Career Path

Professor of Architecture

Overview

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

Planning and teaching courses in the architecture program of a university.
Working closely with students to help them achieve their academic and career goals.
Staying informed about changes and innovations in the field of architecture.
May be required to conduct and publish original research.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find job listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about this career, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) or Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree, because those are the degrees that make you eligible for licensure, and most universities require that you have worked some years as a practicing licensed architect before hiring you as a professor of architecture. In some cases, having worked as a licensed architect in another country may fulfill this hiring requirement, even if you are not licensed in the U.S. Four year colleges and universities often prefer to hire candidates with a doctorate.

Bachelor’s degrees in architecture fall into two categories: professional degrees (five years in length) and pre-professional degrees (four years in length).
- A four-year Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (BA) or Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BS) degree is considered “pre-professional” and does NOT qualify graduates to practice as a licensed professional architect.
- Only a five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degree allows graduates to become licensed.
- However, a BA or BS can qualify you to work in fields related to architecture, such as architectural history, interior design, industrial design, construction management, and computer-aided design or drafting. It will also allow you to pursue a Master of Architecture degree, which will then qualify you to apply for licensure.

In most fields of study, a master’s degree builds upon a bachelor’s degree, so that a master’s degree is considered more advanced. Architecture is different, in that a Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) and a Master of Architecture (M.Arch) are functionally equivalent degrees: they are simply two different ways to achieve the education necessary to pursue licensure. Holding a B. Arch or an M. Arch will qualify you for the same jobs upon graduation (with the exception of teaching).

The M.Arch degree exists mostly to serve students who have bachelor’s degrees in different fields, but who later decided to pursue a career as a licensed architect instead. It may also be an option for you if the EESA evaluation does not find your foreign architecture degree to be equivalent to a U.S. professional architecture degree, but does find it to be a valid bachelor’s degree. In that case, rather than going back to school to complete a five year B.Arch, you could apply to M.Arch programs, which can usually be completed in just 3 to 3.5 years.

Certification

Certification is not required.
Licensure
Most universities require that you have worked some years as a practicing licensed architect before hiring you as a professor of architecture.

Licensure is required in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, as well as most US territories. Requirements vary.

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) provides a step-by-step overview of the licensing process for internationally-educated architects.

NCARB offers two main paths to certification for foreign architects. The requirements vary depending on whether you have simply completed an architecture degree or whether you are a licensed architect in another country.
- If you received an architecture degree in another country but do not hold an active license in that country, you must:
  - Create an NCARB Record.
  - Complete an Education Evaluation Services for Architects (EESA) evaluation of your education.
    - Bachelor’s degrees in architecture fall into two categories: professional degrees (five years in length) and pre-professional degrees (four years in length).
    - A four-year Bachelor of Arts in Architecture (BA) or Bachelor of Science in Architecture (BS) degree is considered “pre-professional” and does NOT qualify graduates to practice as a licensed professional architect.
    - Only a five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) degree allows graduates to become licensed.
    - However, a BA or BS can qualify you to work in fields related to architecture, such as interior design, industrial design, construction management, and computer-aided design or drafting. It will also allow you to pursue a Master of Architecture degree, which will then qualify you to apply for licensure.
  - Complete the Architectural Experience Program (AXP).
  - Pass the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
- If you are a licensed architect in another country, you may be eligible to pursue the Foreign Architect Path to U.S. licensure. You must:
  - Create an NCARB Record. You must include and document your architecture degree and transcripts, and foreign registration/licensure.
  - You do NOT need to complete an EESA evaluation.
  - Complete the Architectural Experience Program (AXP).
  - Pass the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
  - Pay the required fee and receive your NCARB certificate, which you can then use to apply for reciprocal licensure in any state that accepts the Foreign Architect Path.
Since architecture license requirements vary by state, consider these key points:
- Not all states accept NCARB Certificates earned through the Foreign Architect path. Always confirm with your state licensing board before pursuing this path to licensure.
- You can use NCARB’s licensing requirements tool to find out information specific to your location.
All U.S. architecture boards require candidates to pass the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
Mutual Recognition Agreement
A Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) is an agreement between two or more countries to accept the educational or professional credentials granted in each other’s countries. This means that if you graduated with a specific degree or earned certain professional qualifications in a country covered under an MRA, your credentials may be automatically recognized here in the US. Several professions in the US participate in MRAs, including accounting, architecture, and engineering.
- MRAs are not legally binding, and some states may choose not to recognize credentials covered under an MRA. If your credential may be covered under an MRA, always check with your state licensing board to be sure that they accept the agreement.
If you are an architect with active licensure in Australia, Canada, Mexico, or New Zealand, you may be able to pursue architectural licensure in the U.S. through the appropriate mutual recognition agreement.

Through the Canberra Accord, certain professional degrees in architecture from accredited programs in Australia, Canada, China, Korea, Mexico, and members countries of the Commonwealth Association of Architects may qualify for accelerated EESA evaluation processing from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

In addition, NAAB has evaluated a number of international architecture degree programs outside the Canberra Accord for “substantial equivalency,” meaning that these programs have been found to be comparable to NAAB-accredited programs. If you hold an architecture degree from one of these programs with NAAB International Certification, you may also qualify for an accelerated EESA evaluation.

There is no MRA for Landscape Architecture.