Frequently Asked Questions by Interns
Q1. Who must meet the IDP requirements in Illinois?
A. All candidates for licensure in Illinois. The only
exception is an architect who has already received a license to practice in
another state when that state's licensing requirements were the same or more
stringent than Illinois' requirements at the time the other state's license
was received - for instance, if an architect was licensed in Michigan prior
to June 27, 1994, that architect can be licensed in Illinois "by endorsement"
(reciprocity) without going through the IDP process because neither Illinois
nor Michigan required IDP at that time.
Q2. How do I begin to establish my Council Record?
A. You can start a Council Record online at https://www.ncarb.org/RecordApp/recordsvc/login.aspx
Q3. What type of an academic degree must I obtain to be eligible to take the Architectural Registration Examination in Illinois?
A. You must have either one of the following degrees:
1. A professional NAAB-accredited degree in architecture -- B. Arch. or M. Arch.You should be aware that a professional degree in architecture (B.Arch. or a M.Arch.) is currently required for "NCARB certification." If you have not been licensed to practice architecture in Illinois by July of 1996, you may not be able to obtain NCARB certification with a B.A. or B.S. pre-professional degree in architecture (4-year degree). Without NCARB certification, it may be more difficult or impossible to become licensed in another state by reciprocity.2. Until January 1, 2014, a pre-professional 4 year degree in architectural studies from a college that is approved by the Illinois Architect Licensing Board. Note that as of January 1, 2014, you must have a professional degree in Architecture (B. Arch. or M. Arch.) to apply for licensure in Illinois.
Q4. How much does it cost to establish an IDP Council Record?
A. There are three possible cost scenarios:
1. $285.00 one time up-front fee paid to NCARB now to establish your IDP Council Record, and maintain it for three years, plus $60.00 per year for time beyond the first three year prepaid period for maintaining your Record (note that the three year prepaid record maintenence period does not start until after you have graduated from either a 4-year pre-professional degree program or a M.Arch. degree program).Q5. How long will it take to complete my internship under IDP?2. If you are a current student or have graduated within the past 6 months, pay $100.00 to NCARB now. You will pay the remainder of the IDP Council Record fee at the time you request NCARB to sit for the Architect Registration Examination. This is $185.00 now, but may go up by the time you apply for the ARE. It is a bit of a gamble. If I were you, I would pay the full $285.00 fee now, because this fee has not been increased in about ten years and is due for a significant incresase soon.
3. There is an optional $570.00 additional fee for a total of $855.00, if you submit your Council Record application within one year before you request NCARB to take the ARE. This additional fee is a called "late application fee" and pays for processing your Council Record out of sequence and in a relatively short time frame.
A. In Illinois, the IDP internship should take the following time, depending on your degree:
1. NAAB-accredited B. Arch. or M. Arch. first professional degree: 700 Training Units (TUs). Each TU is worth 8 hours. Therefore, if you work 40 hours per week, it will equal approximately 140 weeks, or a little over 2 1/2 years.Since there is no distinction between overtime hours spent to accumulate TUs and regular hours, the actual duration of training could be somewhat shortened by working overtime. The AIA "Emerging Professional's Companion" (www.epcompanion.org) and other AIA-approved or sponsored seminars and workshops could also be done after hours or on weekends to apply toward some of the required TUs. In reality, due to the diversity of experiences you will need to acquire in the IDP, most candidates with professional degrees take about three years.2. Pre-professional 4 year degree in architecture which is approved by the Illinois Architecture Licensing Board and is accepted for direct entry into a 2 year NAAB-accredited M. Arch. program: 1170 Training Units (TUs), or approximately 234 weeks or 4 1/2 years.
Q6. When can I start my IDP Council Record?
A. You can start counting time in your Council Record after successful
completion of your Junior year (96 semester hours or 144 quarter hours including
32 semester hours or 48 quarter hours in architectural courses) as an undergraduate
in a NAAB-accredited B. Arch. program or in a pre-professional architectural
studies program, or after the first year in a Masters of Architecture program
when your undergraduate degree was not a pre-professional architectural degree.
Q7. Does my summer experience count?
A. Yes, if you work at least 8 consecutive weeks working for an architect,
engineer, interior designer, planner, landscape architect, or contractor,
for at least 35 hours per week. Q8. Does part time work count?
