Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Licensing for foreign architects

I am sending you seeking your advice regarding becoming a licensed architect in the USA.

I finished my architectural studies from the German Jordanian University in Amman, Jordan and I hold a Bachelor of Architecture degree. 

I have been researching the process for becoming a licensed architect and I need to know first if my school is an accredited university by the NAAB. I sent them an email with my request but was not lucky and got no response. Any suggestions where can I get such information? I tried the NAAB website but also wasn't lucky enough.

Do you think I have good chances of becoming a licensed architect in USA since I am not American and I did not get my degree from an accredited school in the USA? I know it is a long process and I am willing to go through it till the end but has it happened before that non-American architects get the license and are allowed to work in USA?

Thank you for your help, looking forward to hear from you soon.
________________

First, I can say with certainty that your degree is not accredited by NAAB, but you can still pursue licensure in the U.S. 

Next, I would suggest you review the following website:
http://www.ncarb.org/en/Getting-an-Initial-License/Foreign-Architects.aspx
If you do not qualify for the BEFA or choose to pursue the traditional path toward licensure, the three main requirements you must fulfill to be licensed in a U.S. jurisdiction include education, experience, and examination. Recognize that not all jurisdictions have adopted NCARB's education and experience standards. All questions regarding your eligibility must be directed to your jurisdiction’s registration board.

Do recognize that you apply for licensure with a particular state, but NCARB facilitates the process for documenting your education, experience, and examination.

You will need to have your education evaluated via EESA; below is their website.
https://www.eesa-naab.org/home.aspx


There is certainly a good chance of becoming licensed if your education is equivalent to the NCARB Education Standard, you complete IDP and pass the ARE.

Contact EESA or NCARB with more detailed questions.  Best!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hello,

I have also graduated from the German Jordanian University and would like to know the same! Could you please share your experience?

Greatly appreciated.

Farah

Todd said...

This is a great tips for us who are architects in the Philippines.