NCARB releases new 16-point Competency Standard for Architects​

Today, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) is announcing its release of a new framework for establishing competency-based qualifications as the initial basis for architectural licensure in the United States.  The new NCARB Competency Standard for Architects outlines 16 key competencies that are imperative at the point of initial licensure in order to ensure the public’s health, safety, and overall welfare.  The NCARB says it will make updates to its existing programs over the next two years to align with the new standard, which likewise provides a "flexible foundation" for the development of future licensure programs. This, in turn, is supposed to allow the NCARB to build more accessible pathways to licensure without compromises to the ardent professional standards that are needed to protect the public. The NCARB's President Kenneth R. Van Tine, says the new standard will "shape the architecture profession for years to come and ensure that the path to l...