The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has outlined a commitment to creating a diversified framework that offers multiple avenues for attaining architectural licensure. The statement acknowledges not only the conventional route of obtaining an accredited education but also alternative pathways, such as community college education or professional experience replacing formal education.
While a significant majority of architects acquire their licenses through degree programs endorsed by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), 15% — which translates to over 18,000 architects — have secured their licenses through other routes. NCARB's consideration of these “multiple paths to licensure” seeks to ensure the various pathways are “afforded appropriate value through essential rigor,” the body says.
“There are many individuals working in or wishing to pursue architecture as a career who do not hold a degree from a NAAB-accredited program, but who clearly have the talent and diverse perspectives that will contribute to the vitality of the profession and more fully realize the mission of our licensing board members,” said NCARB President Jon Baker. “NCARB can go further to support their path to licensure.”
The position was informed by a recent analysis from the annual NCARB by the Numbers report. The publication, which has been detailing trends in architectural licensure since 2012, highlighted the prolonged duration for licensure and drew attention to issues concerning equity and accessibility. Such findings have fueled recent enhancements to the licensure system and underscored the importance of endorsing alternative pathways.
The pivotal measures NCARB has taken to promote these diverse pathways include a proposal to assess the viability of a four-year degree from an NAAB-accredited program as an alternative to the conventional five-year program. The body is also launching an initiative to recognize the merit of two-year associate degrees and non-degree education from community colleges, as well as establishing two task forces on the issue and considering an evolved licensure toolkit.
11 Comments
As they move to open up the path to licensure, will NCARB pay reparations to those who suffered through the current IDP/AXP set-up between the late 1980's and now?
Lots of people endured lower pay and slowed career growth (and still do) because of NCARB's expensive and time-consuming licensing process.
They won't. Let's just look forward to the possibility of an influx people who know how to run a fucking business and let designers DESIGN.
Who am I kidding.
Loving the ai generated image.
This traditional industry really needs to catch up with the world's pace.
All the memorizing exams can be done by AI.
Architect/designer workers need a UNION.
Just look at the IT industry: no license is required, but some certificates. Recently Google hired a high school graduate as an engineer. you can tell how old-fashioned this industry still is.
If you're going to compare careers why not use a good one. Saudi prince vs. architecture.
There are so many who have the license but dont know how to design a building, dont know code, dont know technology... but own a business or get better paid.
They don't thumbs up their own posts. That's why.
Architecture became credentialized so that mediocre designers could profit off of turning the system into a cartel, with universities and bureaucracy as gatekeepers. They didn't want to compete on the open market with their skills. Which are now determined by bureaucratic codes that could be done by AI.
In many ways, architecture has lost its soul -- instead of advocating for essential values of firmness, commodity, and delight -- it became a management service provider. Architects now care more about what a project costs than how it works, looks, succeed. Greed and focus on our labor over design quality led to a leftist takeover of the university system and even this website. Now you will see an article criticizing architecture as 'racist' and 'colonist' from some academic who is well-insulated from their own toxic ideas and then any comments to the contrary will be deleted. Toxic leftist fascists don't care about design for people.
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