Episodes two and three of the NCARB Podcast—Why Fix What Isn’t Broken and What’s in a Degree—are now available. Listen to each episode, and subscribe to the full series to hear new episodes as they become available.
Episode 2: Why Fix What Isn’t Broken
This episode examines the “why” behind NCARB’s Pathways to Practice initiative. Bryan C. Lee Jr., NOMA, FAIA, President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), joins the discussion to explain how current licensure requirements can create impediments for individuals from non-traditional educational and career backgrounds. Lee also draws on research from NCARB and NOMA’s Baseline on Belonging to highlight factors like high costs, limited exposure to certain areas of practice, and structural inequities, which affect the path to licensure.
Then, NCARB CEO Mike Armstrong discusses the confluence of factors that led to Pathways to Practice—including NCARB’s work to regularly reassess its programs, evolving technology in the architectural space, a growing awareness of unconscious bias in architecture and other professions, and a movement toward competency-based assessments. As a result, NCARB is pushing licensure toward a more modern, equitable, and defensible model.
Episode 3: What’s in a Degree
In this episode, Jeremy Fretts, AIA, NCARB, M.A. Ed., NCARB’s Assistant Vice President of Programs: Education and Certification, explains education’s traditional role as a prerequisite for licensure, rather than a direct demonstration of competency. Fretts also notes the disparity between the 55 U.S. jurisdictions’ current education requirements—from allowing candidates with no higher education to become licensed, to requiring candidates to hold a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Finally, Fretts identifies potential opportunities to assess candidates’ competency for licensure, such as community colleges, self-study courses, and continuing education.
Next, Ingalill Wahlroos-Ritter, FAIA, NCARB, an educator at East Los Angeles College, shares her perspective on how non-traditional educational pathways can provide opportunities for students from a variety of backgrounds to get started on the path to architectural licensure. She also demonstrates how community colleges are uniquely positioned to help students improve their professional literacy and could be considered a valid pathway toward licensure in a competency-based model.
About This Podcast
Season two of the NCARB Podcast focuses on our ongoing Pathways to Practice initiative, which aims to create a more accessible yet equally rigorous licensure process. This podcast series explores the current history of architectural licensure and regulation in the United States, as well as the evolution of NCARB’s current education, experience, and examination licensure requirements. It also provides a preview into the future of architectural licensure: a competency-based framework that allows for several different types of assessments to ensure that qualified candidates can enter the profession, regardless of their professional or educational background.
Don’t miss an episode and catch up on season one—which focused on NCARB by the Numbers—by subscribing to the NCARB Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcast platform.
