It’s been just over a year since the five so-called collateral architecture organizations came together for the Accreditation Review Forum, where professional and regulatory leaders questioned current policies related to architectural education. Over the course of these conversations, led by the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards promoted the feasibility of accrediting a four-year degree—an idea that was only briefly touched upon and tabled for future discussion.
We owe it to the public, the profession, and future generations of aspiring architects to consider the viability of an accredited four-year degree now. NCARB is ready to explore this option, but we need the academy to join the conversation.
On average, it takes 12.7 years to earn an architecture license: about six years of that time to earn an architecture degree, and the remaining half to complete NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program and Architect Registration Examination. Yet while the time to complete NCARB’s programs has declined by 20% over the past decade, now taking an average of 6.8 years, the time to earn an architecture degree has remained the same. During that same period, our Board has maintained consistent expenses for licensure candidates, raising fees just once, while the cost of higher education continues to climb.
Especially now, as the pandemic and the overdue calls for social justice have inspired many of us to question conventional approaches, there is an opportunity to seize the moment and embrace meaningful change. As NCARB continues to evolve its own programmatic framework, there needs to be a comparable evolution of the one shaping architectural education.
Now more than ever, policymakers are scrutinizing licensing standards across all disciplines to understand their relevance, return on investment, and value to society. They expect that each element, from education to examination, balance rigor with flexibility. We have seen firsthand how NCARB’s recent updates to the AXP and ARE meet this expectation—including reducing the number of required experience hours, realigning the exam from seven to six divisions, and shortening the exam’s retake policy from six months to 60 days. Although these updates were necessary and commendable, further analysis and change needs to occur. When the first step to licensure can only be achieved by spending five to seven years in school, that reality raises questions of access and reduced market competition.
The existing accreditation framework requires at least 150 semester credit hours to satisfy NCARB’s Education Standard, which is based on the NAAB’s Conditions for Accreditation. Typically, students pursue a five-year B.Arch (150 hours) or a six- to seven-year M.Arch (168 hours). It is possible to complete 150 credit hours in four years, by taking additional coursework each year and graduating early. But this is not practical or feasible for the vast majority of students, who usually accrue an additional year (or three) of debt that can be a tremendous financial burden.
NCARB and our 55 licensing boards have been able to shave several years off the licensure path by continuously questioning, evaluating, and updating our programs. Enacting this kind of change is not easy, but necessary. Since our founding over a century ago, NCARB’s mission has been to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare through the regulation of architecture.
One of NCARB’s key focuses over the past year has been ensuring that our programs remain accessible. We are partway through an independent “bias audit” of our exam and experience programs, with initial findings indicating no bias in the content or delivery of the exam. Earlier this year, NCARB and the National Organization of Minority Architects launched a joint survey to identify how historically underrepresented groups experience obstacles on the path to licensure. Findings from the survey will highlight areas where our organizations can provide additional support, conduct deeper research, and propose measurable solutions to address disparities. We are also partnering with American Institute of Architects and Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture on a research initiative that will inform an updated version of the 1996 “Boyer Report,” which helped influence modern architectural education.
And finally, NCARB has been introducing alternative pathways for AEC professionals with diverse backgrounds—including the NCARB Certificate Portfolio for architects with an associate’s degree and the AXP Portfolio for designers with over five years of experience.
Now the academy needs to do its part. It is not our role to be prescriptive about how universities organize curricula, but they have already taken one good step forward. NCARB’s Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) program, which is offered at 21 schools, enables students to complete the AXP and ARE while earning a degree. Offering a four-year accredited program would not eliminate or replace current accredited degrees, but offer an additional and more affordable entry point into the profession.
By reducing the time and cost associated with all three licensure components, particularly education, the architecture collaterals can begin to enact meaningful change that will make the profession more inclusive. NCARB will continue to advocate for exploring the adoption of a four-year accredited degree, and we look forward to collaborating with both the academy and the profession to turn this goal into a reality.
Read the response to this column by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture here.
The views and conclusions from this author are not necessarily those of ARCHITECT magazine or of The American Institute of Architects.
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