Career Change

I presently have a BA and an Ma in Talmudical Law from an accredited college. I have been involved in many building and design projects (building design, renovation floor plans, furniture concepts, design and construction) in my neighborhood and religious community, and have experience in computer graphics, hand drawn art and hands on construction. I have an interest in pursuing a career in architecture in which I would be able to utilize my talents and experiences into a very rewarding future.

However as a family man and father of three, going through a full 5 years of full time college for a BARCH degree is both time consuming and financially not feasable. I was wondering if there was any fast track to being able touse my existing degrees and to minor in architecture. Also I was wondering how one could proceed with a BS in Architecture Sciences to achieving full licensure as an independent architect. Specifically, is there any way to achieve licensure as a certified architect through experience in the field such as working as an intern for a number of years. Is there any known architecture program designed for a working individual such as one with distance learning, online courses or night courses. I live in the central NJ region, within a reasonable distance to both Philadelphia and all 5 boroughs of NYC.
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Unfortunately, there is no present way to become an architect through experience alone. All states require education, experience, and exam (www.ncarb.org). More specifically, most states require you to obtain a professional NAAB (www.naab.org) degree in architecture, complete the Intern Development Program (IDP) and pass the Architect Registration Exam.

However, given you have a degree, you are eligible to apply to the Master of Architecture (3-4 years). For a list of programs visit -- www.naab.org and/or -- www.archschools.org.

There are a few states that allow one to pursue licensure with only a BS in Architecture, but it would require additional years of experience. NCARB (www.ncarb.org) has a website listing the state requirements for education and experience.

Dr. Architecture