"How Long from Intern to Architect? Posted: December 18th, 2009 | Author: Jim Cramer | Filed under: Best Practices, Education, Professional practice, Publications, Strategy, Technology | Tags: accreditation, Add new tag, IDP, intern, licensure, NAAB, ncarb | 2 Comments »
Today’s guest blogger is Matthew Arnold, who has been examining the duration and success rates of the Intern Development Program.
How long does an architectural internship actually take?
Official estimates range between three and five years, but that didn’t seem to be the case for any of the interns I knew or for that matter, any that they knew. I couldn’t find any hard data published anywhere, so I sent an e-mail to each of the U.S. NCARB-member boards asking what they could tell me.
Three boards — New York, Nebraska, and Oregon — furnished hard data in response to my request. New York provided records for all 15,088 actively licensed architects there. Nebraska and Oregon provided data for the actively licensed architects who had taken and passed the exam in their states, 626 and 800 individuals, respectively. I made graphs of what they sent me, which you can fine here along with explanatory notes:
http://www.stairwaytoarchitecture.com/images/NY_STATE_REPORT.pdf http://www.stairwaytoarchitecture.com/images/Nebraska_Report.pdf http://www.stairwaytoarchitecture.com/images/Oregon_Report.pdf
The data show that the average time elapsed between graduation and licensure for architects licensed in 2009 exceeds public estimates. In New York it was 11.06 years; in Nebraska 10.89 years; in Oregon 8.96 years.... Continue Reading the post..."
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jbushkey · 801 weeks ago
Taking into account what you used to need like: hand drafting, freehand sketching, creation of plans-sections-elevations, "design", materials and methods, strong math skills, knowledge of codes, knowledge of zoning
and adding in all the additional skills you need today like:
LEED, more complicated building codes, more complicated zoning, more diverse materials and methods..
extensive software knowledge (which merits further breakdown)
* Cad software knowledge (phasing out?) AutoCAD and Architectural Desktop are usually enough but plenty of firms still use something else
* Now there is BIM - Revit, Archicad etc
* Sketchup has obtained some popularity in my area
* Photoshop also comes up pretty regularly
* rendering is desirable - 3d studio max, maxwell, piranesi, artlantis, etc
You don't have to know every piece of software listed but job postings all seem to be looking for a different mix of software packages. It is also important to remember you are not just expected to be able to dabble with them. They are looking for expedient production in a professional setting.
Some "hammer time" with actual construction is also extremely helpful. I was trying to spend 2 days a month with Habitat for Humanity, but its been awhile since I have had the time to volunteer.
That being said there is nothing I would rather be doing, even though I sometimes question the sanity of this endeavor. I am studying hard and keeping my nose in the books. Next semester brings a Revit course taught by a professor who also works for Autodesk and estimating. Hopefully spring will bring a new position in the field too.
(comments, corrections, and criticism welcome and encouraged from those with more experience than this young buck)