California Code of Regulations › Title 16 - Professional and Vocational Regulations › Division 2 - California Architects Board › Article 3 - Examinations › Section 117 - Experience Evaluation

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
The Board's evaluation of candidates' training and
				  educational experience is based on the Board's Table of Equivalents as listed
				  below.
The Table is comprised of four columns. Column A lists the
				  types of experience for which credit may be granted. Columns B and C specify
				  the maximum credit that may be granted to a candidate who was determined by the
				  Board to be eligible for the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), the
				  California Supplemental Examination, or licensure prior to January 1, 2005 and
				  who is active in the examination process or to a candidate who is otherwise
				  exempt from the IDP/IAP requirement specified in Section
				  116(b). Column D
				  specifies the maximum credit that may be granted to a new or inactive candidate
				  who was determined by the Board to be eligible for the ARE on or after January
				  1, 2005 and who is subject to the IDP/IAP requirement.
TABLE OF EQUIVALENTS
(a) Experience Equivalents:
Column
							 A
Column
							 B
Column
							 C
Column D
Experience
						  Description
Candidates Eligible Prior to January 1,
						  2005 or Otherwise Exempt from IDP/IAP
						  Requirement
Candidates Eligible Prior to January 1,
						  2005 or Otherwise Exempt from IDP/IAP
						  Requirement
Candidates Eligible January 1, 2005 or
						  After and Subject to IDP/IAP Requirement
Education Equivalents Max. Credit
						  Allowed
Training and/or Practice Equivalents Max.
						  Credit Allowed
Max. Credit Allowed
(1) A professional degree in architecture, where the
						  degree program has been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting
						  Board (NAAB) or the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), or units
						  toward such a degree.
5 years
5 years
(2) A professional degree in architecture, where the
						  degree program has not been accredited by NAAB or CACB and the program consists
						  of at least a five-year curriculum, or units toward such a degree.
4
						  years
4 years
(3) A four-year degree in architecture Baccalaureus
						  Atrium (BA), Atrium Baccalaureus (AB), Bachelor of Science (BS), or units
						  toward such a degree.
3 1/2 years
3 1/2 years
(4) A degree from a school/college which has an
						  NAAB-accredited or CACB-accredited professional degree program in architecture,
						  where the degree could be accepted for entry into a two-year NAAB-accredited or
						  CACB-accredited Master of Architecture program, or units toward such a
						  degree.
3 1/2 years
3 1/2 years
(5) A degree which consists of at least a four -year
						  curriculum in a field related to architecture as defined in subsection (b)(6),
						  or units toward such a degree.
2 years
2 years
(6) Any other university or college degree which
						  consists of at least a four-year curriculum.
1 year
1
						  year
(7)(A) Any other city/community college degree which
						  consists of at least a two-year curriculum.
6 months
6 months
(B) Any other city/community college degree or
						  technical school certificate in a field related to architecture.
1
						  year
1 year
(8) Experience under the direct supervision of an a
						  rchitect(s) licensed in a United States jurisdiction shall be granted 100%
						  credit.
5 years
3 years
5 years
(9) Certification by the National Council of
						  Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) shall be granted a maximum of eight
						  years credit upon receipt in the Board office of the candidate's current and
						  valid NCARB blue cover file, transmitted by NCARB.
5 years
3
						  years
8 years
(10) While a candidate is enrolled in a college or
						  university, credit shall be granted:
(A) 100% for experience obtained under the direct
						  supervision of architect(s) licensed in the U.S.
1 year
or 1
						  year
1 year
(B) 50% for experience as, or experience obtained
						  under the direct supervision of, a registered civil or structural engineer
						  and/or a licensed landscape architect licensed in a United States
						  jurisdiction.
1 year
1 year
(C) 50% for experience as, or experience obtained
						  under the direct supervision of, a California licensed general building
						  contractor.
1 year
1 year
(D) 50% for experience as, or experience obtained
						  under the direct supervision of, a California certified building official as
						  defined in subsection (c)(7).
1 year
1 year
(E) 50% for experience as, or experience obtained
						  under the direct supervision of, a foreign licensed architect licensed in the
						  qualifying foreign country where the experience occurred.
1
						  year
1 year
(11) Completion of the Intern Development Program (IDP)
						  of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards or the Intern
						  Architect Program of Canada shall be granted a minimum of three years credit,
						  upon receipt in the Board office of the candidate's current and valid NCARB IDP
						  file transmitted by NCARB or documentation transmitted by a Canadian provincial
						  architectural association, respectively.
2 years
3
						  years
5 years
(12)(A) Experience as, or experience obtained under the
						  direct supervision of, a registered civil or structural engineer, and/or a
						  licensed landscape architect licensed in a United States jurisdiction shall be
						  granted 50% credit.
2 years
2 years
(B) Experience as, or experience obtained under the
						  direct supervision of, a California licensed general building contractor shall
						  be granted 50% credit.
1 year
1 year
(C) Experience as, or experience obtained under the
						  direct supervision of, a California certified building official as defined in
						  subsection (c)(7) shall be granted 50% credit.
1
						  year
1 year
(13) Experience as a licensed architect practicing in
						  another U.S. jurisdiction with a verified record of substantial architectural
						  practice shall be granted 100% credit.
8 years
8
						  years
(14)(A) A post professional degree in architecture or
						  with an emphasis on architecture consisting of a Master, Master of Science, or
						  Ph.D. degree, or units toward such a degree, or
1
						  year
1 year
(B) Teaching and/or research in NAAB-accredited or
						  CACB-accredited architectural curriculums shall be granted 100% credit only for
						  those hours worked if verified by the college or university.
1 year
1 year
(15)(A) Experience under the direct supervision of an
						  architect licensed in the qualifying foreign country where the experience
						  occurred shall be granted 50% credit.