A. Yes, if you work at least 20 hours a week for 6 consecutive months
working for an architect, engineer, interior designer, planner, landscape
architect, or contractor. If you are a student and your schedule does not
permit you to work a minimum of 20 hours each week, you may work more hours
during winter break to make up for a shortage during the semester. However,
all of your part-time work must be for the same firm during this 6 month minimum
time period. If you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to work
20 hours a week due to final exams or heavy assignments in school, you may
want to call NCARB directly and ask to speak to someone in the Intern Services
Department to discuss whether or how you could get credit for your part time
work. Q9. Do I have to work in an architectural firm?
A. No, you may satisfy the Training Unit requirements in non-architectural
firms that provide "in-house" architectural services (not to the general public),
such as governmental bodies that have architectural departments (park districts,
school districts, the Capitol Development Board of the State of Illinois,
or municipal governments) or corporations (like Walgreens or McDonalds), as
long as you are performing architectural duties under the direct supervision
of a licensed architect.
You may earn up to 465 Training Units in firms which provide some but
not necessarily a full range of architectural services, as long as you are
performing architectural duties under the direct supervision and control of
a licensed architect. These types of firms may be developers, engineering
firms, interior design firms, or planners. Note that under the Illinois Architectural
Act requirements, if a firm of any type offers architectural services to the
public (not "in-house" services which are not offered to the public) one of
the following conditions must be met:
2. The firm must be a "corporation" or "partnership" registered with
the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation as a "Professional Design
Firm," the person having responsibility for the architectural services must
be a General Partner in a Partnership or Director of the firm if it is a
Corporation, and two thirds of the Partners or Directors must be licensed
architects, structural engineers or professional engineers in any state. You can earn up to 235 Training Units working under the direct supervision
of a licensed structural, civil, mechanical, or electrical engineer.
You can earn up to 235 Training Units working under the direct supervision
of a registered (or licensed) landscape architect.
You can earn up to 117 Training Units working in interior design firms,
space planning firms, contracting firms, construction management firms, or
planning firms, under the direction of a person experienced in those activities.
Note that under the IDP training guidelines, you will be required to have
a wide variety of training experiences. You may not be able to acquire all
of those training experiences in some types of non-traditional firms, but
you could possibly earn Training Units in some of these training areas using
the NCARB-approved supplementary educational materials. Q10. Does work in a foreign country get credit?
A. Yes, you can earn up to 235 Training Units for all work performed in
a foreign country, as long as you work under the direct supervision and control
of an architect who is registered in that country under their laws, or whose
registration is recognized by that country as being equivalent to their own
(for instance, you may work under the supervision of a British-registered
architect in India or Singapore). Furthermore, if you are working under a
US-licensed architect abroad, all of your experience can count. Q11. I started my IDP Council Record in Georgia
and recently moved to Illinois. How do I transfer my Council Record to Illinois?
A. There is no need to do any transfer. You will get full credit for your
IDP training earned in Georgia (or any other state, for that matter), as long
as it is acceptable to NCARB. That is one of the great advantages of IDP -
it is "portable." You only need to let NCARB know you moved so they will be
able to send your future forms and record of your experience to your new address.
Q12. Who is going to verify that I actually did
what I said I did?
A. Your employer. Under IDP rules, you must have an Employer, who
is a person who supervises your work on a daily basis and who periodically
certifies your record of training and supplementary education. Employers do
not always have to be architects (for example, in the case where you are working
for an engineer or interior design firm). If an architect is your Employer,
he or she must be a licensed architect in Illinois. Obviously, your Employer
could change from time to time, as you are assigned other duties in a firm,
move to different cities, or simply change jobs.
Note that if you falsify your training information (such as exaggerating
time earned or mis-reporting the training category), NCARB will not give you
any credit for the four month period covered by the falsified training, and
they will also deny any training credit for the entire year following that
reporting date. After that year of "lock-out" NCARB will then internally review
the incident and make a determination whether or not to reactivate your record.
The strong message is to be truthful in the information you submit to NCARB.
Your employer will also verify your professional and community service.
Your employer may ask for verification of this experience from you, but NCARB
does not require any additional letters or proof. Q13. Who else is involved in my internship?
A. You may also want to select a Mentor. A Mentor is an architect licensed
in any state who meets with you periodically to review your training progress
and discuss your career goals. Your Mentor serves as a traditional "mentor."
For example, Frank Lloyd Wright's "Mentor" was Louis Sullivan, who Wright
called his "Lieber Meister." He or she may ask before you meet that you write
down and update your short and long-range goals for yourself. You may want
to ask a friend, a former professor, or another architect in your firm to
serve as your Mentor. The local AIA office may have a list of individuals
who have agreed to serve in this important role. You may also have your Employer
serve as your Mentor, if you feel it is appropriate. Q14. I heard that I can defer repayment of my
student loans if I enroll in the IDP program. Is that true?
