Education Policies

II. PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURE DEGREE EDUCATION
II.A Interdependence of Education and Practice
II.B Degree Requirement for Licensure
II.C Degree Nomenclature
II.D Studio Culture
II.E Diversity
II.F Professional Experience

III. ARCHITECTURE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION
III.A Mentorship
III.B Practice Culture
III.C Internship and the IDP
III.D Expanding Professional Experience Settings
III.E Lifelong Learning

I. ARCHITECTURAL K-12+ EDUCATION

I.A Architectural Education in K-12 and Community College Settings

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that the art and science of architecture, when integrated into K-12 core curricula and community college course offerings, enhances the students' understanding of the built environment, helps them appreciate and understand aesthetic qualities, and encourages them to think creatively and critically about the creation of livable communities.

Explanation. The AIA believes that its members should take an active role in developing architecturally related curricula tools for use by teachers, as well as facilitating learning opportunities for students through guest lectures, job shadows, etc. Architecturally related lessons, activities, terminology, etc. can be easily integrated into the core curricula of Mathematics (geometry, etc.) Fine Arts, Social Sciences, Science and Language Arts. Exposure to architecture will allow students to better respond to their environment, and to better appreciate the qualities of form, function and aesthetic beauty. The AIA supports the efforts of the American Architectural Foundation, AIA local and state components, and individual architects facilitating architectural education opportunities for K-12 and community college students.

Examples of existing programs include:

• Architecture as a Basic Curriculum Builder - Washington County Education Service District, Portland, Oregon;
  
• Architecture: It's Elementary! - A K-5 Curriculum - AIA Michigan;
  
• Schoolyards to Skylines: Teaching with Chicago's Amazing Architecture - Chicago Architecture Foundation.

II. PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURE DEGREE EDUCATION

II.A Interdependence of Education and Practice

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that practice and education are interdependent elements of the profession that, when integrated, enable students, educators, and practitioners to obtain and maintain the knowledge and skills needed to enter and fully participate in the profession in service to society.

Explanation. The integration of practice into education provides graduates of professional degree programs shared practical experience and knowledge of professional culture that prepares them to become architects in expanding and diverse practice settings. Practice requires leadership, management, team-building, communication, decision-making, negotiation and collaborative abilities, in addition to technical skills. Practice, by this definition, is a highly promising and creative opportunity for schools to redefine the profession's future through increased service to society. Opportunities for integrating practice into education include case studies, cross-disciplinary projects, in-studio teams, pre-graduation internship experience, and community design involvement. These experiences serve to enrich the students' education, and prepares them to become leaders not just within the profession, but in their broader communities.

The integration of education into practice provides practitioners with access to the energy and knowledge of students and faculty. In addition to regular dialogue between educators and practitioners, opportunities for integrating education into practice include encouraging and establishing support for collaborative research, creating semester- or summer-long fellowships for faculty to work in firms, developing schools' roles in provision of continuing education units, supporting practitioners' participation as adjunct faculty or jury members, and participation in case studies. The AIA encourages its members to actively support professional degree programs with their time and resources to help the academy and the profession fulfill their shared obligations to students and interns.

The AIA supports and encourages those activities and practices that promulgate an interdependent relationship, in which practice is integrated into education and education is integrated into practice. Such activities and practices best serve both society and the profession.

II.B Degree Requirement for Licensure

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes in the requirement of a professional degree from a National Architectural Accrediting Board-accredited program or its equivalent as a prerequisite for professional licensure, as its purpose is to provide students with the fundamental skills, knowledge, and judgment foundational to architectural practice.

Explanation. Education, experience, and examination are related prerequisites for licensure and for practice, although each must be justified independently as elements of a registration system. It is difficult for one element to serve as an adequate substitute for another.

Professional architectural education provides exposure to a foundation of knowledge, particularly in design, that is difficult to duplicate by other means. It is preferred that a substantial majority of candidates for registration will have earned a professional degree from an accredited architectural program.

However, restricting the route to licensure to a single process can limit the opportunity of persons who may be fully qualified and unfairly restrict access to the practice of architecture. There is a continuing need for an equivalency evaluation process, considered on an individual candidate basis. The equivalent must be a fair and equitable alternative such as NCARB's Broadly Experienced Architect, and considered on an individual candidate basis.

