Architecture is an exciting career option that involves both creativity and technical aspects. But, how are the career scopes in India, what are the top architecture colleges in India, and prospects of higher studies abroad? Let’s find out.

Architecture Colleges in India and Career Scopes after B.Arch

Co-authored by Parinita Gupta

What is Architecture?

Architecture is a process of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or any other structures. An architect uses this process and works on the material to form the building designs and layouts. Back in the 1900s and even before, designing the house/building/palace is considered to be the highest work of arts. Later after civilization and due to the boom in the construction, urban planning, urban development corporations, public work’s departments, interior designing industries increased the demand for qualified and experienced Architects.

In the current scenario, to get approval for any construction requires the complete layout designed by a qualified Architect, without any proper layout the Government bodies do not give permission to build the constructions. Certified Architects have many opportunities in architect /construction firms worldwide.

A good architect is one who is imaginative, creative, is able to critically assess things, have attention to details, and have good communication skills.

Why Study Architecture after Class 12?

An architect plays an important role in economic development. An architect is the one who creates amazing and beautiful buildings and structures/ layouts. A person with a bachelor’s and Master’s degree in architecture has a lot of demand in the market who really makes a lot of differences and fulfills the centrifugal bodies in many national and international businesses.

Secondly, urbanization is happening at a faster rate in India. Population residing in the urban areas in India increased from 11.4% in 2001 to 34% in 2017. According to a survey by the UN State of the World Population report in 2007, by 2030, 40.76% of country’s population is expected to reside in urban areas. We are seeing the emergence of ultra-modern residential complexes, office spaces, malls everywhere. Hence, pursuing B.Arch after Class 12 is a great option.

Last but not least, people nowadays are more inclined towards energy saving and aesthetics. Businesses and individuals are hiring architects to design their offices and homes.

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Career Path of an Architect

To become an Architect aspirant has to complete their 10+2 Examination with Mathematics and English as compulsory subjects & secure at least 50% marks in the examination. They have to join in 3 years Bachelors degree in Architectural program. Many students prefer 5 years of a degree program which will become an addon advantage to join the reputed Architecture firms in the world. There are many other training programs along with software learning programs like CADD drafting, structures and many more specially designed for architects.

Related Post: Top Careers without Maths and Science in Class 12

An aspirant will grow to an extensive level in his career when he/she earns a license in the Architect. There is an Architect Registration Examination where the students have to enroll themselves and have to go through it to get certified as a professional architect. These certifications are issued and approved by National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).

There are so many internship programs which are offered by many reputed architect firms. But most of the Architects prefer joining Architectural Experience Program (AXP) a program run by NCARB which helps the students have the practical knowledge on writing building codes and write specifications for building materials, installation criteria, the quality of finishes, and other related details.

Architecture Courses and Colleges

Architecture Courses

• Diploma in Architecture (3 Years)
• Diploma in Architecture Engineering
• Bachelor of Architecture or B.Arch (5 Years)
• Masters of Architecture or M.Arch (2 Years)
• Doctorate (Ph.D.) in Architecture (3 – 6 Years)

Architecture Entrance Exams in India for Class 12 Students

Students, who want to pursue B.Arch after Class 12, could appear for various entrance exams.

• National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) – conducted by the Council of Architecture (CoA)
• JEE Main Paper 2 – conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA)
• Architecture Aptitude Test (AAT) – conducted by seven zonal IITs
• Entrance exams of individual institutes or states (e.g. AMU B.Arch exam or KCET)

Top Architecture Colleges in India

1. IIT Kharagpur
2. IIT Roorkee
3. National Institute of Technology, Calicut
4. School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi
5. College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram
6. National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli
7. Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
8. School of Planning and Architecture Vijayawada
9. BIT, Ranchi
10. College of Engineering Visakhapatnam
11. Anna University (Chennai)
12. Aligarh Muslim University
13. Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal
14. BMS College of Architecture
15. Panjab University (Chandigarh)
16. Government College of Architecture, Lucknow
17. Government Engineering College, Trichur (School of Architecture)
18. Government College of Architecture & Sculpture, Mamallapuram
19. CEPT University, Ahmedabad
20. Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai
21. Jadavpur University
22. NIMS University
23. Manipal University

Career Scopes and Jobs after B.Arch

After B.Arch, you can either opt for higher studies or apply for jobs. Both lead to the development of specialized skill sets that help further enhance career prospects. There are several positions in organizations for an architect such as architectural engineer, historian, building researcher, draftsman, interior designer, section engineer, technologist, art director, contractor, inspector, planner.

A professionally qualified Architect will always have a lot of opportunities. This is a job role where opportunities are not limited. From designing a corporate arena to commercial buildings everyone needs an architect to design its structure and produce technical layouts. A qualified architect’s, presence and drawn layouts are mandatory to build any construction like apartments, hospitals, hotels, stadium, shopping complexes, schools, industrial complexes and many more.

Even the Government sector has many job opportunities for certified architects. They will get hired in the departments like Archaeology, National Building Organization, Ministry of Defense, Departments of Railways, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, Public Works Department, etc or become a consultant /set up one own company and take up his projects.

If a person has a good experience with a Master’s in Architecture degree, they can become a lecturer in various institutions or can even take private classes to the students.

An architect is just a title, there are different types of Architects who work for different kinds of roles. Major careers related to Architects are:

1. Architectural and Engineering Managers

Architectural and engineering managers are a role where an architect plans, directs and coordinates the activities in architectural and engineering companies.

2. Civil Engineers

Civil engineers conceive the design, builds, and supervise the construction site and maintain the infrastructure of the projects.

