How to become an Architect?
To become a registered Architect in the United States of America there is a three step process: Education, Internship and Examination.
Education
The first step is to get an education at an accredited school of Architecture. The last time I checked there were only 122 universities that were accredited in the United States. The degree programs can vary between the schools but ultimately the individual must obtain a professional degree. Professional degree as recognized by the NAAB.
National Architectural Accrediting Board www.naab.org The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture in the United States. Since most US state registration boards require any applicant for licensure to have graduated from a NAAB-accredited program, obtaining such a degree is an essential aspect of preparing for the professional practice of architecture. While graduation from a NAAB-accredited program does not assure registration, the accrediting process is intended to verify that each accredited program substantially meets those standards that, as a whole, comprise an appropriate education for an architect.
The mission of the NAAB is leadership in, and the establishment of, educational quality assurance standards to enhance the value, relevance, and effectiveness of the architectural profession.
The three types of degree plans are as follows:
5 Five year Bachelors Professional (the oldest degree for Architecture, no longer available)
4+2 Four year undergraduate in Architecture and a Two year masters in Architecture
4+3 Four year undergraduate (not in architecture) and a Three year Masters in Architecture
In the cases where one obtains a Masters degree that is their first professional Masters. In order to become tenured Professor they must obtain a second professional Masters degree in Architecture. The second professional is usually a specialty (Planning, Urban Design, Sustainability, Historical Preservation, etc…).
My degree is the Five Year Bachelors Professional from Texas Tech University. It is no longer available at Tech because they changed to the 4 + 2.
Internship
After obtaining the education, an individual must start working for a registered Architect and begin the Internship Development Program or IDP. The IDP is documented by National Council of Architectural Registration Boards or NCRAB.
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards www.ncarb.org: NCARB members are the architectural registration boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each registration board has state-appointed public and professional members as well as an administrator. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards protects the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects.
http://www.ncarb.org/Experience-Through-Internships.aspx
The IDP is a process that allows an individual to demonstrate experience in many aspects of the practice of Architecture under the supervision of a registered Architect. This process can vary depending on the amount the individual is exposed to at the firm they are working at. The minimum time of experience that the IDP requires is at 3 years.
I was lucky and worked at a small firm that allowed me to be involved in every aspect of a project.
Examination
The Architects Registration Exam or ARE 4.0 is a seven part exam that consists of the following topics:
Building Design & Construction Systems 5 ½ hours
Building Systems 4 hours
Construction Documents & Services 4 hours
Programming, Planning & Practice 4 hours
Schematic Design 6 hours
Site Planning & Design 4 ½ hours
Structural Systems 5 ½ hours
Total 33 ½ hours
http://www.ncarb.org/ARE.aspx The Architect Registration Examination® (ARE®) assesses candidates for their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required in the practice of architecture. The ARE has been adopted for use by all 54 U.S. Member Boards and the Canadian provincial and territorial architectural associations as a registration examination required for architectural registration.
The exam is taken on a computer at a testing facility and each individual exam can be scheduled when there is an available time. Most individuals do not take the exams back to back on the same day. The original exam (before computers) was given twice a year in a two day marathon. There is a time limit that is given to a candidate once they start taking the exams of five years.
Given some of the variables indicated above, the time will vary for every individual depending on many factors. I took 3 years for examination due to the birth of my two sons. Late night feedings took a toll on my ability to studying. In summary the table below indicates the timeframe one can expect if you want to become a registered Architect.
5 to 7 years Education
3+ years Internship
1+ year Examination
9 to 11+ years Total
Quick Facts:
There are only 100,000 active registered architects in the country.
Percentage of the population: 311 million 1 in every 3,110 .0003% of the population.
In comparison, there are 83,560 Attorney’s in the State of Texas.
Awesome insights! I have been looking for something like this for quite a while now. Thx!
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be actually something which I think I would never understand. It seems too complex and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, Ill try to get the hang of it!
Awsome article and right to the point. I am not sure if this is actually the best place to ask but do you folks have any ideea where to get some professional writers? Thanks in advance 🙂
Sid,
Thank you. We don’t know any professional writers. Sorry.
Jeramie
Wow! Thank you! I permanently wanted to write on my site something like that. Can I take a part of your post to my blog?
Aaron,
If you want to reference our blog on yours that would be okay with us.
Jeramie