Architecture Internships: The Complete Guide [2026]

Landing an architecture internship is one of the most important steps in your journey from student to licensed architect. It's where classroom theory meets real-world practice, where you learn how firms actually operate, and where you start building the professional network that will shape your career.

But architecture internships are more than just a resume booster. In the United States, they're a formal requirement for licensure. The Architectural Experience Program (AXP) administered by NCARB requires 3,740 documented hours of professional experience before you can sit for the ARE exams. That means your internship isn't optional. It's the foundation of your entire career path.

Whether you're a third-year B.Arch student looking for your first summer position or a recent M.Arch graduate seeking full-time experience, this guide covers everything you need to know: where to find internships, how to stand out, what to expect on the job, and how to make the most of every opportunity.

Why Architecture Internships Matter

Architecture is one of the few professions where practical experience is formally tied to licensure. You can't simply graduate and call yourself an architect. The path requires years of supervised work, and internships are where that journey begins.

The AXP divides its 3,740 required hours across six experience areas:

• Project Development and Documentation (1,520 hours minimum): The largest category, covering design development and construction documents
• Project Planning and Design (1,080 hours): Schematic design, code review, and communicating design concepts
• Project Management (360 hours): Scheduling, budgeting, contracts, and coordination
• Construction and Evaluation (360 hours): Construction administration, site observation, and post-occupancy evaluation
• Programming and Analysis (260 hours): Pre-design research including client requirements, building codes, and site analysis
• Practice Management (160 hours): Business operations, marketing, and client relations

Half of these hours (1,860) must be earned in "Setting A," which means working at a firm that legally practices architecture under the supervision of a licensed architect. The remaining hours can come from academic settings, community design centers, or related employment.

As of November 2025, NCARB updated its policies significantly. Experience up to one year old earns 100% credit, while older experience still earns 75% credit with no cap on age. The old list of 96 specific tasks has been replaced with broader competency standards, making it easier to document diverse work experiences.

Beyond licensure requirements, internships give you something no classroom can: an understanding of how architecture actually gets built. You'll see how designs evolve through client feedback, budget constraints, and code requirements. You'll learn how consultants coordinate. You'll discover the gap between a beautiful rendering and a buildable set of construction documents.

Types of Architecture Internships

Not all internships are the same. Understanding the different formats will help you find the right fit for your goals and circumstances.

By Duration

Summer internships (8 to 12 weeks) are the most common entry point. Many firms run structured summer programs specifically designed for students. Semester or part-time internships during the academic year typically involve 15 to 20 hours per week. Year-round or co-op programs can last 3, 6, or 12 months, with some universities alternating academic terms with work terms. Post-graduation positions are full-time roles before licensure, often titled "architectural designer" or "architectural staff."

By Firm Size

Your experience will vary dramatically depending on the size of the practice.

At a small firm (1 to 20 people), you'll likely get exposure to the full project lifecycle. You might sit in on client meetings, help with schematic design, draft construction documents, and visit construction sites all within the same week. You'll work directly with principals and partners, building close mentorship relationships. The trade-off is that pay tends to be lower and formal training programs are rare.

At a large firm (50+ people), you'll typically work on bigger, more complex projects like hospitals, airports, or campus buildings. You might specialize in one area, such as documentation, rendering, or BIM coordination. Larger firms often provide structured training programs, workshops, and better compensation. The downside is that you may see only a narrow slice of the project process.

The best advice from experienced architects: try both at different points in your career. Each teaches you something the other can't.

By Format

In-person remains the standard and is preferred by most firms for hands-on learning. Remote and hybrid positions have grown since 2020 and are viable for computational design, visualization, and research tasks. International internships through programs like The Intern Group or Go Overseas place you in firms across cities like London, Barcelona, Tokyo, and Singapore.

By Compensation

Most established US firms pay their interns. Unpaid internships at for-profit companies are legally restricted under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The Department of Labor uses a "Primary Beneficiary Test" to determine whether an unpaid arrangement is lawful. If the employer is the primary beneficiary of the work, the intern is legally an employee entitled to minimum wage. International placements and non-profit positions are more commonly unpaid.

