NCARB’s Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) offers an additional, accelerated pathway to licensure for motivated students seeking to become architects.
Connect With a Licensing Advisor
If you’re looking for a mentor during your path to licensure, an architect licensing advisor can be your best resource. Advisors offer advice and answer questions about the education, experience, and exam requirements for licensure in your jurisdiction.
By enrolling in an IPAL option, students in the process of earning a degree from a NAAB-accredited program can complete the Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®) and the Architect Registration Examination® (ARE)® concurrently.
IPAL is incorporated as an optional path within an existing NAAB-accredited program, allowing architecture schools to integrate licensure requirements into their own curricula. See the full list of current IPAL programs.
Since the program launched in 2015, NCARB has accepted 33 NAAB-accredited programs at 28 schools to participate in the IPAL initiative. As of the 2023-2024 school year, over 650 students have enrolled in IPAL options across the United States. In 2018, several schools saw the graduation of their first IPAL students, including Boston Architectural College, North Carolina State University, and the University of Florida CityLab-Orlando.
Learn more about IPAL:
Please note: Not all jurisdictions accept ARE divisions taken through IPAL options. Learn more about your jurisdiction’s requirements.
