A Guide to Becoming a Licensed Architect
This website is for the use of students enrolled in, and recent graduates of, the School of Architecture and Planning at The Catholic University of America. Plus, there's some information for those considering a career in architecture or planning.
Some portions of the content of this site were developed by Frank Heitzman, AIA, the IDP coordinator for Illinois and are used with his permission.
Table of Contents:
Cutting to the Chase: An Introduction and Overview, Job postings, IDP application forms
What's it all about: The Profession, Life Beyond College, Licensure for "older" applicants, International Issues
Networking: How to get connected
Licensure: Licensing regulations for states in the DC area (what you can and can't do without a license)
Education: Schools of Architecture, Continuing Education, the NAAB Accreditation Criteria, Options for Older Architects, International Students
Experience: The Intern Development Program, Finding a job, Salaries, Researching firms, International student employment, Laws regarding employment
Examination: The ARE (Architect's Registration Exam), Study resources
Cutting to the Chase
What most of you came to this website for
A Place to Start: An introduction and overview from Barry Yatt
Current Job Postings
Career Services Office of The Catholic University of America
For more, including recruiter website links, see "Experience: Finding a Job" below
Application Forms for enrolling in IDP
The Basics
What's it all about? An Intro to Life Beyond Academia (Read This First)
Is architecture the right career for you?
Read the AIA's You and Your Architect. It's only a few pages long. It was written to explain to clients what architects do for a living, and can do the same for you.
Check out the following career guidance books:
- Roger Lewis' Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession
Lee Waldrep's Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design
Go to a meeting of a local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and talk to people. Go to the chapter's website, find their calendar of events, and then pick and go to an event that looks interesting. Call ahead to confirm that you're welcome even though not a member...yet.
Context: Guides to pursuing a career in architecture or related fields
- Steps to Licensure: Frank Heitzman's guide
- ArchVoices website
- ArchCareers website
- About.com's Career Advice for Architects
IDP: The Intern Development Program, jointly sponsored by AIA and NCARB
NCARB's IDP website: Download IDP applications from the menu on the left side of the page
The IDP Application for enrolling in IDP
Good Books about entering architectural practice
From John Wiley & Sons
Information for "older" applicants for licensure:
Rules for Broadly Experienced Architects
International Issues: Foreign students/interns and architects working in the US and US students/interns and architects working overseas
Hiring International Students, A fairly complete guide, from the folks at ArchVoices
US Certification for Foreign Architects: The BEFA Program (Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects)
Networking...
...with Your Peers (Other Interns)
The NAC (The national committee for associate members of the AIA, your peers). Make sure to click on the latest newsletter for some good articles on internship and alternate practice paths.
- ArchVoices
The Internship Summit Website (for Oct 2002)
...with CUA Architecture alums around the country and world
The CUA Career Center website: http://alumnicareernetwork.cua.edu/index.cfm . Tell it who you'd like to talk to (e.g.: anyone who graduated from CUA with a degree in architecture who's working in Chicago as an interior designer) and it will tell you who's there who is available to give advice, serve as a mentor, etc.
...with other professionals:
check their websites for upcoming events, and go attend. That's where you'll find out the inside scoop on the profession and meet future employers and coworkers.
- ACEC: American Consulting Engineers Council
- AIA: American Institute of Architects (architects only)
- APT: Association for Preservation Technology
- ASLA: American Society of Landscape Architects
- AEI: Architectural Engineering Institute
- BOMA: Building Owners and Managers Association
- CERF: Civil Engineering Research Foundation
- CMAA: Construction Management Association of America
- CSI: Construction Specifications Institute (architects, engineers, manufacturers, distributors, etc.)
- DCBIA: District of Columbia Building Industry Association (includes architects, developers, bankers, engineers, etc.)
- DBIA: Design Build Institute of America
- IFMA: International Facility Management Association
- IIDA: International Interior Design Association
- NAIOP: National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (a property owners' association)
- NCARB: National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
- NSPE: National Society of Professional Engineers
- RedVector.com's List of Associations:
- SBIC: Sustainable Buildings Industry Council
- UIA: Union Internationale des Architectes (an association of architect's organizations from many countries. The AIA is a member of the UIA.)
- ULI: Urban Land Institute (Urban Planning)
- USGBC: United States Green Building Council's Emerging Green Builders Group
- WCOE: Women Construction Owners & Executives (includes women architects, engineers, design-builders, etc.)
Licensing Rules
Virginia: To see what architectural work you can legally do without a license, click here.
District of Columbia (Doesn't yet have a website)
The Three E's
Education
Continuing Education Courses
Alternatives For Older Architects
NCARB's BEA (Broadly Experienced Architect) program: Allowing certification for experienced practitioners who have neither a B. Arch nor M. Arch degree.
International Students and Graduates of Foreign Schools
Interview with Alzbeta Findlay, CUA Assistance Director for International Student and Scholar Services, June 2002
Information on US Government Monitoring of Foreign Students, June 2002
Information for international architects coming to the U.S.: Registration Board, CLEP Exam (College-Level Examination Program)
Information on the EESA (Education Evaluation Services for Architects) Program that approves architecture degrees from foreign schools
General
Career Services Office of The Catholic University of America
The Emerging Professional's Companion (EPC). Click where it says "First time users click here"
Internship Programs
NCARB's IDP website: Download IDP applications from the menu on the left side of the page
The IDP Application for enrolling in IDP
ArchVoices.com (which contains an extensive listing of other job search websites)
Architectural Recruiters (who wil help you find a job, at no cost to you)
ETI Professionals, Inc. (recruiters of architects and engineers)
Salaries
Researching firms
Definition, Treatment and Payment of Interns
Examination
For More Info
Contact Barry Yatt, CUA's IDP Coordinator
Go to The CUA School of Architecture and Planning home page
©1999-2002 Barry D. Yatt. All rights reserved
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