II.C Degree Nomenclature

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects supports maintaining multiple paths to the acquisition of a professional degree, which shall include at least a Bachelor of Architecture and a Master of Architecture.

Explanation. This policy supports accreditation of a variety of professional degrees in U.S. schools of architecture based on inclusion in their curriculum of the professional content established by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, thus enabling access to architectural education by students of varied means and geographic locales. It also allows students the flexibility to choose a school of architecture that is convenient and a program duration that is affordable, and supports the freedom of each school to create uniqueness through its context, its faculty, and its philosophy, all factors that influence the program's ability to develop an innovative curriculum and pedagogy that serves the profession and society.

II.D Studio Culture

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects supports the recommendations of the December 2002 American Institute of Architecture Students Studio Culture Task Force report, The Redesign of Studio Culture, including the belief that architectural design studio is the foundation of professional degree education, such that studio can and should promote the essential values of optimism, respect, collaboration, engagement, and innovation for a more engaged and effective profession.

Explanation. The AIAS Studio Culture Task Force report recognizes the powerful and important pedagogical potential of architectural design studio, and proposes means of maximizing this potential, to result in a more optimistic, respectful, collaborative, engaged and innovative profession. Studio culture should promote: design process as well as product; leadership development, collaboration, community engagement and service, the importance of people, clients, users, communities, and society in design decisions; interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary learning; confidence without arrogance; oral, written, visual and graphic communication; constructive critique; healthy lifestyles; balance between studio and non-studio courses; emphasis on the value of time; an understanding of the ethical, social, political, and economic forces that impact design; clear expectations and objectives for learning; an environment that respects and promotes diversity; successful and clear methods of student assessment; and innovation in creating alternative teaching and learning methodologies.

II.E Diversity

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that all individuals must be provided with equality of opportunity to pursue and advance in architecture careers-regardless of gender, age, race, religion, ethnic background, sexual orientation, physical ability, or national origin-and supports those activities, programs, and processes which foster diversity.

Explanation. Diversity enhances the educational experience and enriches the practice of architecture. We learn from those whose experiences, beliefs, and perspectives are different from our own, and these lessons can best be taught in a richly diverse intellectual and social environment. Promoting greater diversity in the profession requires a consistent, long-term effort focused on the education, recruitment, retention, and advancement of all groups, particularly those who historically have been under-represented. Such an approach requires the combined cooperation and participation of firms, professional societies, and the education community, with the following objectives:

• Identify and advance programs that ensure equality of opportunity in arts and science education in the nation's elementary and secondary schools (K-12), and community colleges
  
• Encourage efforts to create greater diversity among the faculty and students in architecture programs
  
• Promote mentoring, career counseling, and leadership development designed to attract and retain students who are actually representative of the nation's diversity
  
• Identify and reduce barriers to employment and career advancement for qualified individuals without prejudice

The AIA strongly supports increasing diversity in architectural education and the architecture profession. In order to expand the diversity of the design professions to reflect the society we serve, the architecture profession must better engage the knowledge and talents of our diverse population, increase the viability of architecture as a career option for all individuals, and promote the pursuit of architecture careers by historically under-represented groups.

II.F Professional Experience

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that encouraging professional experience in architecture education programs promotes leadership, intellectual depth, and teamwork, and supports and encourages the integration of both internships and studies incorporating practical experience into professional degree programs.

Explanation. In Building Community, Ernest Boyer and Lee Mitgang write, "real life experiences produce better graduates." Echoing this intent, the AIA believes that integrating internships more fully into education will allow students to bring education, experience, and practice together, resulting in a more cohesive learning experience.

Many degree programs integrate practical experience into their curricula, and many practitioners routinely provide practical experience opportunities for students, with extremely positive and measurable results, whether the experience is offered for academic credit during the school year, or for compensation without academic credit during semester breaks. Exposure to professional experience early in an individual's education ensures that graduates are better prepared to enter the profession and better serve society.

III. ARCHITECTURE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION

III.A Mentorship

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes its members should recognize and fulfill their obligation to nurture emerging professionals as they move through all stages of their professional experience, beginning with professional education and continuing throughout internship and licensure.

