We think that we can learn everything online, but the truth is that we might not be able to learn everything. There are limitations to what the internet can offer to us, or rather, what the world will accept. For example, becoming a doctor or architect is impossible to do online. One must go through the system, five or seven or even ten years, if you want to become a doctor, a specialist.
In order to become an architect, however, one does not need ten years of studying, but they do need at least five years to get started. Here is what is necessary for one to become an architect.
Formal Education is a Must
Architects need licenses in order to be eligible to work as architects. But first, they need a bachelor’s degree. Most countries require one to have five years of university experience and study in order to become an architect. This will take the upcoming architect through all the basics of what an architect must do.
It is rigorous and any architecture student will tell you stories of sleepless nights, trying to get their projects to a near-perfect state, because anything else will be considered a failure. A couple of inches here and there means a completely unstable object, which could have dire consequences.
Internships Are Also Mandatory
Some countries are not as strict when it comes to internships, but most regard them as mandatory. Internships typically last for three years and they are important. An upcoming architect will learn how they can apply their knowledge in practice. They would get to design projects, pre-design them, work on site and also work on technical aspects of a project, meaning do every type of architecture. Internships can be done in various ways, but it also depends on the country. In the US, they can be done through the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
Obtaining a License
This is a very tricky procedure. In most states in the US, it is required to have a bachelor’s degree and have completed an internship. But that does not mean one gets a license automatically. The aforementioned governing body NCARB offers the exam. It is a pass or fail exam with seven parts. One cannot fail a single part, otherwise they fail the entire exam. As one can see, obtaining a license takes serious dedication, which is why architects are rare.
Starting Work as an Architect
Once one gets a license, then the possibility to apply to work as an architect opens up to them, after eight long years of training and studying, or even nine, depending on how long one studies and prepares for the license exam. There are various job options for a licensed architect, from private companies to the place where they completed the internship.
Additional Specializations and Certificates
The NCARB offers more specializations and certificates for those that are willing to learn more and become even more specialized. This opens up new opportunities for the aspiring architect, which would pay better. They come with more responsibility, but that is to be expected from a person who undertook further specialization.
Becoming an architect is not easy. One has to follow the formal procedure of obtaining a bachelor’s degree and going through an internship period, and only then can they apply for a license exam. It takes dedication and time, but it can be done.
