Careers in Architecture
How can I defer my student loans?
Getting Started with IDP
Where should I get registered?
Does all of my experience count?
Foreign Applicants and International Issues
What about employment outside the United States?
I have a degree from a foreign university. What do I need to do?
I'm an architect in another country and would like to practice in the U.S. Do I qualify for the "broadly experienced architect" program?
Supplementary Education
How can I earn IDP supplementary education?
How does AIA Continuing Education Learning Units translate into IDP Training Units?
How do I submit AIA Continuing Education work for IDP supplementary education credit?
I am not an AIA member. How do submit AIA Continuing Education work for IDP supplementary education credit?
How do I get credit for previous seminars and lectures when I did not provide my AIA number?
Why are my AIA Continuing Education hours displaying as LU hours on my AIA transcript?
Emerging Professional's Companion
What is the Emerging Professional’s Companion?
How is the Emerging Professional’s Companion different from the Supplementary Education (Supp Ed) Handbook?
How do I get credit for Emerging Professional’s Companion work?
Also see, Helpful Web sites and Organizations.
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How can I defer my student loans?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept your combination of education and experience. State requirements may differ from NCARB's education and training standards.
Deferring a loan is at the discretion of the lender.
Don't assume that your loan may be deferred if it was granted after July 1, 1993. Your loan may be deferred, but you need to contact the lender.
If you can defer the loan, you'll need two certifications. The certifications CANNOT come from either the AIA or NCARB. One must come from your supervisor and certify that you are employed in an acceptable training setting. The other must come from the registration board and certify (1) that the internship is required, (2) the length of the internship, and (3) that a baccalaureate degree was required before entering the internship.
Read the latest version of the NCARB’s IDP Guidelines. Be certain to check with your lending institution first. Remember, under current federal tax law, a portion of the interest on your student loan may be a deductible expense. Consult a tax specialist or www.irs.gov for more information.
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Where should I get registered?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept your combination of education and experience. State requirements may differ from NCARB education and training standards.
Choosing where to get registered depends on a number of factors.
Generally, you will want to get your license in the state in which you live while you practice. Some exceptions may apply, for instance, if you live in Connecticut but work in New York, then you may want to consider obtaining a license in New York.
If you are seeking registration in another state because you don't meet your state's licensing requirements, be certain to get all the facts first. Contact all the licensing boards involved to find out what is necessary for both initial registration and reciprocity.
The Architect Registration Examination may be taken anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and your scores can be submitted to the jurisdiction you choose. For example, even if you want to obtain your initial license in Indiana, you can take divisions of the ARE while you are on an extended work assignment in Texas.
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Does all of my experience count?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept your combination of education and experience. State requirements may differ from NCARB's education and training standards. Learn more about NCARB's State Board Requirements.
You must meet certain requirements for your work experience to count. Review the NCARB’s IDP Guidelines on the NCARB's IDP Web page to learn more.
Generally, work experience may be counted from the successful completion of your third year in a four-year pre-professional degree program with direct entry into an accredited master of architecture program; after you successfully complete the third year of a five-year BArch program; or after you successfully complete your first year in an MArch program (for those who hold an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than architecture).
• Part-time work may count if it is at least 15 hours/week for eight (8) consecutive weeks.
• Full-time work may count if it is at least 32 hours/week for eight (8) consecutive weeks.
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What about employment outside the United States?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept overseas work experience. State requirements may differ from NCARB's education and training standards.
Overseas employment is both personally and professionally beneficial, and may be applied toward IDP.
If you are working under the direct supervision of a U.S. or Canadian licensed architect, you may accrue unlimited IDP credit for your work experience in any of the IDP training categories (design and construction, construction administration, management, and related activities).
If you are working under the direct supervision of a person practicing architecture who does not hold a U.S. or Canadian license but is registered in the country in which you are working, you may accrue up to 235 training units in any of the training areas.
If you are working under the direct supervision of a person practicing an allied profession (engineering, construction, or landscape architecture, for example), you may NOT accrue any training units for foreign employment.
