How to become an architect

 

 

Introduction | Outlook - Career Challenges | Education | Becoming a Licensed Architect | Resources - NY Schools | Other Schools - Scholarships

 

Becoming a Licensed Architect

 

All states require prospective architects to be licensed by their state licensing board (the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, or NCARB, provides a helpful list of links to state licensing boards as well as those in Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). Licensing requirements vary slightly state-to-state. Most states require licensed architects to have earned a degree through an accredited architecture program. The National Architectural Accrediting Board accredits 114 schools in the United States and Canada (as of September 2006) and includes bachelor, master, and doctor of architecture degree programs.

 

Many students opt to pursue a five-year bachelor of architecture program, which qualifies students to pursue a post-graduate internship and pass the licensure examination. A non-accredited BS or BA in architecture studies prepares students for related careers in construction management, design, and real estate.

 

All state boards require architects to complete an internship before they are eligible to take the registration exam. In most states, the internship period involves three years of working under a licensed architect. All states except for Arizona use the standards established by NCARB's Intern Development Program, which include 700 training units in design and construction documents, construction contract administration, and management. Each training unit is the equivalent of approximately eight hours of work.

 

Although many states consider completion of IDP a requirement for qualification to take the AREs, some states allow their candidates to take the ARE simultaneous with completing IDP. The exam covers seven areas:

Programming Planning & Practice

Site Planning & Design

Building Design & Construction Systems

Schematic Design

Structural Systems

Building Systems

Construction Documents and Services

 

An optional certification many architects seek out is one that is offered by NCARB itself. More than 30,000 architects have sought out the NCARB Certificate that facilitates license reciprocity between states and demonstrates that an individual has met NCARB's most stringent standards of competence.