A. Yes, but only if the federally insured student loan was granted prior
to July 1, 1993. After that date it is at the discretion of the lender.
There is a form that you can get from your loan company which requires two
signatures to verify that you are enrolled in an official apprenticeship program.
The first signature is the "Program Official," which is your Employer. The
second signature is the Director of the Illinois Department of Professional
Regulation. Call M. David Brim, Design Professions Coordinator, in Springfield,
telephone (217) 785-0877, to obtain this second signature. A. If your firm can establish that their continuing education seminars
are "experience-based," that is, they will significantly involve actual observing
or participating in producing architectural services, you will be able to
claim all the time you spend in that program, just as if you were actually
working and getting those experiences. If, however, your firm's continuing
education program is of an academic nature (lectures, reading materials, tests,
etc.), it must be pre-approved by the AIA under their "CES" (Continuing
Education System) program. A. Any education course which is pre-approved by the AIA as part of their
Continuiung Education System will qualify for IDP Training Units. You should
check for that prior to enrolling in the course. Q17. Is it possible to get Training Unit
credit for attending AIA-sponsored or CSI-sponsored educational seminars?
A. Yes, as long as the seminars and workshops are sponsored by an AIA
Certified Continuing Education System provider, and they will award "Learning
Unit" credit to licensed architects. You need to have completed 96 semester
hours or 144 quarter hours including 32 semester hours or 48 quarter hours
in architectural courses in an undergraduate program, or finished the 1st
year of a 3-year Master of Architecture program before you can begin earning
credits through this system. Keep in mind, however, that "supplementary education"
will not count for the minimum required number of Training Units in each category.
When you attend an AIA-approved provider program, you can have your Learning
Unit Hours recorded in the database kept at the University of Oklahoma (The
University of Oklahoma, Continuing Education AIA/CES, Room B-1, 1700 Asp Avenue,
Norman, OK 73072, telephone (800) 605-8229, fax (405) 325-6965). Even
if you are not an AIA member, the AIA will maintain a record of your supplementary
education so that you may apply it toward your IDP Training Units. In order
to set up an account to have the AIA keep track of this information, you will
have to go to the AIA's Emerging Professional's Companion (EPC) web site:
www.epcompanion.org. By signing
up for the EPC (it is free), you will be assigned an AIA number for use in
tracking your credits. The AIA-issued number is not an AIA member number.
The number will be sent to you in a response e-mail from the AIA along with
your Emerging Professional's Companion login information. Keep track of
the number. You may want to keep a copy of it at you workplace, also,
to be able to get credit for those lunch-hour brown bag seminars that many
offices have. You will need to sign in or register with that new number when
you attend an AIA-approved education provider program. This could be any activity
from an in-office vendor lunch seminar to an AIA chapter activity. If a program
offers AIA/CES credit, then it will also earn you credit toward your IDP Council
Record. Be certain that you sign in or register for the program using the
AIA's EPC number and not your NCARB number. The program provider will submit
attendance information to the University of Oklahoma, which keeps track of
these records. If you complete an activity on your own, such as the questions
for a continuing education article from Architectural Record, then you
are responsible for submitting the paperwork to the University of Oklahoma.
Again, use your AIA-issued EPC number. To earn credit for any type of supplementary
education, NCARB requires an official transcript be submitted along with your
NCARB Employment Verification Form (Form 123). You may download a copy of
your transcript from the University of Oklahoma web site at any time (or request
a transcript in writing, one free each year). That printed hard copy transcript
should be sent with your Form 123 to NCARB. You must sign in for
the continuing education program using your AIA member number or a number
assigned to you by AIA, not your NCARB number.
1. The firm must be a "sole proprietorship" solely owned by an
Illinois licensed architect, structural engineer or professional engineer.
"Direct supervision" means normal daily contact with your supervisor who
also is working in the same firm. If the company you work for does not have
an architect or engineer on its full time staff, but simply hires a consulting
architect or engineer to provide them with professional services, the time you
spend working in that situation will not count. Be aware
of the fact that outside consulting architects who come into the firm to review
your work and apply their license seal to drawings that you have prepared are
not practicing legally in Illinois and most other states, and are subject to suspension
or termination of their license by the Department of Professional Regulation.
Q15. My firm has a continuing education program.
How can I get credit for attendance at their seminars?