Generally, work done under the direct supervision of a licensed architect in a foreign country may be applied to IDP, although there may be some restrictions. See NCARB’s IDP Work Settings Web page.
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I have a degree from a foreign university. What do I need to do?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept your combination of education and experience. State requirements may differ from IDP requirements.
Getting your degree evaluated is the first step.
The cost will vary. Generally an evaluation by the EESA-NCARB Educational Evaluation Services for Architects is required. The cost for this is $800.
EESA assists those individuals who wish to apply for NCARB certification or for registration by an NCARB member board and who do not have a professional degree in architecture from an NAAB-accredited school of architecture. EESA often works with internationally educated applicants and broadly experienced architects.
NCARB relies on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc. (NAAB) to evaluate international education. Generally, the process takes six to eight weeks to complete once all of the necessary paperwork has been received.
NAAB evaluates your degree, not architecture schools or programs. This means that each individual is evaluated separately. No schools or programs outside of the U.S. or Canada are automatically accepted.
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I'm an architect in another country and would like to practice in the United States. Do I qualify for the "broadly experienced architect" program?
NOTE: Be certain that the state in which you want to obtain your license will accept the broadly experienced architect designation. State requirements may differ from the following.
The process to qualify as a "broadly experienced architect" (BEA) is a rigorous one.
A Broadly Experienced Architect (BEA) is one who does not hold an NAAB-accredited degree and can verify that he or she has experience as an architect in comprehensive architecture practice over a prescribed number of years, as noted by NCARB.
If you hold a pre-professional degree in architecture that is a component of an NAAB-accredited, CACB-accredited, or CACB-certified professional degree program, you must demonstrate six years of practice.
If you hold a bachelor's degree or higher degree in another field, you must demonstrate eight years of practice. If you hold no degree, you must demonstrate 10 years of practice.
Once your eligibility for BEA has been determined, you must obtain an evaluation of your post-secondary education from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NAAB administers the Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) program, which compares your education with the NCARB education requirements. NAAB charges a fee for this service. If you have very little or no post-secondary education, such an evaluation is not required.
Your completed application will be reviewed by NCARB's BEA Committee. An interview is required of all candidates to verify the material presented in their applications.
This process usually takes a minimum of 9 to 12 months to complete. Leanr more about NCARB's Broadly Experienced Architect Certification Program and the EESA-NCARB Evaluation Services for Architects.
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How can I earn IDP supplementary education?
Supplementary education activities are activities that can be completed outside of the work place. You can earn credit through:
- AIA Continuing Education
- Emerging Professionals Companion (EPC)
- Certificate Programs
- NCARB Professional Conduct Monograph
- Post-Professional Degree
NOTE: All supplementary education activities can be reported through the e-EVR under the "My Supplementary Education" tab. Learn more at NCARBs’ IDP Supplementary Education.
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How does AIA Continuing Education Learning Units translate into IDP Training Units?
Each hour of AIA approved continuing education earns two hours of IDP credit (in other words, one AIA Learning Unit hour earns 0.25 IDP Training Units).
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How do I submit AIA Continuing Education work for IDP supplementary education credit?
Get an AIA number.
If you are an AIA member, use your AIA member number. If you are not an AIA member, see the instructions below.
Attend a sponsored event or complete a self-designed activity.
AIA components and AIA CES registered providers sponsor continuing education events. When you attend an event, follow the AIA registered architects lead by signing in with your name and AIA number. The event provider is responsible for submitting your information to the University of Oklahoma, which maintains CES records.
If the activity was performed on your own, such as completing the questions for a continuing education article from Architectural Record, then you are responsible for submitting a self-report form online to the University of Oklahoma with your AIA number.
Download your transcript.
You can download a copy of your transcript from the University of Oklahoma Web site at any time (or request a transcript in writing, one free each year).
Report your work on the e-EVR.
