What degree do you need to be an architect?

"I would hope first that they have a love of architecture. That was always appealing to me—looking at spaces and buildings all around you and shaping that environment, then going inside buildings and finding spaces that may be inspiring, or that really get your creative juices going and that make you want to do something like that," said Christopher Osolin, a partner and principal architect for RHO Architects in Seattle, Washington. "Even in high school I was doing things to sort of lead me to being an architect, so I was taking a lot of art classes, a lot of drawing classes and drafting classes."

Bachelor's degree: Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch)

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degrees are the minimum degree level that can qualify someone for licensure in most states. They consist of a minimum of 150 semester credit hours or the equivalent for quarter terms. As such, they typically take at least five years to complete.

B.Arch degrees teach students foundational topics in architecture and provide hands-on practice, some of which students can count towards their Architectural Experience Program (AXP) log, which is another requirement for licensure in most places.

"Before I even went to architecture school, I worked for an architect doing drafting for him," Osolin said. "During my five years in school, every summer and every break I would go and work with an architect to get some of that experience."

Every B.Arch program's curriculum is going to be a little different. In general, you can expect to take courses in the following subjects as part of a B.Arch program:

• Design studios that cover the fundamental principles of architectural design through a sequence of courses that build upon one another (e.g. Design I, Design II, etc.)
• History and theory of architecture throughout the world
• Materials and building construction
• Physics, chemistry and/or engineering for architects
• Professional practice courses that cover topics on the practice of architecture in today's society, including licensing, codes, standards, legal regulations, contracts, ethics etc.

Other bachelor's degrees

Bachelor degree programs that are not accredited by the NAAB generally cover these same topics listed above in their programs as well. These non-accredited architecture schools usually have more wiggle room for additional elective courses that give students the chance to customize their learning a bit more than the slightly more rigid curriculum of B.Arch degrees.

Because of this, BA or BS degrees in architectural studies may also prepare students for careers in allied disciplines like historic preservation, urban planning or construction management. The B.Arch degree, on the other hand, is a professional degree program meant to prepare students to become architects pretty much exclusively.

Master's degree: Master of Architecture (M.Arch)

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degrees take a deeper look at advanced topics in architecture and are one possible pathway to licensure for hopeful architects. They are at least 168 semester credit hours or the quarter-hour equivalent, but the number of credits you must complete as an M.Arch student can differ depending on your prior education. For this same reason, they typically take anywhere between one and three years to complete.

If the B.Arch degree is enough to get your architect license (in most places), then who is the M.Arch degree for? Although the admission requirements for individual programs can vary, the M.Arch degree typically has two entry points for people that have either:

• A bachelor's degree in architecture (B.Arch, BA, BS, etc.)
• A bachelor's degree in a field other than architecture

It's common for M.Arch programs to have more than one degree track available depending on the student's prior education. Students that already have a bachelor's degree in architecture may be put on a two-year track, while those that have a bachelor's degree in another subject may be put on a longer, three-year track.

It's important to note that although some programs can admit students with B.Arch degrees, some M.Arch programs specifically do not admit B.Arch holders to their program.

The curriculum for M.Arch programs typically consists of graduate-level design studio courses and advanced topics in the following:

• History and theory
• Visual representations/studies
• Preservation issues
• Sustainability
• Environmental challenges and tectonics

Like most graduate programs, students in an M.Arch or other master's degree program should also expect to complete a thesis and or practicum project at some point in their studies, usually in their final year.

Other master's degrees

Beyond an M.Arch degree, there are many MA and MS degrees in architecture available as well. These can be great for people that have a B.Arch degree and want to expand their skills and expertise. Always remember to check out the licensing requirements of your state, but the bottom line is that you shouldn't immediately write off these other degree programs that are not accredited by the NAAB.

Doctoral degrees in architecture

Some architects may wish to advance to the apex of their field by pursuing a doctoral degree in architecture which typically takes between three and five years to complete. By earning a doctoral degree, architects may have a platform to make significant contributions to their field.

There is only one Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch) program in the United States, which is offered by the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Their program is designed to, "prepare students for active and critical engagement to advance the quality of the built environment, including design and professional practice, teaching, research and civic leadership."

Other schools offer Ph.D. programs in architecture which are research degrees primarily designed to prepare students to teach in academia and/or conduct research within the field. Some doctoral students may also go on to hold positions within the government or nongovernment organizations (NGOs). Ph.D. programs usually have a specialization or area of focus that dictates the direction of the research students conduct and their dissertation topic.

The curriculum for doctoral degree programs can depend heavily on whatever research topic students choose to investigate, but usually include courses on the following:

• Research methodologies
• Advanced architectural design, methods and history
• Courses based on the degree specialization, such as history & theory, design computation, urbanism or sustainability
• Courses in a secondary discipline (such as psychology, history, engineering, sociology and more) which, in combination with architecture, act as the basis for one's research

"For me, I didn't take business classes. I didn't take more technical classes, understanding for example how mechanical systems work," Osolin said. His particular B.Arch degree, he said, put a lot of emphasis on design more than anything. Even though that wasn't a bad thing, diversifying your coursework in these areas could be very helpful down the road.

The future of architect education

As the profession of architecture has evolved over the years, so too has architectural education. Perhaps the most glaring example is the use of technology and computer software within the field. Architects used to draw everything by hand, and while these skills are still important, architects today must also learn how to use Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software programs to digitize their designs.

In addition to learning more technological skills, classes in the following subject areas have become more commonplace within program curriculums:

• Climate change and sustainability
• Urbanization
• Social and cultural issues related to architecture