The traditional architectural education focuses on facets of architecture concerned with the humanities. This exposure to social and theoretical aspects of the built environment creates a basic working knowledge for a student of architecture to enter the profession.

That man, I think, has had a liberal education, who has been so trained in youth that his body is the ready servant of his will. (Huxley, A Liberal Education, 1868)

While the importance of the curriculum is justified, this kind of educational foundation instigates a severe disconnect between academia and professional practice. This conflict can only be resolved by a meaningful architectural internship that revolves around significant real world experience. Through this endeavor, an ideal internship helps emerging architects make the transition from education to practice.

While this reflects the stated goals of the Intern Development Program, not all young professionals become engaged in the multi-faceted work experience that is imperative to the development of a competent architect. Currently, academic institutions emphasize various sets of analytical skills that make it problematic to assess the capabilities of recent graduates. This condition puts both employee and employer in a difficult situation, and can lead to the confinement of a young architect into repeating a single skill set that is dictated by the professional institution.

A man has no ears for that to which experience has given him no access. (Nietsche, Ecce Homo, 1888)

The internship process must be enhanced to strengthen the relationship between a student’s abilities and the needs of professional practice. This may be accomplished by establishing a standard level of competency that meets the demands of architecture in the working world. In this way, a successful candidate is immediately proven capable and productive in several aspects of professional practice.

This type of developmental hierarchy could be understood through the adjacent engineering profession. The EIT (Engineer in Training) exam has served as a benchmark for employers to measure the abilities of recent engineering graduates. First, it helps make the distinction between those who come from a professional degree program as opposed to that of a trade school. Second, this system dictates a standard level of competency that informs the employer about the elevated skills and expectations of an applicant. Finally, the structure ensures that employees will be utilized in a meaningful way that is worthwhile to all parties involved in professional practice. These are certainly important issues that need to be incorporated into the internship of an architect.

The engineering profession is just one example of an existing model that may be worth further analysis. To this end, perhaps there are lessons that architecture can learn from the process of other design professions. The key is to develop a model that assures continual improvement in the quality of work experience for the architects of the future. Emerging architects have the right to receive an apprenticeship that yields guided tutelage to learn the practice of architecture while at the same time gaining valuable experience in the profession.