What Architecture Interns Actually Do

If you're wondering what your day-to-day will look like, here's a realistic picture.

Core Tasks

You'll spend much of your time creating and revising architectural drawings based on project specifications and redline feedback from project architects. This includes floor plans, sections, elevations, and construction details. You'll work in Revit, AutoCAD, or Rhino depending on the firm and project phase.

3D modeling and visualization is increasingly a central part of intern work. Firms rely on interns who are fast with Rhino, SketchUp, or Revit 3D to produce study models, client presentations, and marketing materials. Rendering with V-Ray, Lumion, Enscape, or Twinmotion is common.

You'll also do research: zoning laws, building codes, material specifications, precedent studies, and product research. This is less glamorous but essential to how architecture gets done.

Other regular tasks include preparing presentations for design reviews, organizing project files, creating diagrams and site plans using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, and building physical or digital study models.

Meetings and Collaboration

Architecture is deeply collaborative. As an intern, you'll attend internal design reviews where the team pins up work in progress and critiques it together. At smaller firms, you may also join client meetings and consultant coordination meetings with structural engineers, MEP engineers, and landscape architects. Weekly team check-ins and stand-ups are standard.

Site Visits

One of the most exciting parts of an internship is visiting construction sites. You'll take photos, note construction progress, and check the work against contract documents. This is where you begin to understand how your drawings translate into built reality, and it's invaluable experience for the Construction and Evaluation area of the AXP.

How to Find Architecture Internships

Architecture-Specific Job Boards

These platforms are where most architecture firms post openings. They should be your starting point:

• Archinect Jobs: The premier architecture job board. Curated listings with global reach. If you visit one site, make it this one.
• Dezeen Jobs: Strong UK and European focus with high-quality listings from well-known firms.
• ArchDaily Jobs: Global listings including remote positions. One of the largest architecture platforms in the world.
• AIA Career Center: The official American Institute of Architects job board. Offers free resume evaluation for registered users.
• AIAS: Student-focused career resources from the American Institute of Architecture Students.

General Job Platforms

LinkedIn is essential for both job searching and networking. Many firms post openings directly and recruiters actively search for candidates. Indeed has a large volume of architecture internship listings that you can filter by location, salary, and job type. Glassdoor adds salary data and interview reviews from past interns. WayUp specifically targets students and recent graduates.

Specialized International Programs

Architect-US runs a structured paid summer internship program with applications typically opening in the fall for the following summer. The Intern Group places interns at architecture firms in major cities worldwide, with options for both in-person and remote programs. Go Overseas aggregates international internship opportunities across multiple providers.

Direct Outreach

Here's something many students don't realize: most small and mid-sized firms never post their internship openings. They hire through word of mouth, faculty connections, and cold emails.

This means direct outreach is one of the most effective strategies. Identify firms whose work you admire, research their recent projects, and send a concise email with your portfolio and a cover letter explaining why you want to work at their specific practice. This approach shows initiative and genuine interest, qualities that principals value highly.

Also attend AIA events, school career fairs, and firm open houses. Follow firms on Instagram and LinkedIn for announcements. And don't underestimate the power of faculty recommendations and connections from your studio critics.

Building a Strong Portfolio for Internship Applications

Your portfolio is your most important tool. It's the first thing firms look at, and it often determines whether you get an interview.

Keep it focused. For a general portfolio, aim for 20 to 30 pages. For a quick "teaser" version to attach to cold emails, 5 to 8 pages is enough. Lead with your strongest project. Don't include everything you've ever done.

Show your process. Firms want to see how you think, not just polished final images. Include concept sketches, design iterations, analytical diagrams, and development studies for each project. A portfolio that only shows finished renders tells the reviewer nothing about your problem-solving ability.

Demonstrate range. Include hand sketching, digital modeling, rendering, technical drawings, and physical models. Show that you can work across multiple media and scales.

