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Major · Architecture & Related Services

Building science meets drafting, BIM, and energy design

Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology trains you to apply technology to building design, retrofits, and energy-conscious operations. Coursework spans drafting, structural and mechanical systems, sustainability, and CAD/BIM tools. It is a technical track, not a path to architect licensure.

Schools offering
82
Annual completions
3,888
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$68k

About this major

Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology applies technology to how buildings get designed, retrofitted, and run. The CIP definition is specific: lighting and daylight design, acoustics, solar design, building conservation, and energy-conscious design, layered on top of architecture, structural and mechanical engineering basics, environmental control systems, sustainability, and computer tools like CAD and BIM. It sits at CIP 04.0902, inside the building-sciences family rather than the licensure-track Architecture major at 04.0201.

The major fits students who want to work on real buildings — drawings, models, energy performance, construction coordination — without committing to the long professional path of becoming a licensed architect. It rewards visual-spatial thinking, comfort with software, and patience for code-driven detail. Students who like the design conversation but want a faster route into paid work often land here.

The data backs the technical-track framing. Median earnings five years out are about $67,584 across 3,888 annual completers from 82 institutions, but the bachelor’s-versus-associate’s split tells the story: $70,844 for bachelor’s graduates and $53,240 for associate’s. Career destinations span architectural and civil drafters at a $64,280 median wage, BIM coordinators, building-systems technicians, energy analysts, construction project coordinators, and — eventually, with experience — architectural and engineering managers at $167,740. None of those roles require the ARE exam, which is what separates this major from the licensure path.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Architectural and engineering managers $168k +3.8% Bachelor's degree
Architectural and civil drafters $64k +4.1% Associate's degree
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101k +2.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$68k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$53k

Bachelor's

$71k

Who this major is for

Strong fit signals are concrete. You enjoy reading plans, sketching elevations, and watching how a building actually performs in heat, cold, and daylight. CAD or BIM software does not intimidate you; you would rather model a wall section than write a literature paper. You are drawn to the design conversation but would rather spend four years and head into a $64,000-plus drafter role or building-tech job than commit to the five-to-eight-year architecture-licensure track. Sustainability and energy performance pull at you more than pure aesthetic theory.

Reconsider if you want to be a licensed architect — this major does not lead there, and Architecture (CIP 04.0201) at the same 82-school scale of related programs is the right destination. Reconsider if math and physics are dealbreakers and you also want the higher engineering-track ceiling, since Architectural Engineering will serve that goal better. The $17,600 gap between associate’s and bachelor’s earnings also matters: if cost is the main driver and you only plan to complete an associate’s, weigh whether a community-college Architectural Technology/Technician program (CIP 04.0901) gets you to the same drafter role for less debt.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA 0 172 172
Pratt Institute-Main Brooklyn, NY 1 143 144
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 0 133 133
Syracuse University Syracuse, NY 0 121 121
University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 0 104 104
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO 0 102 102
New York Institute of Technology Old Westbury, NY 0 100 100
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL 0 99 99
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA 0 95 95
University of Miami Coral Gables, FL 0 90 90
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Architecture

3,649 completions/yr

Architectural Engineering

901 completions/yr

Landscape Architecture

679 completions/yr

City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning

654 completions/yr

Interior Architecture

653 completions/yr

Architectural Technology/Technician

647 completions/yr

Environmental Design/Architecture

552 completions/yr

Architectural Sciences and Technology, Other

6 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

Is this the same as a regular Architecture major?
No. This major (CIP 04.0902) sits in building sciences and technology, while the Architecture major (CIP 04.0201) is the licensure track. Licensed architects need a NAAB-accredited B.Arch or M.Arch, complete the AXP internship hours, and pass the multi-division ARE exam. This program prepares technicians, drafters, BIM specialists, and building scientists who support design teams and building operations.
What do graduates actually earn?
Median earnings five years out are about $67,584 across all completers, with bachelor’s graduates near $70,844 and associate’s graduates near $53,240. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists architectural and civil drafters at a $64,280 median wage, and architectural and engineering managers at $167,740 (the senior-track ceiling, after years of experience).
Bachelor’s or associate’s — which makes sense?
The earnings gap is real: bachelor’s graduates out-earn associate’s graduates by roughly $17,600 per year five years in. An associate’s gets you into drafting and BIM technician roles faster and cheaper. A bachelor’s opens project-coordinator, building-performance, and sustainability roles, and is needed if you want to climb toward construction management or engineering-manager tracks.
Where is this major strongest?
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo leads with 172 completions, followed by Pratt Institute (144) and Virginia Tech (133). Syracuse, the University of Kansas, CU Denver, NYIT, Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UMass Amherst, and Miami round out the top ten. Programs vary widely — some sit inside architecture schools, others inside engineering or construction-management departments.
What jobs do graduates land?
Common destinations include architectural and civil drafter, BIM modeler/coordinator, building-systems technician, energy-modeling analyst, construction project coordinator, and building inspector. With experience, graduates move into construction management, sustainability consulting, or — with further education — architectural engineering. The architectural and engineering manager role at $167,740 median wage is a long-horizon target, not an entry point.
How does this compare to Architectural Engineering?
Architectural Engineering (CIP 14.0401) is an accredited engineering discipline focused on building systems — structures, HVAC, lighting, acoustics — and can lead to a PE license. It is more math- and physics-heavy. Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology is broader and more applied, covering tools, drawings, and operations rather than engineering analysis at the PE level.