Context
In 1900, the United States hosted 145 architects per million people that emerged from one of ten schools.
Today, over 100 schools usher more than 1000 architecture graduates into society. Needless to say, the
profession is not absorbing all of these graduates. In fact, the total number of students currently in school
could repopulate the profession in a matter of five years. Many graduates leave to pursue other interests
while others never intended to be an “architect.” These two groups reassure us that our unique educational
model offers a beneficial perspective. The third group, however – those that leave or never get licensed
solely because of superficial barriers that the profession itself has erected – comprise the impending crisis.
There are measures that we can take to assure that the best and brightest get licensed and strengthen our
profession for everyone…society included.

Time
The average architect-hopeful dedicates nine to twelve years solely to preparation. This intimidation is
unnecessary. A simple change is to allow architecture students, regardless of year, to enroll in IDP. Many
of my peers and I began working in firms immediately after high school. In successive summers we learned
the inner workings of construction documents, schematic design and firm operations – yet none of this
experience was eligible, as we had yet to cross the mystical third-year barrier. Had we been able to begin
our record the year we entered school, our internship obligations would be nearly complete upon
graduation – compressing the entire process.

Testing
A more complex, but necessary, modification that will ameliorate the aforementioned barriers is a cultural
shift in the approach toward licensure. Earning a professional degree from a school of architecture is a
commendable feat, however, we choose not to confer any sort of formal recognition. A law student takes
the bar exam immediately after graduation to test their knowledge. A medical student does the same with
the board. Upon passing, these students can refer to themselves as a lawyer and doctor…the architecture
graduate has no such option. While professional experience is required in both the law and medical
professions, internship and residency follows a test which first validates their knowledge and, instead,
focuses on acclimating the new professional to their surroundings. This results in doctors and lawyers who
practice in alternative disciplines with a lasting respect and unmatched understanding of the fields in which
they were trained. It also cements these two disciplines as knowledge-based professions.
The desire to protect the public by assuring that every professional can practice independently is honorable
and necessary considering that at least 80% of architects work in firms of five or fewer. Nevertheless, both
of these aspects can be addressed by reformatting the exam. A two-part exam that [first] validates the
candidate’s knowledge and [second] determines their ability to practice would further establish the
profession in contemporary society while recognizing the efforts and abilities of all who have given so
much to our profession.