Architecture Schools in Canada

Professional architecture degrees in Canada are accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB); every program on its current list is a Master of Architecture (M.Arch). Most schools pair a pre-professional four-year bachelor's degree (names vary: BAS, BArchSc, B.Sc.(Arch), BEDS, BEnvD) with the accredited master's, and some M.Arch programs also admit applicants from other disciplines through longer routes. Quebec programs at Laval and Montréal are taught in French.

Source: cacb.ca/en/accredited-programs/

Accredited professional Master of Architecture

The CACB lists 12 accredited programs, all M.Arch degrees (UBC, Calgary, Carleton, Dalhousie, Laurentian, Laval, Manitoba, McGill, Montréal, Toronto Metropolitan, Toronto, Waterloo). Some schools had earlier accredited B.Arch degrees that moved to the master's level. Source

Pre-professional bachelor's degrees

Schools describe first degrees such as the BAS (Carleton, Waterloo), BArchSc (Toronto Metropolitan), B.Sc.(Arch) (McGill, Laval) and BEDS (Dalhousie) as the stage before the M.Arch. McGill states its B.Sc.(Arch) is a non-professional degree. Source

Post-professional and research degrees

Some schools offer post-professional M.Arch or research master's degrees and PhDs (for example Toronto, McGill, Carleton); these are separate from the accredited professional M.Arch. Source

Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB)

Accredits professional architecture degree programs in Canada. On the ROAC site the CACB is described as working 'on behalf of ROAC' to assess the educational qualifications of holders of professional architecture degrees or diplomas, and it 'grants and issues Certification to applicants who meet the CES requirements'. It is not a licensing body.

Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC)

National body of the eleven provincial and territorial architectural regulators, which 'work collectively to develop and adopt nationally recognized standards and programs' (the Canadian Education Standard, the Internship in Architecture Program, the Examination for Architects in Canada). Its site states that all registration and licensing authority rests with the provincial and territorial associations.

Internship in Architecture Program (IAP)

ROAC-developed national experience program: an Intern Architect has graduated with a professional degree or diploma in architecture and remains in the IAP while experience is gained and recorded. The OAA describes it as the path to licensure involving education, experience and examination, and states the professional degree must be certified by the CACB.

Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC)

Licensing examination administered by a national committee reporting directly to ROAC. The OAQ states it is held once a year simultaneously across Canada.

Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) - Syllabus Program

RAIC describes itself as a national voice for excellence in the built environment; its Syllabus Program is the third CACB-recognised academic pathway (a Syllabus Professional Diploma in Architecture), not a regulator.

Ontario Association of Architects (OAA)

Regulator: 'protects the public interest by regulating the practice of architecture in the province' and licenses Architects and Licensed Technologists. Administers the IAP in Ontario.

Ordre des architectes du Quebec (OAQ)

Professional order whose mission is the protection of the public (Code des professions, Loi sur les architectes). Its admission route comprises accredited studies, a professional stage of 3,720 hours and the ExAC; the professional master's is stated as essential for access to the profession.

Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC)

Regulator: 'regulates the profession of architecture' in the public interest; registration is mandatory for architects practising in BC. Three pathways: IAP, Mutual Recognition Agreement, alternative qualifications.

Alberta Association of Architects (AAA)

Self-governing professional association legislated by the Architects Act; administers the standard of practice and a disciplinary system. Licensing steps were not retrievable from its own pages in this research.

Saskatchewan Association of Architects (SAA)

Listed by ROAC as a member regulator; role text not retrieved (its site returned a browser-check page).

Manitoba Association of Architects (MAA)

Professional organization that oversees architects in Manitoba, authorized under The Architects Act.

Architects' Association of New Brunswick (AANB)

Describes itself as regulating the practice of architecture in New Brunswick.

Nova Scotia Association of Architects (NSAA)

Lists its role as protecting the public and advancing the professional practice of architecture.

Architects' Association of Prince Edward Island (AAPEI)

Self-regulating body formed to administer and regulate architectural practice in the province.

Architects Licensing Board of Newfoundland and Labrador (ALBNL)

Listed by ROAC as a member regulator; role text not retrievable from its home page.

Northwest Territories Association of Architects (NWTAA)

Regulates the profession of architecture in the interest of the public.

Per ROAC and the provincial regulators, competence is normally shown through formal education, supervised experience and professional examinations, and all registration and licensing authority rests with the eleven provincial and territorial associations. The CACB lists three academic pathways to satisfy the Canadian Education Standard: an accredited professional degree, a professional degree or diploma not accredited by the CACB, or the RAIC Syllabus diploma. Experience is gained and recorded in the Internship in Architecture Program (the OAA states the professional degree must be CACB-certified), followed by the ExAC; in Quebec the OAQ specifies a 3,720-hour professional stage. Details differ by province - consult the relevant regulator. A degree alone does not entitle anyone to practise. Source

No degree on this site automatically permits anyone to practise as an architect, and nothing here is visa, work-permit or credit-transfer advice.

Teaching languages. Most programs are taught in English; Universite Laval and Universite de Montreal teach in French and require French proficiency for admission, while McGill teaches in English.

Admissions and portfolios. Graduate programs typically ask for a design portfolio (for example UBC, Laurentian, Manitoba, Toronto Metropolitan); several M.Arch programs offer a longer route for applicants without a prior architecture degree (UBC 117 credits, Carleton and Toronto three years). Source

• CACB accredited programs in Canada