Allowing students to begin their architectural education while still in high school.
The Texas Society of Architects has created a dual credit architecture certificate program for implementation at various high schools across the state of Texas. Through this program, students have an opportunity to begin their foundational architectural education for college credit while they are still in high school, and then transfer into either an associate degree program at a local community college or an accredited architecture program at a university. These pages provide information for:
For the TxA High School Certificate Program, the community college is responsible for developing and reporting on the certificate award, as well as ensuring that the program meets standards for higher education in the state of Texas, such as requirements for instructor credentialing and measurement of course learning outcomes. This page contains resources to assist the program coordinator of an architectural/drafting technology program at community college in developing an architecture certificate program in the local community.
To register your program with TxA and have it appear on our Community Colleges page, email us.
The success of the dual credit architecture certificate program depends on relationships with educators at the high schools, as well as resources at this level to implement the program. The following links delineate guided pathways into the architectural profession and briefly describe the various components of this program. These resources are intended to help high school counselors better understand and be able to assist students in navigating these guided pathways into the architectural profession.
Lear about high school endorsement options for students interested in architecture.
A list of community colleges and high schools in Texas participating in the TxA High School Dual Credit Architecture Certificate Program.
This section answers frequently asked questions about the TxA High School Certificate Program, which allows you to begin working on your architectural studies while you are still in high school. It also describes the different paths you can take to become a licensed architect.
Yes! One such pathway would be to complete a dual credit certificate program in architecture. A dual credit program allows a junior or senior in high school to earn college credit while completing a high school degree.
Courses specified in the dual credit certificate program developed by the Texas Society of Architects (TxA) align with some of the course requirements for Associate degrees at two-year technical or community colleges. Similarly, some of the course credits for the Associate degree will align with some of the degree requirements for Bachelor degrees in architecture at Texas universities.
Where required courses align, it may be possible to obtain the dual credit certification while satisfying an endorsement in Architecture and Construction (a part of Business and Industry endorsement as established by Texas House Bill 5 in 2013).
The dual credit certificate allows for the transfer of credits from successfully completed courses to be applied to foundation coursework required for a college Associates degree. Additional transfer credits may be achieved depending on the curriculum agreements established by your high school and their community college partner.
You will have greater access to instructors with expertise in architecture since the courses will either be taught by college faculty or by high school instructors meeting the equivalent educational credentials.
After high school graduation, some students enter a university school of architecture, but many students enter architecture studies at the community college level. Attending a community or technical college will allow students to acclimate to college studies while earning a two-year Associates degree. Completion of core curriculum courses such as English, History, Mathematics, and Government will transfer to four-year institutions provided course grades and course content meet the transfer requirements of the receiving university.
Maximizing the credits taken at the community college level will help to lower the cost of your college education. Tuition for community college varies across the state; however, community college costs may be 3 to 10 times less expensive than that of a four-year institution.
Some of the community colleges with established transfer procedures to university schools of architecture are listed on this site.
There are many pathways to become a licensed architect but most require a professional accredited degree in architecture. The titles of the various degrees differ from university to university but typically, six years of study are required to obtain the professional Master of Architecture degree.
Academic advisors may reference the 4 + 2 programs, which means that a four-year Bachelor’s degree, either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, followed by a two-year Master of Architecture degree would comprise the first professional degree in architecture.
Similarly, some universities offer a five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) which is also considered a professional degree. Many students pursue an additional year of graduate studies following a B.Arch, in order to complete the Master of Architecture degree. For those interested in teaching at a university level, a Master of Architecture is required and preferably a Ph.D.
Eight universities in Texas with schools/colleges of architecture have been accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). One must obtain a degree from a NAAB approved program in order to take the architecture licensing exam in Texas.
In addition to the professional degree requirements, you must also document your hours of experience working under a licensed architect through the Architectural Experience Program (AXP) and pass the Architect Registration Exam (ARE). Both of these requirements are administered through the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and are required in most jurisdictions in order to apply for a state architecture license.
First contact your high school counselor to direct you to the affiliated community or technical college partnering with your high school to offer dual credit certification programs.
The success of this dual credit architecture certificate program depends on two important parties: the community college, which creates and assesses the award, and the high school or independent school district that will implement the program.