Architecture

About Architecture

The great Winston Churchill famously once said, "We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." Architecture is a work of art and one intensely intricate one too. I'm sure you're left awestruck every time you come across an image of the Burj Khalifa of Dubai or The Shard of London. Let's go back in time a bit and marvel at timeless architectural masterpieces such as the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids of Giza. Leaves you speechless, don't they?

The architectural process is the sole reason behind the existence of such wonders that we droll over. So what really is architecture?

It's the procedure that involves the designing, outlining, planning and lastly, construction of the various structures and buildings we see around us. Every physical structure that encompasses us needs a full-proof blueprint and a team of adept architects to see it come to fruition.

  • Diploma in Architecture Engineering (3 years)
  • Diploma in Architectural Assistantship (3 years)
  • Diploma in Interior Design (1 year)
  • Diploma in Interior Design and Decoration (1 year)
  • Diploma in Construction Technology (3 years)
  • Diploma in Interior Design and Display (2 years)
  • Diploma in Interior Architecture and Design
  • Diploma in Interior and Spatial Design (4 years)
  • Diploma in Civil Engineering (3 years)
  • Diploma in Construction Management (1 year)

Eligibility and Cutoff

  • Candidate must have completed Class 10.
  • Cut off is 55% for general category with Mathematics and Science scores taken into special consideration while for reserved categories such as SC/ST/OBCs, it stands at 45/50 %.
  • Candidates must not have any back logs at the Class 10 level and should have cleared all subjects at the time of admission.
  • The admission process in some of the top institutes may even have an entrance test. Most of them accept Common Entrance Test (CET) scores and put out a merit list based on the scores accordingly as part of the screening process.
  • Diploma in Interior Design needs a Class 12 passing certificate with no emphasis on a specific cut-off.
Cut off Marks for Diploma

Average Fees

3,000 - 50,000 a year. The fee varies from course to course and also depending on the institute.

Average Fees for Diploma
  • Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) in Interior Design (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) in Architecture and Regional Planning (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) in Landscape Architecture (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) in Building and Construction Management (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Planning (B.Plan.) (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) in Interior Design (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Interior Design (3 years)
  • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Interior Designs and Decoration (3 years)
  • Bachelor of Science Honours (B.Sc.) (Hons.) in Interior Design (3 years)
  • Bachelor of Interior Design (B.I.D.) (3 years, in some cases 5 years)
  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Interior Design (3 years)
  • Bachelor of Arts Honours (B.A.) (Hons.) in Interior Architecture Design (3 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Civil Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Urban and Regional Planning (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology + Master of Technology (B.Tech. + M.Tech.) in Civil Engineering (5 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Civil Infrastructure Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Ceramics and Cement Technology (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology Honours (B.Tech.) (Hons.) in Civil Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Architecture Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Civil Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Architecture Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Ceramics and Cement Technology (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Engineering Honours (B.E.) (Hons.) in Civil Engineering (4 years)
  • Bachelor of Construction Technology (4 years)

Eligibility and cut-off marks

  • Candidate must have completed Class 12 or any equivalent examination with a minimum aggregate score of 50% with Mathematics as a compulsory subject.
  • A candidate who has done a 3 year diploma is also eligible to go for a B.Arch. and should have scored at least 50% marks in 10+3.
  • Council of Architecture's National Aptitude Test in Architecture (NATA) needs to be cleared in order to be eligible to take up architecture courses. A candidate must score at least 80 marks out of 200 to be considered as passed. NATA consists of two parts - Drawing and Aesthetic Sensitivity Test. The clearance of the same is required to get into most colleges, who put up a merit list as soon as the scores are released. The quota differs from state to state.
  • Some of colleges even have their own entrance test, however almost all accept NATA scores as it is a National level entrance test.
Cut off Marks for Graduation

Average Fees

1,500 - 2 lakhs per year.

Some private institutes have fees as high as 5 lakhs per year, however, the average tuition fees ranges between 50,000 - 4 lakhs a year

Average Fees for Graduation
Post Graduation
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Landscape Architecture (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Architectural Conservation (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Construction Management (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Urban Design (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Interior Design (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Digital Architecture (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Architectural Design (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Industrial Design (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Environmental Architecture (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Computer Applications (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Building Construction and Management (2 years)
  • Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) in Theory and Design (2 years)
  • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Interior Design (2 years)
  • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Interior Design and Resource Management (2 years)
  • Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Urban Planning (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Structural Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Environmental Architecture (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Landscape Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Construction Engineering and Management (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Urban Design (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Infrastructure Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Geotechnical Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Highway Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Urban Planning (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Structural Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Town and Country Planning (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Construction Technology (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Structural Engineering and Construction Management (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Construction Engineering and Management (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Civil Engineering (Structural Engineering) (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Building Technology and Construction Management (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Highway Technology (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Civil Structural Design (2 years)
  • Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Civil Engineering (Geotechnical Engineering) (2 years)
  • Master of Interior Architecture and Design (2 years)
  • Master of Planning (2 years)
  • Master of Planning in Housing (2 years)
  • Master of Planning in Urban and Regional Planning (2 years)
  • Master of Planning in Infrastructure (2 years)
  • Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Civil Engineering (2 years)
  • Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Architectural and Settlement Conservation (2 years)
  • Post Graduation Diploma in Interior Design (1 year)
  • Post Graduation Diploma in Construction Management (1 year)
  • Post Graduation Diploma in Interior Designing and Decoration (1 year)
  • Post Graduation Diploma in Civil Engineering (1 year)
  • Post Graduation Diploma in Town and Country Planning (1 year)

