On January 15, 2026, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) will retire a three-year waiting period between licensure and NCARB certification eligibility for architects without a degree from an accredited architecture program. The removal of the three-year wait addresses a common barrier for architects wishing to pursue NCARB’s Education Alternative to Certification program, aligning with recent NCARB efforts to ensure accessibility in its programs and services for individuals of all backgrounds. 

“This update to our Education Alternative program marks another important step in our effort to expand Pathways to Practice,” said NCARB President Edward T. Marley, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP. “By removing a common impediment to NCARB certification, we’re ensuring that all architects have the ability to advance their career and expand their practice.”

The NCARB Certificate is a valuable credential that provides exclusive access to reciprocal licensure for architects both within and outside of the United States. While the majority of architects who earn NCARB certification hold a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), NCARB’s Education Alternative program provides a pathway to certification for U.S. architects with other educational backgrounds. This includes those who have a four-year architecture-related degree or a community college degree, as well as those with no higher education. Eighteen U.S. jurisdictions currently offer alternative paths to initial licensure that do not require a degree from an accredited program; however, 49 allow multiple pathways for reciprocal licensure.

Under the program’s current eligibility requirements, architects must have been licensed for at least the last three consecutive years in a U.S. jurisdiction before pursuing certification. This requirement does not apply to architects who hold a degree from a NAAB-accredited program, who have historically been eligible to pursue certification immediately after becoming licensed.

On January 15, this three-year waiting period will be retired, enabling architects of all backgrounds to pursue certification immediately after licensure. This change aligns with NCARB’s ongoing Pathways to Practice initiative, which seeks to expand pathways to licensure and certification for architects of all backgrounds, including those who don’t hold a degree from an accredited program. The retirement of the three-year Education Alternative delay follows recent NCARB changes designed to remove time-bound restrictions that aren’t aligned with competency, including the retirement of the exam’s rolling clock policy and revisions to the experience program’s reporting requirement.

Architects pursuing certification through the Education Alternative will still be required to document additional experience in lieu of a professional degree as part of their Certificate application. This can be done by either documenting two times the Architectural Experience Program’s^® (AXP^®) hours or completing a portfolio demonstrating learning through experience, depending on the applicant’s educational background.

Learn more about NCARB’s pathways to certification for architects who don’t hold a degree from a NAAB-accredited program.