NCARB & YOU: PRACTICING ARCHITECTURE IN THE U.S.
Fiona Mckay
Since our first collaboration with NCARB in 2018, AIAUK has been at the forefront in supporting foreign architects with an interest in practicing in the US. In that tradition, AIA UK Emerging Professionals this year hosted a two-part series on the US licensure process that explored holistically the various pathways to obtain a US license, focusing on three paths to certification; the standard path, the foreign-educated alternative as well as the foreign architect path.
The first part of the series was kicked-off by Patricia Ramallo, a Senior Manager of the experience and education program at NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards). What differentiates a US license from other architectural licenses around the world is that there is no national license valid across the country. Each state governs its own jurisdiction, sets its own requirements, and issues its own licenses. NCARB, on the other hand, facilitates the licensure procedures nationwide, including supporting the reciprocity process for interstate license transfers.
The second part of the series is a deep dive into the process for candidates who have a foreign architecture background. Candidates with a degree from a non-NAAB accredited program can go through the EESA (Education Evaluation Services for Architects) evaluation process which is a service offered by the NAAB. Once a foreign degree has been reviewed and approved, the individual can then continue with the AXP and the AREs before getting a license. Note - not all states accept the ESSA evaluation path. For the session, we are honored to have Nour Alhussaini who is a Manager of Operation and Special projects at NAAB to further expand on this topic.
Lastly, for the foreign architect path, the individual can provide NCARB with active foreign registration. If his license matches the NCARB standard, the candidate can start the AXP and ARE processes. However, upon completion, candidates will not be licensed right away. They will instead receive an NCARB certificate that will allow them to apply for a license in one of the jurisdictions that accept this path. To get the full detail of the respective topics, please follow the link to the video listed below.
The AIA UK Emerging Professional Coordinators are here to help you to answer any questions you need. Feel free to contact us at emergingprofessionals@aiauk.org. We offer encouragement and support ( hosting workshops and peer mentoring events as well as maintaining a resource library) and we can put you in touch with other UK-based ARE takers or others who have experience with the full process.
Written by: Elaine Wong, Assoc. AIA
