Careers
Professional Development at AUD
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design offers a number of resources to support your professional development and path to licensure.
Our Architectural Licensing Advisor, Todd Lynch (todd.lynch@aud.ucla.edu), and our Student Licensing Advisor, Audrey Willey (audreywilley@g.ucla.edu), are available to answer any questions.
The UCLA Career Center also offers resume and job interview preparation resources year round, as well as open listings for employment in the full range of career possibilities.
Portfolio Workshop
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's annual Portfolio Workshop invites design practitioners and other professionals to Perloff Hall to engage with students and offer constructive feedback on student portfolios. AUD students are invited to bring their portfolios in hard copy and/or digital format for review and discussion.
Career Fair
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's annual Career Fair invites design practitioners and other professionals to Perloff Hall to engage with students, discuss relevant office/career opportunities, and learn about student interests and trends. Career Fair presents an opportunity for guest offices to scout emerging talent, and for students to learn about professional practice, different offices and firms, and next possibilities for their internships, careers, and growth.
Talent Fair
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design's recently added, annual Talent Fair encourages open-ended browsing of student projects and research within an interactive setting -- a fresh opportunity for our students to showcase their work closer to the end of the academic year.
How to Become an Architect
In the U.S. and Canada, Architectural Licensure is granted by individual States and Provinces. Licensure requires successful completion of the following steps:
Qualifying Professional Education (e.g. completion of our three-year, Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree program)
Architectural Experience Program (AXP)
The Architect Record Examination (ARE)
The California Architects Board also requires completion of the California Supplemental Exam (CSE).
Please visit NCARB's "Become an Architect" resource page for further information. Licensure requirements for individual jurisdictions can be researched on NCARB’s Licensure Requirements Tool.
Architectural Experience Program (AXP)
The Architectural Experience Program (AXP) is a requirement for those seeking professional licensure to practice architecture. Developed and administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), it aims to help early professionals learn about the daily realities of architectural practice, and prepare them to practice architecture independently upon registration.
The AXP program requires a minimum of 3,740 credit hours of architecture experience in one of two settings.
EXPERIENCE SETTING A
(AT LEAST 1,860 HOURS)
AXP credit hours while employed by an architecture firm, working under an AXP supervisor who is licensed to practice architecture in the United States or Canada.
EXPERIENCE SETTING O
AXP credit hours earned outside of an employment setting or in connection with UCLA Architecture and Urban Design activities. Opportunities include Continuing Education, Design Competitions, Campus Construction Tours, and Volunteer Opportunities.
The full AXP guidelines and details on Experience Settings can be referenced on NCARB’s website.
Continuing Education
AXP hours can be earned on your own schedule through continuing education. Opportunities include NCARB Continuum Education as well as the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education HSW Learning Units. AIA HSW Learning Units are available online, or at various architecture events or lectures. An AIA member number is required for reporting these hours. You can visit the AIA-Los Angeles website for information on free membership for students and recent graduates.
For more information on AXP and Licensure, please visit NCARB's resource page.
Path to Licensure for International Degreeholders
For candidates pursuing licensure who already hold a professional degree from another country, specific requirements apply.
Design Competitions
Participation in non-commissioned architectural design competitions can also count towards your AXP hours: candidates must pre-register the competition with NCARB, design under the supervision of a licensed Architect Mentor, and formally enter the competition. The department publicizes opportunities throughout the year, but below are some helpful resources:
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Competitions
American Institute of Architecture Students Competitions
ArchDaily Competitions
Bustler Competition Opportunities
American Society of Architectural Illustrators: Architecture in Perspective
NOMAS Barbara G. Laurie Student Design Competition
Bruin Builders - UCLA Solar Decathlon Team
Students can also participate in interdisciplinary design competitions through other UCLA departments and schools, such as the UCLA Anderson School of Management, the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, or the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.
Campus Construction Tours
Campus construction tours can also count toward your AXP hours. Our Architect Licensing Advisor periodically coordinates hard hat tours of UCLA campus buildings under construction, often in collaboration with UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s chapter of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS at UCLA) and other student groups.
Volunteer Opportunities
AXP hours can also be earned through architecture-related volunteer work. Opportunities organized by the UCLA Volunteer Center include Volunteer Day each September, and “One Bus, One Cause” days of action each month. Students and AXP candidates can gain leadership skills and forge connections with UCLA’s wider community.