Hold on... if you have a 3+ year (NAAB accredited) M.Arch and an undergrad degree which you need to have to enroll in an M.Arch.... you get 5 years credit. Remember, 2 years of a 5 year B.Arch curriculum is customarily general education courses. If you get a 4-year Pre-professional degree and get a 2-yr NAAB accredited M.Arch, you get 5 years credit. This is because you will get roughly 3 years of your educational curriculum in the major and 2 years of liberal arts/general education required of all bachelors degrees. You don't get credit in that case for courses in unrelated major. They aren't out f---ing people. 5 years for an NAAB accredited degree if you COMPLETE it. If you enroll and partially complete it then you get partial credit (less than 5 years).

A person who has an NAAB accredited degree in California can start taking the ARE right away after graduation. However, 3 years experience will be needed to be attained before taking the CSE and upon passing that, the person may become licensed. I talked to them.

Remember, you need to tweak your questions to the law. Upon reading the law, you should have an idea of how to frame the question. Don't ask them to determine if you meet the rules prior to paying the fee. Ask clarifications of the law and then you can determine from the information if you are ready to take the ARE (after you have transcripts transmitted to them and submit appropriate forms with fee to CAB. 

I talked to them so I would know the rules at hand. 

If you have an NAAB accredited degree (M.Arch or B.Arch), you get 5 years credit. You get less than that if you didn't complete it but did enroll in it. Remember, you need to complete IDP and at least 3 years qualified experience. 

What does the rule say? 

vvii,

Hold on there for a second.... every accredited bachelors degree has about 2 years of general education. A 3+ year M.Arch has about the same amount of Architecture major credits. The reason a 5 year B.Arch is 5 years long instead of 3 years is because you have to also take about 2 years worth of general education as required by all regionally/nationally accredited academic institutions. The reason a 3-year M.Arch is 3 years (well 3 years + 1 term/semester) is because you already taken the general ed.

You get one credit for a non-related bachelor's degree when it is just that degree. The benefit comes when you get an NAAB accredited degree. The rules are designed to ENCOURAGE people to get an NAAB accredited degree.

You spent 7+ years in college. Contact CAB and explicitly ask them how many years of experience equivalency does someone receive for obtaining a 3+ year NAAB accredited Master's of Architecture.  Keep the question simple and clear. 

Remember, you would be sending transcripts from ALL your college institutions you attended. That is, your bachelor's degree and your master's degree. The 3+ year M.Arch + your B.A. or B.S. in whatever is equivalent to the 5-year B.Arch which is what credit you would get.

Do you think every person who undergoes a 3-year M.Arch is going to go through 2 years of IDP before ARE. They might do that if they feel they need it for preparation for the ARE but they aren't required to.

California follows similar standards as other states that allows people to take the ARE while working on IDP if the person has an NAAB accredited degree.

NCARB promoted that some years ago and several states had adopted laws to allow people to begin taking the ARE after a person obtained their NAAB accredited degree before completing IDP (experience).

http://www.cab.ca.gov/apa/ccr/title_16/division_2/article_3/section_117.shtml

Candidates Eligible January 1, 2005 or After and Subject to IDP/IAP Requirement

Education Equivalents Max. Credit Allowed

(1) A professional degree in architecture, where the degree program has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) or the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), or units toward such a degree.

Column D: 5 years   (Candidates Eligible January 1, 2005 or After and Subject to IDP/IAP Requirement)

Since you completed the degree.... you get full credit. You spent 7+ years in college (4 plus 3+ years). You don't get 5 years plus 1 year value nor are you penalized by a 1 year plus 3.333-3.5 years where you get 4.333-4.5 years credit. You get the credit equivalency of 5 years because you have an NAAB accredited professional degree in architecture. The 3+ year M.Arch is a professional degree. 

HAVE THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTION(S) WHERE YOU GOT YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND YOUR M.ARCH DEGREE SEND ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTS TO CALIFORNIA BOARD OF ARCHITECT EXAMINERS. 

File the paper work to begin testing for the ARE and pay the $100 fee and begin working on the ARE. 

You have a professional degree of architecture. Don't over complicate it.

JeromeS,

Quit the side tangent. JUST FOCUS ON ANSWERING THE QUESTION OF VVII. 

There has NEVER been anyone who went through the 3+ year M.Arch program in California and had to work 2 years before taking the ARE in a very VERY VERY long time. Lets put it simply, if CAB was requiring people who obtained a 3+ year M.Arch to have to work 2 years before taking the ARE, you would be hearing about it on this forum and ARECoach's forum all the time. They aren't.  Why is that?

People would be ranting and raving every friggin' day or darn near.

I had inquired these questions with CAB about two to three weeks ago.

vvii wrote:

 I have a NAAB accredited 3 yr Master of Architecture. But a 4 yr Bachelor in non-Architecture field.

vvii.... 3 year NAAB accredited Masters of Architecture (M.Arch) is a PROFESSIONAL DEGREE OF ARCHITECTURE accredited by NAAB.