The Voice for Texas Architecture

Continuing Education

Maintaining your license/accreditation and staying up to date in the field.

Continuing Education

Maintaining your license/accreditation and staying up to date in the field.

Continuing Education Requirements for Architects

Continuing education (CE) is required by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) , which oversees architecture licensing in the state of Texas, and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) to ensure that all architects stay current with regulation and industry changes, and to guarantee safe, sustainable design. Other accreditation programs, such as LEED, have their own CE requirements. 

TxA provides CE mainly through our Annual Conference & Design Expo and the Design Conference. The Annual Conference provides a number of CE courses approved for LEED professionals. Look through our events calendar to find more opportunities to gain CE credits. 

Continuing education is measured in Learning Units (LUs). One hour of continuing education earns one LU.

The AIA Continuing Education System emphasizes learning that was developed for and by AIA, which records professional learning as a mandatory requirement for architect membership. 

  • AIA members are required to complete 18 Learning Units (LUs) each calendar year. 
  • Of those 18 LUs, 12 must be in Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) topics. 

For more information, visit the AIA Continuing Education page.

All TBAE registrants must complete at least 12 CE program hours per calendar year. All 12 hours must include the study of subjects related to your profession and be pertinent to the health, safety, and welfare of the public. 

  • At least one of the 12 hours must be related to sustainable or energy-efficient design.
  • At least one of the 12 hours must be related to barrier-free design.
  • At least eight of the 12 hours must be structured activities (classroom/classroom equivalent).
  • A maximum of four hours may be self-directed.

For more information, visit the TBAE Continuing Education page.

LEED credentials denote proficiency in today’s sustainable design, construction and operations standards. LEED standards were standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), whose programs are run by Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI).

  • LEED Green Associates must complete 15 CE hours, three of which must be LEED-specific. 
  • LEED APs with a specialty must complete 30 CE hours, six of which must be LEED-specific. 
  • LEED APs with multiple specialties must complete six LEED-specific hours for each additional specialty. 

For more information, see USGBC’s Credential Maintenance Program Guide