Report your work through the e-EVR in "My Supplementary Education" tab. The transcript documenting completion of AIA-approved resources must be uploaded to the e-EVR at that time.
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I am not an AIA member. How do submit AIA Continuing Education work for IDP supplementary education credit?
Even though you are not an AIA member, the AIA will maintain a record of your continuing education so that you may apply it toward IDP supplementary education. You just need to make certain that it is properly recorded. The AIA now supports this program for NCARB record holders currently in IDP. Please fill out the following and send to idp@aia.org:
- Your name
- Address
- phone number
- Highest Degree (BA, BS, BARCH, MARCH, DARCH, other)
- School
- Graduation Date
- NCARB Customer ID
You will be assigned an AIA customer number for use in tracking your credits with this resource. The AIA-issued number is not an AIA member number but should still be used when signing in to all AIA-approved continuing education courses.
Refer to the steps above to complete the submission process with NCARB.
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How do I get credit for previous seminars and lectures when I did not provide my AIA number?
If you attended lectures or seminars and did not provide your AIA number, AIA will not have a record of the credit you earned. The AIA will not record credit that is reported more than one year after it was earned.
To get credit for a seminar you attended where you didn’t provide your AIA number you will need to contact the provider of that seminar and ask them to resubmit the attendance form (Form B) with your name and AIA number included. The provider may or may not do this depending on their policy. Or if you received a certificate with an AIA CES logo on it you can fax it to the AIA CES Records Department at 405-325-6965.
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Why are my AIA Continuing Education hours displaying as LU hours on my AIA transcript?
All of the credit you earn will show up on your AIA transcript under “LU Hours.” Registered architects’ continuing education is measured in LUs or Learning Units. As stated above, 1 AIA CES Learning Unit equals .25 IDP Training Units. This calculation is automated in the e-EVR.
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What is the Emerging Professional’s Companion?
The Emerging Professional’s Companion (EPC) is a way for interns to get credit in IDP using practice exercises and application activities. Learn more at www.EPCompanion.org.
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How is the Emerging Professional’s Companion different from the Supplementary Education (Supp Ed) Handbook?
The EPC replaces the Supp Ed Handbook completely. The EPC now contains up to date information and more diverse exercises which apply to today’s practice environment.
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How do I get credit for Emerging Professional’s Companion work?
EPC work can be submitted through the e-EVR. Learn more about calculating credit at EPC’s Submit for Credit.
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Helpful Web sites and Organizations
ARCHCareers.org
A collaborative effort of the AIA and AIAS, students should visit www.ARCHCareers.org to learn the steps to becoming an architect including education, experience, and examination qualifications.
American Architectural Foundation
Students and interns should visit the American Architectural Foundation Web site (AIA/AAF) to learn more about national scholarships and fellowships.
National Architectural Accrediting Board
Prospective students, current students and internationally-educated students should visit the National Architectural Accrediting Board Web site (NAAB) to locate a list of accredited architecture schools in the US and Canada, to learn about Student Performance Criteria in the Conditions of Accreditation and to have a foreign degree evaluated.
National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
Current students, interns, and foreign architects should visit the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Web site (NCARB) to find each state’s requirements for licensure, to request a NCARB IDP packet, open a NCARB Record, to learn more about the IDP, the ARE, and IDP/ARE Timing and to inquire about how foreign architects seek licensure in the US.
The American Institute of Architects
All students and interns should see the American Institute of Architects Web site (AIA) to find resources on mentoring, to find your IDP Educator Coordinator or IDP State Coordinator , to learn about IDP Support, to learn about opportunities for Supplementary Education in the IDP, and to find ARE Support.
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture
Students should visit the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Web site (ACSA) to access A Student's Guide to Education including information on architectural education, becoming an architect, and selecting a school.
American Institute of Architecture Students
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) grassroots association is a cooperative between thousands of students in North America (of all ages and academic degrees) committed to helping each other. It provides a sense of community and a forum to share differing views. The AIAS is also a professional organization that is the official voice of architecture students.