An internship is a great way to gain real-life experience in a career field that interests you. It allows you to peek into the day-to-day life of professionals in the field and decide if it is a good fit for you. Even better, internships look good on a college application. They impress the admissions team and can increase your chances of acceptance.
High school students interested in architecture should do high school architecture internships and decide if it is the right career path for them. This article includes information on college preparatory programs and architecture internships for high school students. We’ll include things like geographic location and program length so you can pick the right high school architecture program for you. We’ll even look at architecture summer high school internships for the off-season.
Can High School Students Access Architecture Internships?
Yes, high school students can access architecture internships and college preparatory programs. High school students who are interested in a career in architecture should apply for a specific architecture internship for high school students.
However, the majority of internships are unpaid, and students may have to pay to attend, which costs $100 to $3,000, depending on the experience. Most programs are offered in the summer and can be completed in a short time, typically between one and six weeks.
Are There Architecture Summer High School Internships?
Yes, there are architecture high school summer internships and pre-college architecture programs. Many of them are hosted by universities and are designed for students who want to earn an Associate Degree in Architecture or a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture. These architecture summer internships are designed to introduce you to architecture and prepare you to earn an undergraduate degree.
Why Are Internships Important for High School Students?
- It allows career exploration. Internships are an excellent way to determine whether a career is a good fit for you. Participating in a real-life job experience allows you to understand what a career in that field is like day-to-day and if that is interesting to you.
- Students get real-life experience. Internships provide students with real-world work experience and a taste of professional life. It will help you determine if you are on the right career path and improve your chances of getting a job in the field.
- It builds professional skills. The best way to improve your skills in any field is to practice. By taking part in an architecture internship program, high school students will be able to develop the necessary skills for the field and prepare for their future careers.
Top 10 High School Architecture Internships
Boston Architectural College’s Summer Academy for High School Students
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts or online
- Length: Four weeks, summer program
- Time Commitment: Three and a half hours daily
This summer program is for high school students between grades nine and 12 interested in architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture. Students get insight into what the professional world looks like through lectures, exercises, site visits, and career-oriented field trips to professional firms. They will also get to work on both physical and digital design projects.
Florida Atlantic University School of Architecture Summer Program
- Location: Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Length: Three weeks, summer program
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program is designed for students in their sophomore year of high school through undergraduate students in their first two years of college. Students will learn the basics of architecture and will work on design projects that can be used in a college application portfolio. You do not need any design experience to apply.
New York City Department of Design and Construction High School Summer Internship Program
- Location: New York City
- Length: Six weeks, summer program
- Time Commitment: Full time, five days a week
This internship is for high school students who are interested in architecture, engineering, or construction. Students get both hands-on training and educational instruction. Interns will do Internet research, documentation, and clerical work. Architecture interns will also have the opportunity to do some AutoCAD drafting.
Norwich University’s Architecture Summer Design Academy
- Location: Northfield, Vermont
- Length: One week, summer program
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program will teach the students the essentials of design and how to create architectural compositions. In this short, intensive program, students will design a small building and present their ideas with drawings and models.
Build San Francisco Summer Design Institute
- Location: Online
- Length: Three weeks, summer program
- Time Commitment: Three hours per day, Monday to Friday
This program is designed for high school students interested in architectural design and urban development. Students will learn multiple digital design software platforms that they will use for individual and group projects. By the end of the program, students will have created a portfolio to use for college applications and other opportunities.
New Jersey Institute of Technology Summer Architecture + Design Program
- Location: Newark, New Jersey
- Length: Five days
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program is for high school upperclassmen who are interested in architecture or interior design. The program allows students to practice teamwork by working together in an architecture studio environment. Students will create drawings and models and learn how to critique projects.
SCI-Arc Design Immersion Days
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Length: Four weeks
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program allows high school students to experience the world of architecture and design. In this immersive four-week program, students will learn architectural software and design processes, and they will demonstrate what they’ve learned in a public final exhibition.
La Jolla Historical Society Young Architects Summer Program
- Location: La Jolla, California
- Length: One week
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program lets high school students explore architecture, interior design, and construction. Practicing architects will teach students about layout planning, architectural drawing, modeling, and computer skills. Software used includes AutoCAD and Sketch-Up.
Nebraska College of Architecture Career Explorations in Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture
- Location: Lincoln, Nebraska
- Length: Five days
- Time Commitment: Full time, Monday to Friday
This program is designed to help high school students understand architecture as a career and learn more about design professionals and college life. Through field trips and workshops, students will learn about architectural conventions, client/designer scenarios, and career opportunities in the field.
OmniLYF Summer Program
- Location: Salt Lake City, Utah; Houston, Texas; online
- Length: Two to nine weeks
- Time Commitment: Seven hours per day, Monday to Friday
The OmniLYF Summer Program is for prospective architecture students to get hands-on experience in the field of architecture. The programs range from two weeks to nine weeks, and there are different costs for each program. Students can choose the architecture pathway from a choice of 16 different career pathways.
This program is open to high school students beginning their sophomore year. This program offers a chance for students to talk to real architectural design teams and get career advice from industry professionals.
Architecture Classes for High School Students
There are various classes that high school students can take to prepare them to become an architect. The programs will lay a foundation for the students to understand architecture, design, and construction. You can find some of them below.
- Introduction to Architecture for High School Students Online by the Cooper Union. This program for high school students teaches the basics of architecture through workshops and seminars and gives students the opportunity to practice these concepts through projects. At the end of the five-week program, students will have a portfolio of work. This will help students prepare for college life and bolster their college applications.
- Online Summer Intensive Studies by Parsons Academy. This is a four-week online program for high school students interested in architecture and design. Through hands-on projects, students will create a portfolio, which is often required in applications for arts-based undergraduate programs.
- Winter Design Academy by the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. This is a three-week online program for high school students. It is a project-based program that will help students build their skills in physical and digital modeling, sketching, drafting, verbal presentation, and portfolio layout and design.
- Online Architecture Courses by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. This class is designed to help high school students learn the fundamentals of architecture, including basic vocabulary and conceptual processes. Students are taught through a combination of traditional methods, lectures and readings, hands-on methods, interactive digital videos, and projects.
- Arcstart: A Pre-Architecture Residential Summer Program for High School Students by Taubman College. This summer architectural college prep course gives high school students a chance to experience what it’s like to be an undergraduate student in architecture. They will get to participate in a studio experience and see the intensity of these programs firsthand.
Should You Do an Internship in High School?
Yes, you should do an internship or college preparatory program in high school if you can. These programs are designed to prepare students for college and a career in the field. They introduce you to the relevant architecture skills needed to excel in the field, and they are great extracurricular activities to include in your college application.
Architecture Internships for High School Students FAQ
Yes, you can shadow an architect as it can help to prepare you for the profession. It will help you understand the field, what it entails, and the skills required to have a successful career. It can help you decide if it is the right career for you.
You can prepare to become an architect in high school by participating in an internship program or college preparatory program. These programs will help you understand the daily lives of architects and what is required to become an architect. You’ll also learn whether you enjoy the work.
An architecture intern will work under the supervision of a professional. Some of their roles will include conducting site visits, project research, building models, and 3D visualization.
Subjects you need to take in high school to study architecture are physics and several years of math. A visual arts class is also important, and many undergraduate programs require a portfolio of art or design projects. You will also need to fill whatever core course requirements you need for your university of choice.
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