Q16. Does the CSI specifications education course
qualify for supplementary education?
Formula for translation from AIA "Learning Units" (LU) to your IDP "Training Units" (TU): 1 contact hour of the seminar or workshop = 1 LU = 0.25 TU
Q18. I received a FIDER-accredited degree in Interior Design 3 years ago. After graduating, I worked two years for an architect, doing architectural drawings. Now I am enrolled in graduate school, working on a Masters Degree in Architecture. Does my experience prior to enrolling in graduate school count toward my required IDP training?
A. No. If your undergraduate degree was not in an NAAB-accredited
architectural program, or a pre-professional architectural degree program
which is not approved by the Illinois Architecture Licensing Board, only experience
gained after your first year in the graduate school architectural program
will count toward your training requirements. However, if your undergraduate
degree is approved, allowing you to enter a 2-year graduate program, then
you could earn credit for work done after your Junior year.
Q19. I have a degree in Interior Design and plan on doing free-lance interiors work. Does that work earn Training Units?
A. No. To earn Training Units, you must be employed and
work under the direct and daily supervision and control of a qualified interior
designer.
Q20. How do I keep the record of my experience?
A. You keep the record of hours you worked on an "Employment
Verification Form" (also called "Form123," available at http://www.ncarb.org/forms/123form.pdf)
provided to you by NCARB. You will fill it out at least every four months,
checking off what kind of work you have done and what category it falls under,
and how many hours you worked in each category. You then have your Employer
verify and sign the form. Have your Mentor sign it also. In a situation where
you have not yet been able to secure a Mentor, NCARB will accept your Employer's
signature in place of your Mentor's signature on the form. If you have any
questions about which category your work should be applied to, talk to your
state IDP coordinator. Have your employer send your completed and signed Form123
to NCARB in Washington approximately on January 1, May 1, and September 1
of each year. NCARB will then review your record, check your category assignments,
and send you a "Periodic Assessment Report." Note that beginning in 2009, NCARB will require you to report all experience within 6 months after you have earned it.
Q21. Does my previous experience count?
A. Yes, all experience gained after your third year in
an NAAB-accredited degree program or in a pre-professional architectural degree
program which is approved by the Illinois Architecture Licensing Board, or
all experience gained after your first year in a 3-year graduate program in
architecture, can count. You just need to fill out an NCARB Employment Verification
Form (also called "Form123," available at http://www.ncarb.org/forms/123form.pdf)
for that time and get your former employer to sign it. Note that beginning in 2009, NCARB will require you to report all experience within 6 months after you have earned it.
Q22. Can I be licensed in Illinois if I am not a U.S. Citizen?
A. Yes.
Q23. I have had a dispute with my boss and he fired me. I need him to sign my IDP verification of employment to get credit for the work I did at his office, and have sent the forms to him but he refused to sign them. Can I force him to sign?
A. There is no legal risk or cost involved to your former
boss by his signing your employment verification form. This has been a requirement
of the Illinois Architectural Act nearly since its creation. As a future practicing
professional, you should always strive to maintain good relations with all
members of the construction industry. Your employment and business reputation
are built on good references from past employers. However, if an architect
refuses to sign your IDP forms, your first recourse could be to have your
IDP coordinator call your former employer to officially request their cooperation.
If that does not get the job done, you may contact the Illinois Architecture
Licensing Board to speak with your former employer, to inform them that your
request is reasonable, that they have responsibility to sign, and that their
signature on the form will have no legal or financial impact on their business.
This will normally get you what you need. In a very difficult case, you may
have to take legal action as a last resort.
Q24. I have been working for a small architectural firm for the past year, and have put in many hours of overtime for which I was paid at my regular hourly rate. I have heard that I should have been paid at "time-and-a-half" rate. What is the law on this?
A. "Professional" employees are exempt from the federal wage and labor laws and therefore are not required to be paid at the "time-and-a-half" rate for overtime. However, "interns" are not classified as professionals under this law, since they are pursuing architectural licensing, they cannot seal drawings for construction, and they must work under the supervision and control of a qualified professional. In order to be classified as a professional under the federal labor law, the employee must make be able to do all of the following:
1. Make independent judgements about her or his work.Interns are typically not given that kind of role in their work, and are therefore non-exempt from the wage and labor laws. Courts have determined that non-exempt workers must be paid at the "time-and-a-half" hourly wage rate after working 40 hours in one week. The size of the firm does not matter. I have received a number of questions from interns about this issue asking for specific information regarding court cases. At this point, I have only the information from reading the labor law itself in the Code of Federal Regulations which can be found in any public library at 29 CFR Part 541. Particularly applicable is the discussion of nonexempt work in paragraph.2. Act without the approval of her or his supervisor.
