AIA Long Beach South Bay

On Education and Licensure

In 1867, the AIA also looked at architecture education in the United States. The Institute debated creating a national school of architecture based on the model of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Members envisioned evening classes in drawing, aesthetics, and the history of art and architecture. Unfortunately, efforts to secure funding failed, and the Institute chose instead to support the fledgling architecture program developed by Robert Ware for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1868). Programs were also developed at Cornell (1871), the University of Illinois (1873), Columbia University (1881), and Tuskegee (1881).

Today, 113 accredited schools of architecture serve the profession. The AIA, in conjunction with the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), and the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), continues to ensure the highest quality of architecture education in the United States.

Before 1897, no legal definition of "architect," nor any legal requirements concerning the use of the title or the provision of architectural services, existed. In that year, however, Illinois became the first state to adopt an architectural licensing law. It would take more than 50 years for all of the states to follow suit and adopt licensing laws. Today the AIA works in conjunction with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) to develop and recommend standards regulating the practice of architecture.

From a small group of professionals sharing a meal, the American Institute of Architects has grown to a robust, focused organization providing guidance, service, and standards to architects around the world. The AIA continues to strive for quality, consistency, and safety in the built environment and to serve as the voice of the architecture. For more information, contact the AIA Library and Archives, open to all AIA members.