When did you learn about the steps required to become an architect? Were you able to make strategic licensure decisions that maximized your time, effort, and experience? NCARB has committed to improving accessibility and awareness on the path to licensure—and we gathered your input to better understand the barriers that licensure candidates face.
In September 2023, NCARB and NOMA released an action plan to address disparities on the path to licensure, following several years of research through our joint Baseline on Belonging study. The action plan includes efforts to improve early awareness of the licensure process and increase accessibility on the path to licensure.
To better inform our work, NCARB conducted a brief survey exploring how your knowledge of the licensure process impacted your career choices and where more flexibility in licensure requirements might improve accessibility. The findings were released in December 2023.
Currently, NCARB is in the middle of a multi-year effort to re-envision the process of becoming an architect. Over the next several years, our expert volunteers will explore how best to measure and assess competency on the path to licensure—including opportunities to incorporate more flexibility into the core licensure requirements.
About Baseline on Belonging
Initially launched in early February 2020, NCARB and NOMA’s Baseline on Belonging study explored impediments on the path to licensure with a goal of better understanding the barriers impacting women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups in the profession. The study highlighted a broad spectrum of disparities affecting minorities at every stage of the licensure process.
Now, NCARB and NOMA are seeking to build on the baseline for diversity, equity, and inclusion established in the initial survey. Be on the lookout for additional brief surveys, new resources, and other news in the months ahead—subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest updates!