3. Affect the essential operations of the enterprise without supervisory approval.
See section 541.308: http://www.dol.gov/dol/allcfr/ESA/Title_29/Part_541/29CFR541.3.htm for more information. You should be aware, however, that a few very large architectural firms have established agreements with the U.S. Department of Labor to classify some of their interns as exempt from the wage and hour laws based on their assignment to tasks in the office which requires the consistent exercise of discretion and judgement in the performance of their work. If you want to pursue the issue with your firm, you should seek counsel of an attorney specializing in labor law.
Q25. I am classified as a senior at my school, but I have not yet completed my junior year design courses. Can I get training unit credit for work under the IDP guidelines?
A. In order to be able to enroll in IDP and get Training
Unit credit you must have accumulated 96 semester hours (144 quarter hours)
of credit toward the professional or pre-professional degree, of which at
least 32 semester hours (48 quarter hours) of credit are in architectural
courses. Architectural courses are those that are required to be taken as
part of your curriculum in architecture and usually have the prefix of "ARCH"
or "ARC."
Q26. I have a pre-professional B.S. degree in architecture, and am currently enrolled in a 3 year M.Arch. degree program. I took a year off between graduating and enrolling in the Masters degree program. Does that year's experience count?
A. No. The reason is that you are enrolled in the 3 year
M. Arch. program which is designed for students with no architectural background.
In that school setting, you must wait until after your first year in graduate
school to begin accumulating Training Units. However, if you had enrolled
in a 2 year M. Arch. program, or if you had been granted "advanced standing"
in the 3 year program as a result of your pre-professional degree, the time
you spent after your undergraduate degree would have counted.
Q27. I work full time (37.5 hours per week) for one architectural firm and also work part time (20 hours per week ) for another firm. Does the part time work count toward my Training Unit requirements?
A. Yes. However, if you had worked less than 20 hours
per week, the second job would not count. In addition, for part time work
to count, you must work for that same firm for a minimum of 6 consecutive
months. In addition, if you worked 35 or more hours per week for the second
firm, instead of 20 hours per week (don't laugh -- it has happened) it would
also count. NCARB classifies full time work as 35 hours per week or more.
Part time work is between 20 and 35 hours per week.
Q28. I am volunteering for Habitat for Humanity about 8 hours per month as a construction worker, and would like to get credit for that time. Can I do that?
A. Yes. You can credit the full amount of your volunteer time in the "Related Activities" Category, under the "Professional and Community Service" area. Your Employer (that is, your boss at your full time job) will sign off on those hours. He or she may wish to verify with your volunteer organization that you have actually put in the number of hours you have claimed. You can claim any volunteer work up to 10 TUs under the Professional and Community Service area even if you are not employed by an architect, or are a student.
Q29. Where else can I go to fulfill my Professional and Community Service training requirements?
A. You have many choices, some of which are listed below:
- Become an active member of an AIA committee at the local, state or national level.
- Volunteer for your community's plan commission, historic preservation commission, zoning board of appeals, building appeals board, or any other governmental committee.
- Participate in a political campaign.
- Be a volunteer speaker in your local elementary or high school.
- Be a juror in an architecture school design class.
- Tutor students
- Volunteer in organizations such as those listed below:
- Great Lakes Disability and Business IT Center - Robin Jones (312) 413-1407.
- Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Accessibility & Workplace Safety - Martha Younger-White (312) 793-1565.
- Read to the blind for your local library.
- Teach Sunday school for your church.
Q30. I am working in a design-build firm where
my supervisor is a licensed engineer. I am doing document checking and coordination
(Category A) work and construction observation (Category B) work. In which
category do I record my experience?
A. You record all of your experience in that employment
setting under Category D, Engineering Activities. Note that there is a maximum
of 235 TUs applied to your IDP training in this setting.
Q31. After graduation, I intend to open an architectural firm and hire a licensed architect to work for me. Can I earn TUs in that situation?
A. No. Illinois rules prevent you from earning IDP credit
as a "principal" in a firm. After all, you are supposed to be in training.
