Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc)
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Alternate way to become an Architect
Hi everyone, I was just wondering if there are anyways to become a licensed Architect without going to an accredited school, I understand in order to be eligible to take the exam you must have at least a Bachelor's degree in Architecture. The reason is because I am 19years old with a low GPA in community college (2.7) and quite frankly I am not sure if I will be able to get into any Accredited Architecture schools. Although I know I am incredibly young still I am just a little stressed about the position I am in.
In a nutshell my question is; Can I become a licensed Architect without having a Bachelor in Architecture
second question: Are there any colleges that you know have that have guaranteed admission.
short answer: No, you need either an accredited bachelor's (Barch) or an accredited master degree (March).
long answer: Some places might still allow the experience route. Location is important here. Other alternatives are to get into a building technologist college program. Not an accredited arch degree, but you'll be able to find jobs in the field and perhaps offer design services for architect-exempt buildings.
Sucks that you have a shitty gpa, but arch school is difficult and very time consuming. If you can't handle community college, you won't last a week in an accredited program.
Short answer is YES you can become an architect in 15 states without going to college.
https://www.ncarb.org/get-lice...
That's what I was hinting at in my "long answer" above.
Hey, thanks for the reply, just researched and I am in a state (California) where an alternate experience can grant me licensure. So maybe if all doesn't go well I can try that route.
Start it now.
You're trying to enter a profession that is overcrowded to begin with. Having third rate or non-existent academic credentials is going to put you on the slow track, even if you can somehow get licensed. Clients are going to want to know why they would hire an non-graduate to handle their building project when there is a plentiful supply of college graduates. What is your answer going to be?
A license is license. Think of the architects that don't even HAVE a license a such as Wright and Pawson, never mind college.
Volunteer... sure, there are folks who do well in this field without having gone through the typical hoops but these types are savvy enough and take the initiative/opportunities. It is insane to think that any random wanker, specially one who can't handle CC level courses, has the chops to follow the same path.
Not fair to the OP at all. I know a young lady who flunked out of the University of Maryland because of family problems. She went back a year later and finally earned a degree in Chemistry with a 3.8 GPA average. She then went to Johns Hopkins and earned a Master's Degree in Biochemistry with about the same grade point average. The OP was probably bored out of his skull in the community college.
You're far too generous with the benefit of the doubt.
Well, fortunately for me I come from a family of Architecture-related field with my father and uncle being Architects so I have a little bit of help behind me, also my father has an Architecture business which is ready to be passed on once I am ready. I was wondering actually is there a way where I can learn all the aspects of Architecture if I don't get into any Architectural schools? I have familiar with the AXP which requires thousand's of hours of studying and work so that could be an alternate option for me.
How about you ask your family members? It's great that you expect to be gifted a architecture practice... but this shit takes more than just good luck.
AXP isn't an "alternate option." Even for those with accredited B.Arch or M.Arch degrees it is still a requirement. As Volunteer posted there are however states that allow for licensure based on experience (I believe 10ish years).
I have asked them before but they are very old-school and they are not quite educated on alternate ways to become an Architect so their first answer is school and I told them about the AXP and they didn't know what it was haha.
Are you absolutely set on becoming licensed? You could consider taking some courses at your community college in Revit and AutoCAD if you have not already. (I'm sure others can suggest other programs that would also be beneficial.) Use this to get your foot in the door at a firm looking for some drafting help and get some experience. A license allows you to own a firm and get jobs on your own. If you're happy working a part of a team, you could still do fulfilling work unlicensed.
There is the experience in lieu of education route, but depending on your state, it can take awhile to fulfill.
Yea I think I am figuring that out, I just started taking my first CAD courses this summer so I will see how it goes but ultimately what I want to do in life is to build homes, do I necessarily need an Architecture license to build residential hom es or duplexes for example?
"do I necessarily need an Architecture license to build residential homes or duplexes for example?"
It depends. Some building types are architect-exempt, some are not.
To my knowledge, it depends on what state you want to build in. Where I live, you do not have to be licensed to do residential work, but the house has to be under a certain square footage. I'd check the rules for your state.
I currently work with 2 guys who didn't go to architecture school and are both licensed. One of them is a fantastic architect, one of the best architects I've ever worked with, and the other is a principal in the firm. The education route is definitely cleaner, easier, and faster route to go. But if you're passionate and driven it can be done. Do your research and good luck! Feel free to message me if you have any questions.
One thing to keep in mind if you're going to go that route.. you'll need a few good mentors so try and get out in the field and find some people that are willing to take you under their wing.
I have no architecture degree (not even an AA), and am licensed. It can be done in some US states, but not all, and the number of states where it can be done has been declining.
In some cases, if you get your first license in a state that doesn't require a degree, you can then get licensed by reciprocity in other states, even though they would have required the degree otherwise, but there are some states that'll deny you reciprocity without the degree. Finally, if you are licensed in a non-degree state, there is a tortuous and constantly changing process to get NCARB certified, which would then make you eligible for reciprocity in all states.
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