Literature indicated the need to include a variety of skills in architecture pedagogy to better enable students to establish their footing in professional practice. This study attempted to understand perceptions of fourth year architecture students at two programs regarding their preparation for professional practice. Observations in design studios, interviews with faculty teaching the studio, and focus group interviews with selected students provided data for this study. Five concerns associated with professional practice emerged: (1) "Budgetary concerns," (2) "Understanding the Design Firm Dynamics," (3) "Communicating in the Field," (4) "Technical and Legal Concerns," and (5) "Precedent Studies." These are discussed and implications derived for architecture education which may also be relevant to the pedagogical structure for other fields in higher education. (Contains 1 table.)