(Note that NCARB does accept this in those few states that allow Interns to
be "principals" as long as they are "supervised"). Furthermore, in order for
your architectural firm to legally practice architecture in Illinois, it must
be registered with the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation as a
"Professional Design Firm." In order to qualify for registration, the person
having responsibility for the architectural services must be a General Partner
in a Partnership organization or must be a Director of the firm if it is organized
as a Corporation, and two thirds of the Partners or Directors must be architects,
structural engineers or professional engineers licensed in any state. This
would not be the case if you had a business in which there were only one architect
and you as owners/partners.
Q32. I work as an independent contractor for an architect an average of 40 hours per week. Can I receive Training Unit credit for that experience?
A. No, unless you receive the same type of daily supervision as a full-time employee of the architect. Some employers wrongly believe that classifying an employee as a consultant or independent contractor eliminates the need for paying minimum wage or overtime, or paying their portion of federal social security tax or state unemployment insurance. However, as Carl Sapers, Esq., legal counsel to NCARB said in a speech given to all the IDP coordinators on January 28, 1996, the federal legal definition for consultant or contract employer includes four tests to which the answers must all be no:
1. Is the manner of doing the job controlled by the employer?Q33. I work for a temporary employment placement agency and am sent to firms to work on a specific project, but I am paid only by the temp agency. Can I receive Training Unit credit for that experience?2. Does the employee use the employer's tools, space, and equipment?
3. Does the employer establish the time frame for the completion of the project?
4. Is the activity integral to the enterprise?
A. Yes, as long as each experience in the architectural offices to which
you are assigned is at least 8 weeks in duration for a minimum of 35 hours
per week. In this situation, your fringe benefits and unemployment insurance
are paid for by the temp agency, so you are not an "independent contractor"
in the eyes of the Labor Department or IRS. However, the architectural firm
in which you are temporarily placed will need to sign your Training Unit form
to verify that you have earned Training Units while working in their office.
Although the form asks that the firm verify that you have been "employed"
by them during the time period for which you are recording your Training Units,
the word "employed" in this context will not get them into trouble or hold
them responsible for later paying further benefits to you. Your temp agency
cannot sign your forms, because they do not know what you are doing for the
architectural firm. If your supervisor is hesitant to sign your forms, please
have him or her speak with Frank Heitzman at (708) 848-8844, or Robert Rosenfeld
at (202) 783-6500.
Q34. Can I get credit for the public service requirement even though my public service time was not architecturally related?
A. Yes. You can get credit for time spent doing anything for any legitimate
public service organization, or church-related organization, as long as it
is for the betterment of the community. It does not have to have anything
to do with architecture.
Q35. I have a degree in architecture from a foreign country. Can I earn TUs towards my required diversified training requirements and become eligible to take the Architecture Registration Examination?
A. You may be able to do this if your degree is shown to be the equivalent
of a pre-professional degree in this country. To find out whether it is or
not you must complete an "Educational Evaluation Service for Architects (EESA)
NCARB Evaluation Report." For information regarding EESA/NCARB evaluations
please email NAAB at (eesa@naab.org) or
call at (202) 638-3372 . To download
an application form for an EESA/NCARB evaluation click here. It takes about
2 months to complete and costs $1,500.00. Note that only
an EESA Evaluation report is accepted by NCARB. Since Illinois defers its
judgement on this issue to NCARB, no appeal to the Illinois Licensing Board
of NCARB's decision is permitted.
Q36. I am enrolled in an architectural program which requires me to work in an architectural firm prior to my senior year in college. I am getting college credit for this internship. Can I also get Training Unit credit for the time spent working?
A. Yes, but only if the college credit you earn for the internship exceeds
the total required credit hours (both "core" and elective) for graduation.
Q37. I work for an architectural firm which has put me on "temporary loan" to another firm for a period of several weeks. Who will verify my employment and sign for the training unit credit for the firm in which I am temporarily placed?
A. In this situation, the supervisor in the firm in which you are temporarily
working becomes your "employer" and will verify that you were working in their
offices on the NCARB employment verification form. The firm which pays you
and which lent you out does not have to do anything during this period, since
they are not supervising you.
Q38. I have been working for an architectural firm that only designs single family homes. Can I get all of my TUs in that firm?
A. Yes. However, if you are first licensed in another state
and want to be licensed in Illinois by reciprocity, you may be required by
the Illinois Licensing Board to work for another firm for some period of time
in order to gain experience in other building types.
Q39. I have begun to take the Architectural Registration Examination in another state which does not require completion IDP prior to taking the ARE. Will Illinois accept the results of the divisions I have already passed?
A. No. You must complete the ARE, complete your IDP before, during or after ARE as allowed by the other state, become licensed in that other state first and then apply for licensure in Illinois by "Endorsement".