Tailor it to the firm. If you're applying to a residential firm, lead with your best residential project. If the firm does healthcare or institutional work, show projects with relevant complexity. This takes extra effort but immediately signals that you've done your research.

Be honest about group work. Always specify your contribution in collaborative projects. Reviewers understand that studio projects are often group efforts, but they need to know what you specifically brought to the table.

Mind the file size. Keep your PDF under 15 MB for emailing. Use high-quality but properly compressed images. Include your contact information on every page or at minimum on the cover and back pages.

Software Skills That Get You Hired

Software proficiency is one of the biggest factors in whether you land an internship. Firms need people who can be productive quickly, and strong technical skills reduce the time and cost of training.

Here's how skills stack up in the current job market:

Essential (Expected in Nearly Every Posting)

Revit dominates the US market with over 37% market share among large firms. If you're looking for internships at firms that produce construction documents (which is most of them), Revit proficiency is non-negotiable. AutoCAD remains widely used, particularly in Europe where 47% of architects rely on it as their primary CAD tool. SketchUp is valued for early-stage design and concept modeling.

Competitive Advantage

Rhino and Grasshopper are where you can really stand out. Nearly 90% of design architect job advertisements request Rhino and Grasshopper knowledge. These tools have become essential for parametric design, complex geometry, and computational workflows that are increasingly central to how innovative firms operate.

The Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) is critical for post-production, presentations, and portfolio work. V-Ray and Lumion are the most requested rendering tools.

Emerging Differentiators

Python or C# scripting for Grasshopper is becoming a powerful differentiator. As firms adopt more computational workflows, the ability to write custom scripts sets you apart from candidates who can only use visual programming. BIM management tools like Navisworks and BIM 360 are also increasingly valued, along with real-time rendering tools like Enscape and Twinmotion.

The numbers tell a clear story: 87% of companies report a shortage of computational design skills. BIM proficiency is now table stakes. Parametric design and computational thinking are what separate candidates in a competitive market.

If you want to build or sharpen these skills, our Rhino for Architects Course provides over 60 hours of hands-on architectural training in Rhino, covering modeling, rendering, and animation. For parametric design, the Grasshopper Complete Course offers comprehensive training in algorithmic design workflows that firms are actively seeking.

Compensation and What to Expect

Let's talk about money. Architecture internship pay varies significantly by location, firm size, and your experience level.

United States

The average architecture intern earns $21 to $23 per hour in the US. The 25th percentile is around $18 per hour, while the 75th percentile reaches about $27 per hour. On an annualized basis for full-time positions, that translates to roughly $43,700 to $66,600.

The highest-paying cities for architecture interns include Washington DC, New York, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Smaller markets typically pay less but often have a lower cost of living.

Europe

European intern and junior architect salaries range from EUR 30,000 to 70,000 annually depending on the country. The Netherlands averages around EUR 47,900, Germany ranges from EUR 40,000 to 70,000 (with Munich and Hamburg on the higher end), and the UK ranges from GBP 28,000 to 60,000 with London commanding a significant premium. Switzerland and Scandinavia consistently sit at the top of the scale.

Benefits Beyond Pay

Larger firms may offer health insurance for longer-term interns, paid time off, professional development stipends, and software training. Smaller firms typically provide fewer formal benefits but compensate with broader hands-on experience and closer mentorship.

The most important non-monetary benefit is AXP hours. Every qualifying hour you work counts toward your 3,740-hour licensure requirement, and that progress is ultimately worth far more than the hourly wage difference between firms.

Interview Tips for Architecture Internships

You've found a position, tailored your portfolio, and landed an interview. Here's how to make it count.

Bring your portfolio. Even if you already submitted it digitally, bring a printed copy or have it ready on a tablet. Walking through physical pages creates a different (and often more engaging) conversation than a screen share.

Research the firm thoroughly. Know their recent projects, design philosophy, and leadership. Reference specific work that resonated with you. Nothing impresses an interviewer more than a candidate who clearly understands and appreciates their practice.

