Associates Committee

Becoming Licensed

Did you know? A person may use the title of Architectural Intern or Intern Architect only during the time s/he’s enrolled in the IDP. Using either one of these titles before being enrolled in the IDP or after completing the IDP would be a violation.  

"The first thing to consider is that to become a licensed architect, one must have a professional degree (B.Arch, M.Arch) from an NAAB (National Architectural Accrediting Board) accredited university. A list of these schools can be found here.

Once an individual has a certain amount of hours in an accredited program, they can enroll in IDP (usually as a junior in an undergraduate setting).  IDP begins with that person recording experience that can be obtained through summer internships or part-time employment while still in school. NCARB (the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards) oversees IDP and has a website that might be helpful for you to see the process.

After a candidate has completed 5600 hours of internship in the categories outlined by IDP, they must sit for the licensure exam (Architecture Registration Exam). There are 7 exams, and you can schedule each one as you wish. Each exam consists of multiple choice questions and one to two graphic problems (usually about 4 hours.) Many states-- TX included-- allow graduates with a professional degree to begin testing while they are accumulating IDP hours.

All in all, it is a long process. My short answer would be that you cannot pursue IDP unless you are enrolled in an accredited architecture program. Check out some of the websites I mentioned and let me know if you have any questions."

Best of luck!

Adam Reed, LEED AP, Assoc. AIA
Designer | 2011 TSA & AIA San Antonio Assoc. Director