Qualifying as an architect is a notoriously long road.
For an aspiring architect the minimum route to registration with the Architects Registration Board is seven years but will typically take eight or nine years. Compare this to qualifying as a lawyer – typically six years, or a doctor – also six.
In an era of rising student debt there have been increasing calls for reform and a consultation launched by the ARB this week (8 February 2023) proposes the most significant changes to the way initial education and training of architects is governed for 50 years.
As the regulator of architects, the ARB, a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament, has the legal responsibility to set out the educational and training requirements for anyone wishing to register as an architect in the UK. The current framework is often referred to as a three-part model: part 1, an undergraduate degree; part 2 a master’s qualification; and, part 3 a post-master’s diploma. Alongside these educational requirements, all trainee architects must complete two years of practical work experience.