3. Drafters

The drafter is a career related to architecture who uses the software to convert the designs into technical drawings.

4. Industrial Designers

Industrial designers are specialized architect’s who develop concepts related to industries.

5. Interior Designers

Interior designers design the interior spaces functional, safe, and beautiful by determining space requirements and selecting decorative items, such as colors, lighting, and materials.

6. Landscape Architects

Landscape architects design the parks and the outdoor spaces of campuses, recreational facilities, businesses, private homes, and other open areas.

7. Urban and Regional Planners

Urban and regional planner designs the plans and programs which help in creating the communities, accommodating population growth, and revitalizing physical facilities in towns, cities, counties, and other metropolitan areas.

Typical Job Profiles after B.Arch

A degree in Architecture will also give you a chance to become other professions related to architecture like

1. Building Surveyor
2. Commercial/residential surveyor
3. Construction manager
4. Estates manager
5. Higher education lecturer
6. Historic buildings inspector/conservation officer
7. Landscape architect
8. Planning and development surveyor
9. Production designer, theatre/television/film
10. Structural engineer
11. Town planner

Higher Studies after B.Arch

Higher Studies in India

There are at least hundreds of options to choose from. The most popular ones are School of Planning and Architecture (SAP), Delhi, IIT Roorkee, Jadavpur University, Sir JJ College of Architecture, CEPT University. GATE and CEED are important exams for B.Arch students in order to pursue a masters program.

Besides Master of Architecture, one can pursue Master of Urban Design, Master of Design (Industrial Design), Master of Planning (Environmental Planning / Housing / Regional Planning / Transport Planning / Urban Planning), Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Building Engineering and Management.

Higher Studies Abroad

If you love architecture, you’ll love discovering new places and experiencing new design abroad. Besides, studying abroad has got its own advantages. Some of the best countries to study Architecture abroad would be:

• USA
• UK
• Netherlands
• Australia
• Germany
• Spain
• Belgium
• France
• Canada
• Hong Kong
• UAE
• Singapore
• China
• Switzerland
• Norway

Top Foreign Universities for Architecture

1. MIT
2. UCL
3. Delft University of Technology
4. ETH Zürich
5. UC Berkeley
6. University of New South Wales
7. Harvard
8. Manchester School of Architecture
9. Tsinghua University
10. University of Hong Kong
11. University of Cambridge
12. EPFL Switzerland
13. Politecnico di Milano
14. National University of Singapore
15. University of Sydney
16. University of British Columbia
17. Columbia University
18. RMIT University
19. KTH Sweden
20. University of Melbourne
21. TU Munich
22. University of Toronto
23. Georgia Tech
24. Hong Kong Polytechnic University
25. UCLA
26. University of Tokyo
27. McGill University
28. University of Sheffield
29. Cornell University
30. University of Southern California
31. KU Leuven
32. University College Dublin
33. University of Waterloo
34. University of Auckland
35. University of Technology Sydney

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Job market scenario for Architects in India and Foreign Countries

The job market in both India and Foreign countries for an architect is very high. In the last 10 years, it was observed that all the nations are concentrating more on improving the infrastructure of the old buildings and building a new place which will bring the privilege to the nation.

To meet the demand of the current growing economy and population, the Indian government is giving an opportunity to improve the current infrastructure and also giving approvals to many companies to grow.  This shows the extent of architectural work and creating massive opportunities within the country. Many foreign architectural firms are setting their office in India, so there is an increasing demand for professional Architects in India.

The developed countries like Australia, the US, Dubai, and Europe are looking for professional architects who can modulate the infrastructure of the present building and develop its interiors and exteriors according to the demands of the market. This also shows a huge demand for architects, interior designers and urban planners in such developed countries.

It is observed that architecture is in a state of flux where we can see that there are many explorations, opportunities where architects are allowed to do develop sensible and most attractive drafts and designs which will change the lifestyle of the people and people can communicate with the buildings and spaces which can sustain till prosperity.

Best Countries to Work Abroad as Architects

• UAE
• Saudi Arabia
• Australia
• Canada
• Norway
• Switzerland
• China
• Brazil

Recognition of Foreign Degrees in Architecture in India

In order to practice in India as an Architect, you need to have a degree from a college/university that is listed on the CoA website. If you want to work at the Govt. places, this is very critical. Please refer to this page to find out the list of universities.

As of now, the majority of Bachelor degrees by 67 US universities and Graduate degrees by 36 US universities are recognized by the Indian Govt. In the UK, architecture degrees awarded by the Universities of Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Sheffield, Wales are valid in India.

Employment and Salaries

Top Recruiters:

1. Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj
2. L&T
3. DLF
4. Jindals
5. IMAXE
6. Manchanda Associates
7. Architect Consultants
8. VSA Space Design (P) Ltd.
9. Edifice Architects Pvt. Ltd.
10. Chitra Vishwanath Architects
11. Sahara Group
12. Hafeezcontracter
13. Arcop associates
14. Skets studio
15. HBA International
16. Sleek International
17. Greenply industries
18. Hafele India

Architect Salaries in India and Abroad

The salary will depend on your job profile, company, location & work experience. The median annual wage for architects is about Rs. 4 Lac to Rs. 5 Lacs per annum.  Candidates having a work experience of more than 5 years they can get a salary in between Rs. 8 Lac to Rs. 10 Lacs per year. The salaries are comparatively very high in government organizations.  Most architects work full time prefer to be consultants which help them to earn more.

In the US and UK, the average annual salaries of Architects are around USD $78,000 and GBP £32,000.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.