NCARB Reimagines Path to Architecture Licensing

July 22nd, 2014 by Fiedler Group

In response to the rigorous path aspiring architects must take in order to become licensed, the Board of Directors of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has endorsed an alternative plan that grants licensure upon graduation from an accredited architectural program.

Born out of NCARB’s Licensure Task Force, the plan would simplify and accelerate the licensing process by integrating both internship and examination requirements into the curricula and years each candidate spends completing a university degree in architecture — an all-in-one program, if you will.

As recent as 2012, studies reported completion of the Intern Development Program (IDP) and Architecture Registration Examination (ARE) to take an average of eight years — not including time at university.

Licensure at — or shortly after — graduation is common in other industries including law, accountancy, and massage therapy, but to date has eluded the architecture industry.

NCARB’s plan has the power to potentially shave years off the architecture license process, helping new graduates rise in the ranks of their respective firms faster, and more productively.

NCARB CEO, Michael Armstrong, commented, “This additional path to licensure is another concrete step in reimagining and reconfiguring each part of the process while upholding the rigorous standards needed to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare.”

Now in its second year, the Licensure Task Force will seek out schools in October who might be interested in participating in its conceptual program.

The Force would not dictate the university’s curriculum, but instead, would only insist on three core elements — an NAAB-accredited degree, IDP compliance, and ARE passage.

What’s more, NCARB detailed a transition plan intended to improve the ARE — the test all prospective architect candidates must take in order to receive their license. The new exam is expected to launch in late 2016.

Visit www.ncarb.org for more information.