Explanation. The demands of the architectural profession are such that re-establishing a culture of mentoring is essential if we are to provide the guidance and encouragement necessary for emerging professionals to become well-rounded architects and members of the profession who are well-prepared to serve society. Mentoring has historically been a significant part of the practice of architecture-the method for transferring the profession's body of knowledge to the next generation-for much longer than formal university education has been in existence. This culture of mentoring should be pursued and promoted by every member of our profession through a variety of means: by fostering professional growth, experience, and knowledge; advising and discussing career development plans, objectives, issues, and concerns; providing the highest quality information and advice about education, professional issues, and opportunities; providing guidance and support throughout the professional development program; and promoting continuing education and diverse professional development opportunities after licensure.

Mentoring networks, guidelines, and incentives should be developed, utilized, and continuously updated to reflect contemporary practice in order to encourage regular exchanges between established professionals and emerging professionals or architectural students, to nurture the careers of the next generation of architects and provide a framework for personal and professional development. Additionally, this culture of mentorship should be ingrained and carried forward as mentees become mentors throughout the progression of their careers.

III.B Practice Culture

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that the culture of practice should promote the essential values of optimism, respect, collaboration, engagement, and innovation through management practices that encourage professional development education and recognition of the knowledge and abilities of employees and collaborators.

Explanation. Architecture firms and other practice settings have an obligation to continue to educate their employees and develop the knowledge-base of the profession in service to society. A more optimistic, respectful, collaborative, engaged and innovative profession will result from practice culture that promotes: leadership development; collaboration; community engagement and service; the importance of people, clients, users, communities, and society in design decisions; confidence without arrogance; communication; constructive critique; healthy lifestyles; clear expectations and objectives for professional development; an environment that respects and promotes diversity; successful and clear methods of employee assessment; and innovation in creating alternative professional development methodologies.

III.C Internship and the IDP

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes in a comprehensive internship with measurable qualitative training criteria as a requirement for licensure.

Explanation. Internship complements formal education as preparation for licensing and architectural practice. Evaluation of internship should be based upon demonstrated mastery of certain practice skills and judgment in addition to a reasonable minimum required duration.

An internship program based on defined learning objectives ensures that the intern has been exposed to many areas of practice necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public, and has achieved essential basic competencies required for practice. Training guidelines or learning objectives developed for internship should identify the minimum core abilities an intern should acquire during the training period to provide the foundation for practice in a diversity of settings. The AIA also recognizes that it is a fundamental obligation of its members to provide mentorship and support to those interns participating in IDP. In addition, the AIA calls for the evolution of NCARB's IDP into a comprehensive professional development program and believes that the IDP training areas should provide interns with diverse training and experience opportunities, which are essential parts of preparation for licensure and professional practice.

III.D Expanding Professional Experience Settings

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that NCARB's IDP training settings outlined within the Intern Development Program 2002-2003 IDP Guidelines should be broadened to include many other training settings, in support of the recommendation included in the Collateral Internship Task Force (CITF) Final Report and affirmed by the 2002 National Internship Summit that alternative paths for obtaining professional experience leading to licensure be accepted.

Explanation. Allowing credit for non-traditional professional experience paths to licensure will encourage a variety of training experiences that will ultimately enhance the development of emerging professionals and increase the knowledge and experience of the profession as a whole.

In addition to expanding the variety of accepted professional experience settings and reviewing the restrictive durational requirements, appropriate alternatives include developing a competency-based professional experience program for emerging professionals; encouraging collaborative educational and professional initiatives such as practicum studios and practice academies; and recognizing that some competency-based professional experience can be obtained prior to beginning a professional degree program. IDP credit can also be given for expanding roles and extended services within a firm, as well as participation in continuing education programs.

III.E Lifelong Learning

Policy Statement. The American Institute of Architects believes that its members must be engaged in lifelong learning and must contribute to the knowledge base in order to continually develop the discipline.

Explanation. Canon I of the AIA Code of Ethics states, "Members should strive to improve their professional knowledge and skill." The demands of the architectural profession require a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, and acceptance of the obligation to be leaders and teachers. Furthermore, the AIA supports the CITF Final Report recommendation that continuing education be required to maintain licensure. Lifelong learning is necessary to ensure that AIA members possess current skills and expertise to compete in the marketplace and serve society. The AIA, its components, and its members support continuing professional development in a variety of ways, including sponsoring and developing workshops, seminars, teleconferences, videotapes, self-study monographs, and other media.