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Introduction to IDP
About IDP
IDP Training
Requirement

When Can I Begin?
Establishing a
Council Record &
Fees

Training Settings:
Maximum Units
Allowed

Required Direct
Supervision

Required Duration
IDP Training Areas
and Core
Competencies

Supplementary
Education
Conditions

Applying for the ARE
IDP Frequently
Asked Questions

IDP Timeline
Foreign Applicants

IDP e-News
March 2008
November 2007
June 2007


IDP Guidelines
IDP Resources
& Links

IDP TU Workbook
Employment
Verification Form

Transcript
Request Form

Transmit IDP
Record
to State Board
for the ARE

 

 

Your education as an architect typically begins in a school of architecture. But it does not end there. Training in architectural firms, continuing education, and professional practice further the educational process. Schools and firms offer many opportunities for acquiring knowledge and skills; however, you must take responsibility for developing your competencies to the fullest.

State registration requirements establish the minimum criteria for legally practicing architecture. Currerntly 49 of the Member Boards require participation in IDP for initial registration. Participation in IDP exposes you to the comprehensive training that is essential for competent practice.

IDP responds to your professional development needs by providing a wide range of resources that enhance day-to-day experience. The IDP training requirement establishes levels of training in important areas of architectural practice. Through the IDP mentorship system, you receive advice and guidance from practitioners. The IDP record-keeping system facilitates the documentation of internship activities, while the IDP supplementary education system provides a variety of learning resources designed to enrich training.

An IDP training enrichment resource, the Emerging Professional’s Companion (EPC), replaces the AIA Supplementary Education Handbook. The EPC is a free web-based professional development resource designed to improve the quality of internship training. EPC activities challenge interns to develop the awareness, understanding, and skills needed to achieve the core competencies identified in each IDP Training Area. Interns can acquire "elective" credit through verified completion of beginner-, intermediate-, and advance-level exercises that provide exposure to key practice issues, including liability; health, safety, welfare; and ethical dilemmas.

The shift from school to office is not a transition from theory to pragmatism. It is a period when theory merges with pragmatism. Internship is, in many ways, the most significant developmental period in your career as an architect. It's a time when you apply your formal education to the daily realities of architectural practice; acquire comprehensive experience in basic practice areas; explore specialized areas of practice; develop professional judgment; continue your formal education in architecture; and refine your career goals.

The Intern Development Program is structured to better prepare you for both the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) and the wide range of career opportunities that lie beyond registration. Make your IDP experience work for you!


*Throughout this document, the term "intern" refers to any individual in the process of satisfying a registration board's training requirements. This includes graduates from recognized architecture programs, architecture students who acquire acceptable training prior to graduation and other qualified individuals identified by a registration board.


All U.S. jurisdictions require IDP training for initial registration, with the following exceptions:

  • Arizona
  • Guam
  • Virgin Islands

 



 


 
Falsifying IDP Training Unit Reports or cheating on or violating the confidentiality
of the ARE is unethical, illegal, and subject to disciplinary action.
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