Career StagesIntern Development Program

June 2012

NCARB has enacted several changes to the Intern Development Program (IDP) with IDP 2.0, effective April 5, 2012. This fact sheet describes updates to Supplemental Experience opportunities. The full IDP Guidelines in PDF format are available online only by clicking “Overview” at http://www.ncarb.org/en/Experience-Through-Internships.aspx.

As a reminder NCARB administers the Intern Development Program, please refer to their IDP guidelines for further information on Supplemental Experience. If you have any questions regarding IDP please contact NCARB’s customer service at customerservice@ncarb.org or 202-879-0520. The supplemental experience opportunities outlined here may require approval by an architect supervisor or mentor for credit towards IDP.

Supplemental Experience for Core Credit Opportunities

Through these opportunities, an IDP participant can earn credit towards the minimum number of hours in a specific experience category or area in which they are earned. However, each opportunity does have a specific limit in terms of the maximum allowable hours.

An intern does not have to be employed in a recognized work setting to take advantage of these opportunities. Experience hours earned through these activities are not considered in the maximum of 1,860 hours allowed in supplemental experience for elective hours. All supplemental experience must be reported through the NCARB online reporting system.

• Design or Construction Related Employment
• Leadership and Service
• Emerging Professional’s Companion Activities (www.epcompanion.org)
• NCARB’s Professional Conduct Monograph
• CSI Certification: CCS and CCCA (www.csinet.org)
• Community-Based Design Center/Collaborative
• Design Competitions
• Site Visit with mentor

Design or Construction Related Employment

• Design or construction related activity under direct supervision of a person experienced in the activity.
• Examples include analysis of existing buildings, programming, design of an interior space, engaging in building construction activities.

Leadership and Service

• Pro bono experience in support of an organized activity or in support of a specific organization
• Examples include construction or architectural services, critic at a design review, participating in a high school career day, and volunteering for an organization such as AIA, USGBC, or Boy/Girl Scouts.

Emerging Professional’s Companion Activities for Core Credit

• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern can earn up to 40 core hours in each experience area by completing activities in the Emerging Professional’s Companion.
• Only activities designated as Supplemental Experience for Core hours can be used towards core experience and must be completed under the supervision of an IDP supervisor or mentor.
• Each activity is worth eight (8) hours. A maximum of 1,800 hours may be earned through the EPC in any combination of core and elective hours.
• Interns must have an AIA or AIAS number to report EPC activities. If interns are not a member of either organization, they can request a free transcript by completing the web form at www.aia.org/FreeTranscriptsforInterns.

Professional Conduct Monograph

• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern can earn 16 core hours in “Business Operations” by reading the NCARB Professional Conduct Monograph and passing the related quiz.
• Interns may access a downloadable version of the NCARB Professional Conduct Monograph at no charge through “My NCARB Record.”

CSI Certification Programs: CCS & CCCA

• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern may earn 40 core hours in “Material Selection and Specification” for passing the CSI Certified Construction Specifier (CCS) certification.
• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern may earn 40 core hours in “Construction Administration” for passing the CSI Certified Contract Administrator (CCCA) certification.

Community-Based Design Center/Collaborative (CDC)

• Interns may earn up to 40 core hours in each IDP experience area (except Leadership and Service) for volunteer service in support of a pre-approved charitable organization outside of a recognized work setting or academic requirement.
• CDC organizations must apply to NCARB to be recognized for the purpose of IDP credit. The organization must be pre-approved by NCARB before the experience occurs.
• View a current list of NCARB-approved organizations. Organization interested in applying to NCARB should contact idp@ncarb.org.

Design Competitions

• Interns may earn up to 40 core hours in each IDP experience area (except Leadership and Service) for completion and submission of a design competition entry outside of a recognized experience setting or academic requirement.
• The design competition must be completed under the supervision of a mentor and meet certain criteria (See the IDP Guidelines, available on NCARB’s website).
• To earn credit, the intern must complete a Design Competition Verification Form.

Site Visit with Mentor

• Interns may earn up to 40 core hours in “Construction Phase: Observation” by visiting construction sites with a mentor.
• The site visit must be outside of a recognized experience setting.

Supplemental Experience for Elective Credit Opportunities

An IDP participant may earn a maximum of 1,860 elective hours through these supplemental experience opportunities. These hours are not applied to any specific IDP experience category or area and can be earned whether or not employed in a qualified work setting.

• Teaching or Research
• Emerging Professional’s Companion Activities (www.epcompanion.org)
• GBCI LEED AP Credential (www.gbci.org)
• Advanced Degrees
• AIA Continuing Education
• CSI Certificate Program: CDT (www.csinet.org)

Teaching or Research

• Teaching or research in a NAAB- or CACB-accredited program under the direct supervision of a person experienced in the activity.

Emerging Professional’s Companion: Exercises

• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern can earn elective hours by completing activities in the Emerging Professional’s Companion.
• Only activities designated as Supplemental Experience for Elective hours can be used towards core experience and must be completed under the supervision of an IDP supervisor or mentor.
• Each activity is worth eight (8) hours. A maximum of 1,800 hours may be earned through the EPC in any combination of core and elective hours.
• Interns must have an AIA or AIAS number to report EPC activities. If interns are not a member of either organization, they can request a free transcript by completing the web form at www.aia.org/FreeTranscriptsforInterns.

GBCI LEED AP Credential

• Whether or not employed in a qualified work setting, an intern may earn 40 elective hours by obtaining the GBCI LEED AP credential.
• Obtaining the GBCI LEED AP credential with or without specialization qualifies for IDP credit. An intern may only receive IDP credit for one GBCI LEED AP credential.
• Obtaining the GBCI LEED Green Associate credential does not qualify for IDP credit.

Advanced Degree

• An intern may earn 930 elective hours for earning an advanced degree conferred after the first professional degree (dual degrees do not qualify).
• The conferring institution must have a college/school of architecture/design that has a NAAB- or CACB-accredited program. The advanced degree must be conferred within this college/school.
• The advanced degree must be documented as related to the IDP experience areas and certified by the institution as directly related to the practice of architecture.
• The advanced degree must be included in the list of degrees at the time it is conferred. Qualifying advanced degrees are submitted directly to NCARB by the school in order to be on the list (Programs identified by NAAB as “post-professional” degrees are automatically included on this list.)

AIA Continuing Education

• Whether or not employed in a qualified experience setting, interns may earn elective hours by completing AIA-approved continuing education courses and programs.
• Self-reported continuing education is not eligible for IDP credit.
• One AIA learning unit earns one IDP elective hour.
• An intern must have an AIA or AIAS number to report AIA continuing education. If interns are not a member of either organization, they can request a free transcript by completing the web form at www.aia.org/FreeTranscriptsforInterns.
• Completion of AIA continuing education must be reflected on your AIA transcript. A copy of your AIA transcript must be submitted to NCARB via the online reporting system.

CSI Certificate Program: CDT

• Whether or not employed in a qualified experience setting, interns may earn 40 elective hours for completing the CSI Certified Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) certificate program.