Eligibility and Cutoff

  • A candidate must have cleared his or her graduation in any architecture related field with a score of 55 %. The cut-off differs from institute to institute.
  • In addition to having a year's experience, a candidate would also be needed to clear an aptitude test, the most popular being Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE).
  • Some institutes may even have their own aptitude test while some states have conduct their own such as Tamil Nadu's Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET).
Cut off Marks for Post-Graduation

Average Fees

24,000 - 1.1 lakhs per year. The fee may differ from course to course

Average Fees for Post-Graduation
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Architecture (2 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Structural Engineering (3 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil Engineering (3 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Housing (2 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Architectural Conservation (3 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Landscape Architecture (2 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Building Engineering and Management (2 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Structural Dynamics (3 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Industrial Design (3 years)
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Regional Planning (3 years)

Eligibility and Cutoff

  • Candidate must have cleared architecture related Bachelors and Masters programmes with a score of 55%.
  • 4 years of experience is also required to stand eligible.
  • Clearing an aptitude test would also be necessary for most institutes. NATA is commonly accepted.
Cut off Marks for PhD

Average Fees

12,000 - 77,000 per year. The fee differs from course to course and also depending on the institute.

Average Fees for PhD
  • Certificate in Interior Designing and Decoration (1 year)
  • Certificate in Interior Design (6 months)
  • Certificate in Civil Engineering Supervision (6 months)
  • Certificate in Landscape Design (6 months)
  • Certificate in Digital Architecture and Interior Design (10 months)
  • Certificate in Architectural Design and Visualization (1 month)
  • Certificate in Advanced Architectural Design (1 year)
  • Certificate in Architectural 3D Designing (7 months)
  • Certificate in Architectural Animation (6 months)

Eligibility and Cutoff

  • Candidate must have cleared Class 12 from any stream with a minimum score of 55%. For some courses, the cut-off doesn't come into play and a passing certificate is all that's required.
Cut off Marks for Certification

Average Fees

2,000 - 50,000 for the entire course. The fee varies from course to course and also depending on the institute.

Average Fees for Certification

Demand in the last few years

Presently, there are more than 450 architecture institutes all over India that produce nearly 35,000 architects every year. Now that figure is alarmingly low when compared to the demand for architects in every section of construction and planning. The gap between the demand and supply is really quite large.

Until a few years ago, architecture was still quite a subdued choice as engineering, medicine and science courses took in a majority of the higher secondary pass outs from the science stream. That trend is gradually changing as the opportunities in the gigantic realm of architecture are an alluring prospect to many of the young folks out there.

Architecture is not just all about the art as it requires tremendous cognitive capabilities and a strong mind to back it up. Those who are up for the challenge and are weary of the popular streams are turning towards architectural specializations as it's equally formidable as its contemporaries in engineering and medicine.

One look around you and it wouldn't take an overly smart mind to figure out that structures are cropping up left, right and centre. The rise in constructions asks for a steady supply of architects and this is the real reason why many are opting for the highly-demanding line of work.

Wondering how your career could pan out as an architect? Read on...

Future Scope

  • As mentioned above, architects are the need of the hour in the midst of a construction boom in India. There is absolutely no shortage of job opportunities in the country. Whether it is planning, designing, constructing or preservation - the options to choose from is what makes architecture a career that guarantees to keep you occupied at all times. No architecture graduate goes unemployed as architecture firms are always waiting in line to grant apprenticeship to ambitious young architects. The following employment areas act as a further motivator behind picking architecture as a profession:

    • Construction and building companies
    • Regional and urban planning organizations and bodies
    • Art galleries
    • Museums
    • Academic and educational Institutes
    • Building and monument conservation bodies
    • Architecture and design firms
    • Public Works Department
    • Housing corporations
    • Town planning organizations
    • Private construction companies
    • Archeological department
  • Here are some of the job profiles that an architect can attain:

    • Landscape/residential/research/restoration/industrial/green design/commercial architect
    • Project/ Senior project architect
    • Design architect
    • Technical architect
    • Interior designer
    • Sustainability consultant
    • Urban designer
    • Freelance architect/designer/ consultant
    • Building inspector
    • Architectural theoretician
    • Project manager
    • Senior principal architect
    • Operations manager
    • Construction coordinator
    • Instructional designer
    • Town planner
    • Lecturer/professor/teacher
    • Architectural Conservator
    • Architectural technician
    • Architectural Data analyst
    • Interiors manager
    • Business development manager
    • Architectural assistant
  • These are just a handful of domains and types of jobs that an architect can look forward to as soon as he or she completes their academic journey. Let's talk about the money then!
  • Fresher/junior architect: While an intern can get anywhere around 1.6 lakhs a year, a junior architect can take home around 2.7 lakhs per annum.
  • Mid-level and senior architects: The minimum package of a relatively experienced architect would be around 4.8 lakhs per annum which can go up to 12 lakhs a year depending on the experience and career graph.
  • Highly experienced and managerial level architects: The average salary of a seasoned professional in the architectural spectrum is around 12-17 lakhs per annum. The figure can even go up to 28 lakhs depending on achievements and experience. The minimum package is 11 lakhs per annum.
  • That's not all as architects can pocket a few extra bucks (which is still quite a lot) as a self-employed freelancer by offering designing and consultancy services. The possibilities in India itself are so endless and rewarding that there's no need to look outside the country.
  • Just like medicine, architecture is a noble field that brings about elevated levels of job satisfaction. Imagine passing by one of your prized creations while you take a drive on a Sunday morning? It really is a darn good feeling.
  • So what are you waiting for? Waste no time whatsoever and go take the first step in becoming an architect as the nation direly needs you!