Online Engineering and Construction Degrees in Architecture & Landscape Design

Architecture Career Training

Architect and landscape design careers call on both creative and technical skills. Professional architects, both structural and landscape designers, must build an engineering skill set before they can practice. To become an architect, you generally need to earn one of the following college degrees:

• Five-year bachelor's degree
• Two-year master's degree (if you already hold a bachelor's in architecture or related field)
• Four-year's master's degree (if you hold a bachelor's in an outside field)

Architecture Degree Programs

They typically combine technical career training with design practice. Coursework might include building design, history and theory of architecture, professional practice, and courses in math, science, and liberal arts.

If your interest lies in landscape design, you can earn a bachelor's or master's degree specializing in landscape architecture. Landscape architects study construction techniques, plant and soil science, surveying, landscape design, ecology, site design, and urban and regional planning.

Both architecture and landscape design programs include applied career training in professional practice and general management, in view of the fact that many architects set up their own private practice upon becoming licensed. The Department of Labor estimates that architects are twice as likely as the rest of the population to be self-employed--about one in five architects works as a private contractor.

Online Architecture Degrees

Architecture and landscape design degrees are available online, bringing this professional education within reach of working professionals. Online degrees are most common at the master's level, where students may update their skills or transition into an architecture career. If you want to get into the workforce before committing to a full-time degree program, online diplomas and certificates in computer-aided design (CAD) or landscape architecture can prepare you for entry-level jobs.

Additional Career Requirements

In addition to a professional degree, architects and landscape designers must complete an internship or apprenticeship as well as a battery of exams. The practical training component of the licensure requirements typically translates into at least three years work in the field under the supervision of a licensed architect or landscape designer. Following this period, the initiate is qualified to sit the nine-part professional architect licensing exam.

Job Prospects for Architects & Landscape Designers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers for architects are expected to grow faster than average through 2016. The Department of Labor forecasts 18 percent growth in architect jobs during the decade from 2006 to 2016. As of 2007, the median salary for architects was $73,650; landscape architects earned $62,000 during the same period.

• Drafting with AutoCAD
• Landscaper

• Architecture - Master
• Interior Architecture & Design - Associate
• Interior Architecture & Design - Bachelor
• Interior Architecture & Design - Master

• Drafting with AutoCAD
• Landscaper

• Landscape Design Program

• Drafting with AutoCAD