Q40. How are Architects regulated in other countries?
A. I'm glad you asked. Not as much as in the USA and Canada. According to Garry Stevens, author of The Favored Circle: The Social Foundations of Architectureal Distinction, MIT Press, 1998 (web site http://www.archsoc.com/kcas/RegulatingArchitects.html ), paraphrased as follows: "One of the striking things about architecture is the tremendous variety of ways in which different countries have decided to regulate it (or not). Some countries, such as the United Kingdom, Turkey, New Zealand, The Netherlands and Australia, will let anyone do the work of the architect, and only restrict the title of architect.
A very few places have even tighter restrictions. In Austria, not only do you have to have a degree from an Austrian university, but you must also be an Austrian citizen to practice. No foreigner can be an architect in Austria.
How you acquire the title is also quite variable. In many countries anyone with a degree in architecture is entitled to call themselves an architect, even if they have never laid a pen to paper: Belgium, France, Egypt and Peru do it this way. The Japanese, on the other hand, require no degree, and only ask for a few years training in an architectural office, followed by an examination. In Korea you don't even have to finish high school, but you must complete 14 years of practical experience. Graduate with an architecture degree, though, and this reduces to five years.
What you need to know varies from nation to nation. Australian architects would be considered defective in those countries whose education imparts a lot of structural engineering knowledge to the architect. Spanish architects deal with highly technical buildings, such as industrial plants, that English-speaking architects tend to leave to engineers. Similarly, architects in the Benelux countries produce technical drawings that would be handled by engineers in Australia. Norwegian architects also invariably handle town-planning.
Finally, in quite a few countries there are neither any restrictions on who can use the title architect nor on the sort of work that people can do. In Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden, they have decided that as long as the buildings accord with building regulations, they don't really care who designs them. "
Q41. I have a degree in architecture from a Canadian University. Can I become licensed in Illinois?
A. Yes. The Illinois Architect Licensing Act
Rules state that the following degrees are acceptable in Illinois:
"...a professional degree in architecture from a
Canadian university certified as accredited by CACB," or "A pre-professional
4 year baccalaureate degree program in architecture approved by the Board
in accordance with Section 1150.50 of this Part, which is accepted for direct
entry into a professional Master of Architecture degree program accredited
by the NAAB or the CACB..."
Q42. I have worked in Canada and earned internship credit under the IAP program. Can this experience transfer to Illinois?
A. Yes. The Canadian IAP has been accepted by NCARB as equivalent to the IDP. You simply need to submit your IAP records to NCARB to get an IDP Record. To sign up for an NCARB record, go to http://www.ncarb.org/forms/reqcoun.html .
Q43. Which states require
a professional degree for licensure?
A. 35 of the 55 NCARB member states and territories require
a professional degree - either a B. Arch. or an M. Arch. degree. They are
the following:
| Alabama | Alaska | Arkansas | Connecticut |
| Delaware | District of Columbia | Florida | Indiana |
| Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana |
| Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Mississippi |
| Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Jersey |
| New Mexico | North Carolina | North Dakota | Ohio |
| Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Puerto Rico |
| Rhode Island | South Carolina | South Dakota | Utah |
| Virginia | West Virginia | Wyoming | Illinois (after January 1, 2014) |
The following 20 states and territories require only a 4-year pre-professional degree (some still even require only a high school diploma) - but remember that you cannot receive NCARB Certification unless you have a professional degree - the NCARB Certification will allow you to be licensed in any state or territory without question:
| Arizona | California | Colorado | Georgia |
| Guam | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois (until December 31, 2013) |
| Maine | Maryland | Missouri | New Hampshire |
| New York | Northern Mariana Islands | Tennessee | Texas |
| Vermont | Virgin Islands | Washington | Wisconsin |
Q44. Must I have an NCARB
Certificate in order to be licensed in Illinois through reciprocity (also
called "by endorsement")?
A. No, but if you do have an NCARB Certificate it will
speed the process of becoming licensed in Illinois. In order to receive an
NCARB Certificate you must have all of the following:
1. Have a professional degree from an NAAB-accredited college (a B. Arch. or an M.Arch.)
2. Have completed IDP
3. Have passed all divisions of the ARE
4. Be registered in another state
5. Pay for and receive the Certificate from NCARB
Q45. Can I engage in architectural
competitions and use that time to fulfill my "professional and Community
service" requirements?
A. Yes, whether or not you are working for an architectural
firm.
Q46. I have not completed
all divisions of the ARE but three years have passed. How can I re-enroll
for the exam?
