The AIA has updated its position statement to clarify the position of “intern.” Those who have already earned an NAAB-accredited degree and are currently working for a firm while pursuing licensure in the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ Architectural Experience Program can now go by the titles “architectural associate” or “design professional.” (This is also applicable to those who have met education or experience requirements in their jurisdiction.) But students who are working in a design firm while pursing an architectural degree should still go by the title “intern,” according to an AIA article.
This decision came from the AIA Intern Titling Working Group, which analyzed 3,000 survey responses to determine possible replacement titles. “The group included students, principals, people who’ve been working on licensure for a long time, and people who didn’t intend on getting licensed at all.” said Danielle Mitchell, Assoc. AIA, design professional at Fung Associates and past president of the American Institute of Architecture Students, in the article. “It was a diverse group of people, and led to a lot of good back-and-forth.”
While the Institute does not formally regulate position titles for architects pursuing licensure, the “AIA is working to push architecture beyond its ingrained ways.” The Institute acknowledges that the transition will be slow, and potentially difficult in some states, but the decision to update the title does mark a concerted effort by the AIA to promote greater respect and recognition for the education and success of aspiring architects.
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