:75%
Graduation Rate:44%
Total Enrollment:23,744

Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA

In-State Tuition:$38,160
Out-of-State Tuition:$38,160
Admission Rate:92%
Graduation Rate:69%
Total Enrollment:3,920
Architectural Designer Job Description:
  • Plan and design structures, such as private residences, office buildings, theaters, factories, and other structural property.

Required Skills and Competencies To Become an Architectural Designer

Job Duties for Architectural Designers

  • Develop final construction plans that include aesthetic representations of the structure or details for its construction.

  • Prepare information regarding design, structure specifications, materials, color, equipment, estimated costs, or construction time.

  • Prepare scale drawings or architectural designs, using computer-aided design or other tools.

Technologies and Skills Used by Architectural Designers

Computer aided design CAD software

  • Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
  • Trimble SketchUp Pro

Data base user interface and query software

  • Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2
  • Amazon Redshift

Presentation software

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Basic Skills

  • Reading work related information
  • Talking to others

People and Technology Systems

  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Current Job Market and Opportunites for an Architectural Designer

Additional Resources To Help You Become an Architectural Designer

FAQs About Becoming an Architectural Designer