National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

Today, NCARB comprises the registration boards from the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories (Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). These boards are organized into six regions:

• New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
• Middle-Atlantic: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
• Southern: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Mid-Central: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
• Central States: Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wyoming
• Western: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Utah, Washington[4]

Most U.S. jurisdictions require a professional degree from a program that is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NCARB publishes the NCARB Education Standard as a recommendation to its Member Boards, but requirements often vary between jurisdictions. Those who do not have a degree from a NAAB-accredited program may have their degree evaluated through the NAAB's Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) if they would like to earn an NCARB Certificate. More information on the education requirement can be found in the NCARB Education Guidelines.[5]

All U.S. jurisdictions accept completion of NCARB's Architectural Experience Program (AXP) to help satisfy their experience requirements. The AXP is a comprehensive training program that was created to ensure that licensure candidates in the architecture profession gain the knowledge and skills required for the independent practice of architecture.[6]

The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) is required by all U.S. jurisdictions and accepted by 11 Canadian provinces to satisfy examination requirements for licensure. It is a computerized exam that assesses candidates for their knowledge, skills, and ability to provide the various services required to practice architecture independently.[7]

An NCARB Record is a detailed, verified record of education and training, and is used to establish qualifications for examination, registration, and certification. A licensure candidate must have an NCARB Record to participate in the Architectural Experience Program (AXP), the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), or apply for the NCARB Certificate.[8]

The NCARB Certificate facilitates reciprocal registration among all 55 NCARB Member Boards, and can be used to support an application for registration in other countries including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand. Although certification does not qualify a person to practice architecture in a jurisdiction, it does signify that he or she has met the highest professional standards established by the registration boards responsible for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public. The standard requirements for the NCARB Certificate are:

1. A professional degree from a NAAB-accredited or CACB-accredited program. If educated in a foreign country, one must have their foreign education evaluated by the National Architectural Accrediting Board through the Education Evaluation Service for Architects (EESA).
2. Complete the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) training requirements.
3. Pass all divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
4. Receive a license to practice from one of the U.S. registration boards.

There are two alternative ways to earn an NCARB Certificate: the Education Alternative and the Foreign Architect Path to Certification. Earning an NCARB Certificate through one of these alternatives is not accepted by all jurisdictions. Architects interested in earning the NCARB Certificate through one of these programs should verify acceptance with the jurisdiction in which they wish to be licensed prior to pursuing certification.[9]

Architects who do not hold a professional architecture degree from a NAAB-accredited architecture program are eligible to apply for an NCARB Certificate through the Education Alternative. The alternative includes two pathways: the Two Times AXP option and the NCARB Certificate Portfolio option.

To be eligible for the Two Times AXP option, applicants must:

• Have at least three years of continuous licensure for the last three consecutive years in any U.S. jurisdiction without disciplinary action.
• Hold bachelor's degree in an architecture-related program.
  • This is defined as a baccalaureate degree in an architecture-related program from an institution with U.S. regional accreditation (or the Canadian equivalent) that is awarded after earning less than 150 semester credits or the quarter hour equivalent.
  • The program must include 60 semester credit hours (90 quarter hours) of coursework in the degree program major.
  • We do not have a list of accepted degrees, since the amount of architecturally defined content may vary from institution to institution.

Applicants then document two times the required hours of the Architectural Experience Program (AXP).

To be eligible for the NCARB Certificate Portfolio option, applicants must have at least three years of continuous licensure for the last three consecutive years in any U.S. jurisdiction without disciplinary action, and any education other than a four-year, architecture-related degree. Applicants then create an online portfolio documenting past work experience in all areas of the NCARB Education Standard.[10]

The Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) program has been phased out and is no longer available as a path to NCARB certification for foreign architects. Foreign architects who are registered and in good standing in a country outside of the United States or Canada can seek NCARB certification through the Foreign Architect Path to Certification. The program has the following requirements:

• Education: Have a recognized degree or education credential in an architecture program that leads to registration/credential to practice architecture in a foreign country.
  • To have one's education verified, one should download the Transcript Request Form, fill in items 1–12 and submit to the academic institution. All transcripts must come directly from the academic institution.
• Foreign Registration: Hold an active registration/licensure credential to practice architecture in a foreign country that has a formal record-keeping mechanism for disciplinary actions in the practice of architecture.
  • To have a foreign registration verified, one must download the Credential Verification Form, complete part A, and the credentialing authority must complete part B and submit the final form to NCARB.
  • If the country does not have a regulatory body or system for taking disciplinary action, one will need to follow the licensure path for foreign-educated applicants.
• Experience: Complete the AXP. Some foreign experience (up to 1,860 hours) may count toward the AXP requirement, but it will only be possible to complete the AXP outside of the United States if working under an architect licensed in the United States or Canada. If following this path, the AXP's five-year reporting requirement does not apply. Learn more about the AXP.
• Examination: Pass the ARE. ARE divisions can begin to be scheduled after NCARB has verified the transcript and foreign credential and one has paid the Certification application fee.

After these requirements have been documented, NCARB evaluates the applicant's record and issues a certificate.[11]

NCARB assists architects in keeping their skills and knowledge up-to-date through its Monograph series of self-study courses. The objective of the NCARB monograph and mini-monograph series is to provide a quality continuing education resource, both economical and convenient, that investigates current and emerging topics of interest to practicing architects. The series explores everything from sustainable design to fire safety in buildings to professional conduct to post-occupancy evaluation. All learning units are American Institute of Architects (AIA) Learning Units, and most qualify as Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) or Sustainable Design (SD) units.[12]

NCARB has established reciprocal registration for architects in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, and New Zealand, and is engaged in similar discussions with additional countries. NCARB also administers the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Architects program in the United States.[13]