As stated in the introduction to the Intern Development Program on the National Council's website, architectural internship is “the most significant developmental period in your career as an architect.” It is more appropriate to say it should be the most significant developmental period in your career. IDP looks great on paper – go to school, get a job, register for IDP, and in approximately three years, you can take the ARE and get your license…easier said than done.

Architectural internship should be a comprehensive experience, encompassing all basic aspects of the profession. It should be exciting and fulfilling. What you learn from your endeavors as an intern should form the backbone of your career; the experiences should enhance your education and show you how to apply your knowledge to the business side of the architectural profession. Internship should provide direction and insight on design, methods of construction, marketing, ethics, and project delivery – both good and bad. The Intern Development Program should encourage pacesetting and goal reaching. Instead, in my experience thus far, IDP has proven to be stressful and seemingly unattainable within a reasonable time period. I want to get the most out the program, but I need help.

I have worked with two architectural firms to date, and while going through the interviewing process, I have found that most firm principles and project architects are not familiar or concerned with the Intern Development Program. Most of these architects were registered before IDP was mandatory. I would also like to point out that many of my colleagues have confided to me that they did not actually fulfill all of the IDP requirements. They were advised, by their supervisor, who may or may not have participated in the Intern Development Program, to simply spread their time across the disciplines until all of the requirements were satisfied and then it would be up to them to pass the ARE. If this is what is going on in the majority of architectural firms across the country, what is the point of having the IDP program at all?

Pre-IDP registered professionals need to be educated on the importance and the process of the Intern Development Program. Those who did participate need more incentive to help their interns have a more rewarding internship experience. There should be incentives for mentors and supervisors to become more involved in the internship process and its requirements. I see a possibly of offering continuing education credits (free of charge) to supervisors and mentors based on an evaluation by their interns. Supervisors and mentors are evaluating the intern, but who is evaluating them? It seems that only architectural communities with large memberships have organizations such as the Young Architects Forums and other similar programs where training unit credits can be earned outside of the office setting under the direction of a registered architect.

There should also be ways to earn training units independently. NCARB could sponsor design competitions formatted specifically for earning training units, or other independent work should be able to be documented and submitted for training unit credit. The Emerging Professional Companion is a wonderful resource, though it is disappointing and surprising that the exercises cannot be counted toward minimum training unit requirements for those in offices which do not offer the opportunity to satisfy all of the requirements and to demonstrate “standard practice” versus how an intern's specific employer handles particular situations. This would be extremely beneficial to those who spend their entire internship with the same employer. Also, it cannot be overlooked that some interns may be employed by incompetent and/or unethical architects.

IDP is an invaluable experience, but only if you are able to actually get the experience. Of course it is ultimately the responsibility of the intern to stay on track, but it is not always possible. A lot of responsibility has been put on registered architects to educate interns to ensure the future of the profession. This seems unfair to both the architects and the interns. I think NCARB has to pick up some of the slack to ensure that every intern can get exposure to the basic aspects of the architectural profession set forth by IDP.