Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Architecture Professor
What architecture professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an architecture professor?
Lead a studio desk crit session. From there, the day usually includes lead design studios, give critiques and reviews, and teach history, theory and technology. Studio teaching can run long hours, especially near reviews.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an architecture professor working full time.
- Lead a studio desk crit session.
- Teach building technology.
- Work on a firm project.
- Host a final review with guest critics.
- Meet an advisee about portfolios.
- Review student models.
- Prepare a conference paper.
Where architecture professors work
Faculty work in design studios, classrooms, workshops and sometimes their own practices.
Hours and schedule
Studio teaching can run long hours, especially near reviews.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Lead design studios
- Give critiques and reviews
- Teach history, theory and technology
- Advise students
- Conduct design research
- Practice architecture
- Serve on accreditation and committees
Tools you’ll use every day
- Revit and Rhino
- AutoCAD
- Model-making shops
- Laser cutters
- Rendering software
- Learning management systems
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Creative teaching
- Can combine with practice
- Mentor future architects
- Design research
What’s hard
- Long studio hours
- Competitive positions
- Licensure and degrees required
- Heavy review periods
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love architecture
- I enjoy critiquing design
- I want to teach and practice
- I like mentoring
- I can handle long studio hours
- I’m creative
Not sure? Take the free Architecture Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Enforce shop and laser cutter safety
- Promote healthy work hours
- Protect student privacy
- Follow campus safety