If you’re thinking about becoming an architect, chances are you’ve heard of an architecture license. However, you may not know how licensure protects the public and the built environment—or how a license can benefit your career. For those who are weighing whether pursuing licensure is worth the effort, see three reasons why architectural licensure matters for architects and the public.
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1. Licensure Protects the Public
At its core, architectural licensure exists to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare. Because architects have the profound responsibility of ensuring that the built environment supports and protects its inhabitants, a rigorous licensure process is necessary to confirm that every architect exhibits the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors necessary to competently design structures in the built environment.
2. Licensure Communicates Credibility
The most immediate benefit of licensure is the legal right to call yourself an architect. This title is protected by law in all 55 U.S. jurisdictions and many countries around the world, distinguishing licensed practitioners from designers, drafters, and other related professionals. This distinction signifies that you have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to practice architecture independently. If you have dreams of starting your own firm one day, you’ll need an architecture license to do so.
3. Licensure Opens Career Opportunities
Though it’s important to be able to legally call yourself an architect, the benefits of becoming licensed extend beyond this distinction. When asked about the value of licensure in the 2022 Analysis of Practice study, thousands of architects said their architecture license provides value because it increases their career advancement and/or professional opportunities and because clients value licensed professionals.
Ultimately, an architecture license gives firms, clients, and the public confidence in your skills and ability to protect their health, safety, and welfare.
See how to start working toward your architecture license today.