5 years
2 years
5
						  years
(B) Experience as a foreign licensed architect
						  licensed in the qualifying foreign country with a verified record of
						  substantial architectural practice shall be granted 50% credit.
5
						  years
2 years
5 years
(b)
				Education Equivalents:
"Education equivalents" shall mean Table categories (a)(1)
				  through (a)(9), (a)(10)(A), (a)(11), (a)(13), and (a)(15)(A) and (B).
(1) For the purposes of this section, NAAB
				shall refer to the National Architectural Accrediting Board, and CACB shall
				refer to the Canadian Architectural Certification Board.
(2) A "professional degree program" shall be
				defined as one of the following types of programs:
1. Bachelor of Architecture, five-year
				program;
2. Bachelor of Architecture
				for individuals with a prior degree;
3. Master of Architecture, four-year
				undergraduate program in architecture plus a two-year graduate program in
				architecture;
4. Master of
				Architecture, four-year undergraduate program in another discipline plus a
				three-year graduate program in architecture.
(3) Where a candidate is seeking education
				equivalents for having obtained a professional degree or units towards such a
				degree from an NAAB-accredited or CACB-accredited program, he or she shall be
				eligible for such credit if such program is or was accredited by NAAB or CACB
				either at the time of graduation or within two years after the date of
				graduation or termination of enrollment.
(4) Credit allowed for units obtained without
				a degree shall only be computed within the categories of subsections (a)(1)
				through (5) or (a)(14)(A) of this section. No credit for units obtained under
				subsections (a)(6) or (7) shall be recognized unless such units have been
				transferred to and accepted by a school within subsections (a)(1) through (5)
				of this section.
(5) Academic units
				based on the categories specified in subsections (a)(1) through (5) or
				(a)(14)(A) of this section shall be evaluated up to the maximum allowed for
				that subsection. Where a candidate has not obtained a degree, the maximum
				credit allowed for the categories contained in subsections (a)(1) through (5)
				or (a)(14)(A) shall be six months less than the maximum credit that would have
				been granted if the candidate had obtained a degree in that category. Fractions
				greater than one-half of an academic year shall be counted as one-half of a
				year and smaller fractions will not be counted. 30 semester units or 45 quarter
				units is considered to be one academic year.
(6) Degrees in a field related to
				architecture shall be evaluated under subsection (a)(5) and defined as the
				following: Architectural Design; Architectural Engineering; Architectural
				Studies; Architectural Technology; Building Science; City and Regional
				Planning; Civil, Mechanical, Structural, or Electrical Engineering;
				Construction Engineering; Construction Management; Environmental Design;
				Interior Architecture; Landscape Architecture; and Urban and Regional
				Design.
(7)
(A) Experience obtained as, or experience
				obtained under the direct supervision of, a licensed professional as defined in
				subsections (a)(8), (a)(12), and (a)(15)(A) or (B) while a candidate is
				enrolled in a college or university shall be allowed maximum credit for
				educational/training equivalents of 1 year as defined in subsections (a)(10)(A)
				through (E). A candidate who obtains experience under the direct supervision of
				a licensed professional as defined in subsections (a)(8), (a)(12), and
				(a)(15)(A) or (B) while enrolled in a college or university shall have his/her
				education and/or experience evaluated according to the method which provides
				the candidate the most credit.
(B)
				A candidate enrolled in a degree program where credit earned is based on work
				experience courses (i.e., internship or co-op programs) shall not receive more
				than the maximum credit allowed for degrees earned under subsections (a)(1)
				through (7).
(C) A candidate who is
				certified as having completed the requirements of IDP, as referenced in section
				109(b)(2), based
				upon receipt in the Board office of the candidate's current and valid NCARB IDP
				file transmitted by NCARB, is exempt from the provisions of subsection
				(b)(7)(B) relating to maximum credit allowed for degrees where credit is earned
				based on work experience courses.
(8) A candidate who possesses a degree and
				possesses units from more than one college or university shall have the degree
				evaluated first prior to evaluating additional education credits.
(9) A candidate with multiple degrees shall
				not be able to accumulate credit for more than one degree unless he or she has
				received one professional degree in architecture and one post professional
				degree in architecture or with an emphasis on architecture as specified in
				subsection (a)(14)(A). Otherwise, the degree that receives the most credit as
				determined by subsection (a) shall take priority over any other
				degree.
(10) A candidate who
				possesses a professional degree and also possesses a post professional degree
				in architecture or with an emphasis on architecture as specified in subsection
				(a)(14)(A) shall be granted one additional year credit for the post
				professional degree.
(11) Degrees
				from a foreign college or university shall be granted credit, as determined by
				the applicable category contained in subsections (a)(1) through (7). A
				transcript(s) certified by the college or university must be evaluated by NAAB
				or an educational evaluation service, approved by the National Association of
				Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) equating the degree toward a
				comparable U.S. degree. Any cost of evaluation shall be the responsibility of
				the candidate. Professional degrees accredited by CACB shall be accepted by the
				Board and shall not be required to be evaluated by NAAB or an NACES education
				evaluation service equating the degree toward a comparable U.S.
				degree.
(12) Units from a foreign
				college or university shall be granted credit, as provided for in the
				applicable category contained in subsections (a)(1) through (5) upon submission
				of a transcript(s) certified by the college or university. These certified
				documents must be evaluated by NAAB or an NACES educational evaluation service
				equating the units toward a comparable U.S. degree. Any cost of evaluation
				shall be the responsibility of the candidate. Professional degrees accredited
				by CACB shall be accepted by the Board and shall not be required to be
				evaluated by NAAB or an NACES education evaluation service equating the degree
				toward a comparable U.S. degree.