Prepare to walk through your projects in depth. Don't just describe what the project is. Explain the design decisions you made, the challenges you faced, and what you learned. Interviewers want to see how you think, not just what you produced.

Common Interview Questions

• What inspired you to pursue architecture?
• Walk me through this project in your portfolio.
• What software are you most comfortable with?
• How do you handle feedback or criticism on your designs?
• Describe a time you solved a problem in a group project.
• What are your career goals?

Prepare questions to ask. Good questions demonstrate genuine interest: What types of projects would I work on? How is the intern program structured? What does mentorship look like here? What software does the team use most?

Making the Most of Your Internship

Getting the internship is step one. Making it count is what really shapes your career.

Ask questions constantly. But take notes so you don't ask the same thing twice. Senior architects are usually happy to explain their thinking, especially to interns who show genuine curiosity and follow-through.

Volunteer for diverse tasks. Don't just stick with what's comfortable. If there's a site visit, ask to go. If there's a client meeting, ask to sit in. If someone needs help with a rendering or a code study, raise your hand. The more varied your experience, the more AXP categories you'll cover and the more well-rounded you'll become.

Build relationships with everyone. Not just the principals, but project managers, fellow interns, and even consultants. Architecture is a small world, and the connections you make during an internship often lead to job offers, recommendations, and collaborations years later.

Document your work for your portfolio. Ask permission first, then save high-quality screenshots, renders, and drawings from projects you contributed to. Some firms have strict policies about sharing work, so always check before including anything in your portfolio.

Track your AXP hours diligently. Log them regularly using NCARB's system. Don't wait until the end of your internship to try to reconstruct months of work from memory. Keep a weekly log of what you did and which experience area it falls under.

Request feedback regularly. Don't wait for a formal review at the end. Ask your supervisor for quick check-ins throughout the internship. "Is there anything I should be doing differently?" is one of the most powerful questions you can ask.

Be reliable above all else. Show up on time. Meet your deadlines. Communicate proactively when you're stuck or when something is going to take longer than expected. Reliability is the quality that principals remember most, and it's what turns a summer intern into a full-time job offer.

The Architecture Industry in 2026

The profession is evolving rapidly, and understanding current trends will help you position yourself effectively.

The US architectural services market is valued at approximately $79 billion and growing at 4.2% annually. Green building demand is growing even faster at 14.3% CAGR, meaning firms increasingly need people who understand sustainability, energy modeling, and green certifications like LEED and Passive House.

BIM adoption has reached 68% of AEC professionals, with roughly 70% of US projects now using BIM workflows. This is no longer a differentiator. It's expected.

What does differentiate you is computational design capability. With 87% of companies reporting skill shortages in this area and nearly 90% of design architect job ads requesting Rhino and Grasshopper knowledge, the demand for these skills is real and growing. Firms are actively seeking architects who can bridge creative design thinking with data-driven, algorithmic workflows.

Remote and hybrid work has become a permanent fixture. Fully remote roles are increasingly viable for computational design, visualization, and BIM management tasks, while in-person presence remains important for collaborative design sessions, model-making, and site visits.

For interns entering the field right now, the message is clear: build your technical skills early and build them deep. Revit and AutoCAD will get you in the door. Rhino, Grasshopper, and computational thinking will set you apart. If you want to strengthen these skills before your next application, explore our Rhino and Grasshopper Courses for comprehensive training tailored specifically for architects.

Conclusion

Architecture internships are the bridge between academic potential and professional reality. They give you the hands-on experience that no studio project can replicate, the mentorship relationships that accelerate your growth, and the AXP hours that move you toward licensure.

The firms hiring today are looking for interns who bring strong software skills, genuine curiosity, and the reliability to contribute from day one. The good news is that all of these qualities are within your control.

Start by updating your portfolio. Research firms whose work inspires you. Apply through the job boards listed above, but don't stop there. Send direct emails to firms, leverage your faculty connections, and attend industry events. The architecture community rewards initiative, and your next internship might come from an email you almost didn't send.