EESA

I just came across your blog - i wish i had found it a year or so earlier; perhaps you can help?

when did EESA start accrediting foreign degrees?

when did NCARB stop accepting foreign degrees? - and why? was it protectionism?

why i ask - i am Bartlett educated to RIBA part 2, living & working in New Orleans since 1981

after 2 years IDP my boss encouraged me to sit the licensing exam - all my peers were going through it - it was a fun study group - BUT they had just stopped accepting foreign, (as the Washington NCARB office put it - 'even English') degrees - and i could not proceed (was this 1983 or 4?)

5 or so years of full time practice later i was invited to teach at Tulane - i LOVED teaching and sought to become better qualified - but did not ,and do not, seek a full time tenured position

i continued practice locally - solo and as a part time consultant to several firms - and teach until 1993 when i returned to London for a couple of years (coincident with personal responsibilities) and achieved a Masters degree in Advanced Architectural Studies

i returned to New Orleans, continued my practice and teaching at TUSA

as of 2007 new requirements for my position include licensure and the new administration put me on 'probation' regarding the issue in 2008, stating they were looking for steps toward that end, now the new administration is stating i have had enough time - despite faculty recommendations that the process, thru' registration, will take about 3 years
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First, EESA does not accredit foreign degrees, they evaluate foreign academic credentials as they meet the NCARB Education Standard; below is their website and a statement from their website. I am not sure when EESA begin providing this serve on behalf of NCARB, but I think it was about 2003 or so.

EESA
EESA assists those individuals who wish to apply for NCARB certification or for registration by an NCARB member board and who do not have a professional degree in architecture from an NAAB-accredited program of study. EESA works with internationally educated applicants and with architects in NCARB’s Broadly Experienced Architects (BEA) program.

https://www.eesa-naab.org/

Second, NCARB did not stop accepting foreign degrees, instead, they contact with NAAB for the EESA process to evaluate foreign credentials against the NCARB Education Standard. To learn more, visit the NCARB website - www.ncarb.org.

You may also wish to review the BEFA program of NCARB assuming that you have what is listed as the minimum requirements.

http://www.ncarb.org/en/Getting-an-Initial-License/Foreign-Architects.aspx

NCARB offers an alternative for certification through our Broadly Experienced Foreign Architect (BEFA) Program. At a minimum, this program requires:

• A professional degree in architecture from an accredited/ validated/officially recognized architecture program
• An architect credential in a country other than the United States and Canada (NCARB provides certification for architects registered in Canada) that:
• Has a formal record-keeping method for disciplinary actions for architects; and
• Provides reasonable reciprocal credentialing opportunities for U.S. architects
• A minimum of seven years of comprehensive, unlimited practice as a credentialed architect over which the applicant exercised responsible control in the foreign country where the applicant is credentialed

I highly suggest you contact NCARB to learn the process. I hope this helps!

Dr. Architecture