A. You will have to submit an application for licensure
by examination (4 pages), with an $85.00 fee (certified check or money order)
payable to Continental Testing Services Inc., a "Work History" form,
the NCARB Council Record, and an affidavit that you have read and understand
the Illinois Architecture Practice Act and Administrative Rules. The application
form is available on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional
Regulation website at http://www.idfpr.com/dpr/apply/forms/ar-ex.pdf
You will need to send all of this to Continental Testing Services, Inc., P.O.
Box 100, LaGrange, IL 60525-0100. You will be given credit for all divisions
you have previously passed. If the Illinois rules for licensure have changed
from what they were previously, you will be made to comply with the new rules
when you make your application for re-enrollment.
Q47. What is this "Rolling Clock" I hear about?
A. On January 1, 2006, NCARB began a five year "rolling clock," which means from that date on, you must pass all nine divisions within a five year period. If you have already passed all divisions prior to that date, no matter how long it took you to do so, you will be considered by NCARB to have passed the ARE.
Let's look at two other different scenarios:
1. All divisions of the ARE are taken after January 1, 2006:
- You take Division 1 on February 2, 2006 and pass
it. Your five year rolling clock window now will close on February 2, 2011.
That means that you have until that date to pass all other divisions.
- You take Division 2 on March 2, 2006 and pass
it. Your rolling clock window closing date to pass all other divisions remains
the same, February 2, 2011.
- You take Division 3 on April 1, 2006 but fail
it. Your rolling clock window closing date to pass all divisions, including
re-taking and passing Division 3, remains the same, February 2, 2011.
- You take Divisions 4 through 9 before February
2, 2011, but were not able to re-take and pass failed Division 3 before
that date. The rolling clock window will now begin from the date you took
and passed Division 2, on March 2, 2006. That means your rolling clock window
closing date to pass all divisions, including re-taking and passing Division
3, as well as any divisions passed before March 2, 2006 moves to March 2,
2011. Now you must not only take and pass the failed Division 3 prior to
March 2, 2011, but you also must re-take and pass again Division 1. If you
do not pass those two Divisions by March 2, 2011, your rolling clock window
closing date will move to five years from the date you took and passed the
next Division in sequence.
2. Some divisions of the ARE were taken before January 1, 2006 and some are taken after that date:
- You have taken and passed Division 1 before January
1, 2006. This Division will never have to be re-taken.
- You take Division 2 on February 2, 2006 but fail
it. Your five year rolling clock window will not have begun yet. It begins
on the day you take your first passed exam.
- You take Divisions 3 on March 2, 2006 and pass
it. Your five year rolling clock window will close on March 2, 2011. That
means that you have until March 2, 2011 to pass all other divisions, including
re-taking and passing Division 2.
- In other words, the entire length of time spent to complete all nine divisions (except for those Divisions passed prior to January 1, 2006, which are exempt) must never exceed five years.
Q48. My boss will not sign
off on my "professional and Community service" experience on my
Form 123 because he says that he cannot verify that I actually did it. What
can I do?
A. You can provide him with a notarized statement from
the person who supervised your community service activities. The statement
should explain the nature of the activities and verify total hours spent by
the intern.
Q49. What is the current Architectural Registration Examination?
A. NCARB is now administrating ARE version 4.0 which consists of seven divisions as follows:
Building Design and Construction Systems (replacing
"Building Design - Materials and Methods" and "Building Technology”)
: 85 multiple choice questions and 3 graphic vignettes "Accessibility
Ramp," "Roof Plan," and "Stair Design"
Building Systems (replacing "Mechanical and
Electrical Systems"): 95 multiple choice questions and 1 graphic vignette
"Mechanical and Electrical Plan"
Construction Documents and Services (same as existing);
100 multiple choice questions and 1 graphic vignette "Building Section"
Programming, Planning & Practice (replacing "Pre-Design"):
85 multiple choice questions and 1 vignette "Site Zoning"
Schematic Design (replacing "Building Planning"):
2 vignettes "Building Layout" and "Interior Layout"
Site Planning and Design (replacing "Site Planning"):
65 multiple choice questions and 2 vignettes "Site Design" and "Site
Grading"
Structural Systems (replacing "General Structures" and "Lateral Forces"): 125 multiple choice questions and 1 vignette "Structural Layout"
The former exam, ARE 3.1, will continue to be given up until the end of June, 2009. If you have not passed the ARE 3.1 divisions listed below by June 30, 2009 then you must take the following ARE 4.0 divisions: