is it possible for an architect to work as a civil engineer ?

Answer 1

In many states you have to be licensed for each. So, yes, it is possible. The architect could do the work of a civil engineer, but wouldn't be able to stamp the documents unless licensed.

Answer 2

In many states you can work in any field your employer wants you in regardless of your degree. In order to actually approve and stamp design drawings you must have a PE license in all states.

Answer 3

An architect is a person who is involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a building's construction. The word "architect" (Latin: architectus) derives from the Greek arkhitekton (arkhi (chief) + tekton (builder))")[1] . In the broadest sense an architect is a person who translates the user's needs into the builder's requirements. An architect must thoroughly understand the building and operational codes under which his or her design must conform. That degree of knowledge is necessary so that he or she is not apt to omit any necessary requirements, or produce improper, conflicting, ambiguous, or confusing requirements. Architects must understand the various methods available to the builder for building the client's structure, so that he or she can negotiate with the client to produce a best possible compromise of the results desired within explicit cost and time boundaries.

Architects must frequently make building design and planning decisions that affect the safety and well being of the general public. Architects are required to obtain specialized education and documented work experience to obtain licensure to practice architecture, similar to the requirements for other professionals, with requirements for practice varying from place to place (see below).

The most prestigious award a living architect can receive is the Pritzker Prize, often termed the "Nobel Prize for architecture." Other awards for excellence in architecture are given by national regional professional associations such as the American Institute of Architects and Royal Institute of British Architects. Other prestigious architectural awards are the Alvar Aalto Medal (Finland) and the Carlsberg Architecture Prize (Denmark).

Although the term "architect" refers to a professionally-qualified individual, the word is frequently used in the broader sense noted above to define someone who brings order to a built or non-built situation.

Contents [hide]
1 Architects in Practice
2 Professional requirements
2.1 United States
2.2 United Kingdom
2.3 Australia
2.4 Canada
3 Earnings
3.1 US Earning outlook
3.2 UK Earnings
4 Schools of Architecture
5 Further reading
6 Professional Organizations
7 See also
8 References
9 External links



[edit] Architects in Practice
In practice, an architect accepts a commission from a client (an individual, a board of directors, a government agency or a corporation). This commission may involve the preparation of feasibility reports, building audits, the design of a single building, or the design of several buildings, structures and the spaces between them. Increasingly, the architect participates in the development of requirements the client wishes to have met in the building. Throughout the project, from planning to occupancy, the architect usually acts as the coordinator of a team of specialists. Structural, mechanical, and electrical engineers, as well as other specialists, are generally retained by the client or the architect. The architect must ensure that the work of all these different disciplines is coordinated and fits together in the overall design.

Architects must also deal with various government agencies on various local and federal levels, regarding numerous codes and by-laws. In addition, close attention must be paid to the economics and budget for a particular commission. In contemporary times, there are many factors which dictate the eventual design of a building and the architect incorporates the input of many specialists and the client.[2] The practice of architecture is a business, in which technical knowledge, management skills, and an understanding of good business practice are as important as creative design.

Working hours are typically over a standard work week, but when working to tight deadlines it is not uncommon for architects to work long hours, including evenings and weekends. Architects are predominantly office-based, but their work includes frequent out-of-office visits with clients and to job sites.


[edit] Professional requirements

[edit] United States
In the United States, people wishing to become licensed architects are required to meet the requirements of their respective state. Each state has a registration board to oversee that state's licensure laws. In 1919, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) was created to ensure parity between the states' often conflicting rules. The registration boards of each of the 50 states (and 5 territories), are NCARB member boards.

Requirements vary between jurisdictions, and there are three common requirements for registration: education, experience and examination. About half of the States require a professional degree from a school accredited by the NAAB to satisfy their education requirement; this would be either a B.Arch or M.Arch degree. The experience requirement for degreed candidates is typically the Intern Development Program (IDP), a joint program of NCARB and the American Institute of Architects (AIA). IDP creates a framework to identify for the intern architect base skills and core-competencies. The intern architect needs to earn 700 training units (TUs) diversified into 16 categories; each TU is equivalent to 8 hours of experience working under the direct supervision of a licensed Architect. The states that waive the degree requirement typically require a full 10 years experience in combination with the I.D.P divesification requirements before the candidate is eligible to sit for the examination. California requires C-IDP (Comprehensive Intern Development Program) which builds upon the seat time requirement of IDP with the need to document learning having occurred. All jurisdictions use the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), a series of nine computerized exams administered by NCARB. The NCARB also has a certification for those architects meeting NCARB's model standard: NAAB degree, IDP and ARE passage. This certificate facilitates reciprocity between the member boards should an architect desire registration in a different jurisdiction. All architects licensed by their respective states have professional status as Registered Architects (RA).

Depending on the policies of the registration board for the state in question, it is sometimes possible to become licensed as an Architect in other ways: reciprocal licensure for over-seas architects and working under an architect as an intern for an extended period of time.

Professional organizations for Architects in the United States include:

The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization representing architects licensed in the United States, and offers its members services such as continuing education programs, standard contracts and other practice-related documents, and design award programs. The AIA is not directly involved with the professional licensing of architects, although AIA members usually place the suffix "AIA" after their names.
The Society of American Registered Architects or SARA is another professional organization for registered architects in the United States. Its activities and services include conventions, continuing education programs, standard contracts and other practice-related documents, and design award programs. Members of this organization may have the suffix "SARA" after their name.
The National Organization of Minority Architects or NOMA is an organization for minority registered architects and minority architectural students in the United States. It was created in 1971 to bring light to the contributions of African Americans and other minorities in the field of architecture in the United States and the world.

[edit] United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom the title "architect" is protected by law, and only those who have the recognised qualifications ratified by the Architects Registration Board [1]in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects are allowed to call themselves architects. In the United Kingdom it takes a minimum of seven years to train to be an architect. Those wishing to become architects must first study at a recognized university-level school of architecture. Though there are some variations from university to university, the basic principle is that in order to qualify as an architect one must pass through three stages:

On completing a three year B.A, B.Arch or B.Sc degree in architecture the candidate receives exemption from RIBA Part I. There then follows a period of a minimum of one year which the candidate spends in an architect's office gaining work experience.
The candidate must then complete a post-graduate university course, usually two years, to receive either a Post Graduate Diploma (Dip. Arch) or Masters (M.Arch). On completing that course, the candidate receives exemption Part II of the RIBA process.
The candidate must then spend a further period of at least one year gaining experience before being allowed to take the RIBA Part III examination in Professional Practice and Management.[2]

[edit] Australia
In Australia the title of architect is legally protected and architects are registered through state boards. These boards are affiliated through the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) [3]. The AACA also provides accreditation for schools and assessments for architects with overseas qualifications for the purposes of migration.

There are three key requirements for registration: a professional degree from a school of architecture accredited by the AACA; at least two years of practical experience, and; the completion of the architectural practice examination.

Architects may also belong to the Royal Australian Institute of Architects which is the professional organization and members use the suffix RAIA after their name.


[edit] Canada
In Canada, architects are required to belong to provincial architectural associations that require them to complete an accredited degree in architecture, finish a multi-year internship process, pass a series of exams, and pay an annual fee to acquire and maintain a license to practice.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) [4] is a national body that aims to be "the voice of Architecture and its practice in Canada". Members are permitted to use the suffix MRAIC after their names. Not all members of the RAIC hold accredited degrees in architecture, and not all Canadian architects are members of the RAIC.


[edit] Earnings
Earnings for architects range widely, depending on experience, and where and how they work. Salaries also vary depending on the size and location of the practice. Earnings have traditionally been dependent on the local economic conditions but, with rapid globalization, this is becoming less of a factor for larger international firms.

Many architects elect to move into real estate development, corporate planning, project management and other specialized roles which can earn significantly higher income than the industry median.


[edit] US Earning outlook
According to the 2006–2007 Occupation Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor, the median salary of architects was $62,960 with the middle 50% earning between $46,690 and $79,230. This was slightly above accountants (median income $50,770), college professors (median income $51,800) and on par with most branches of engineering (median income of roughly $60K).

Intern architects typically earn between $35k to 58k depending on experience prior to licensure. Architects that have completed the internship period can expect an average starting salary of between $51,709 and $64,519. For 10 years' experience, the base compensation level increases significantly to an average range of $62,608–$79,919; that range reaches $72,678–$96,928 for architects with 15 years' experience.

Senior architects and partners typically have earnings that exceed $100K annually. It is not unusual for an officer or equity partner to earn a base salary of $235,000, with a bonus of $200,000. Due to the major stake in ownership that equity partners may have, they can earn incomes approaching, and occasionally surpassing, seven figures. [5]


[edit] UK Earnings
The Royal Society of Architects in Wales (RSAW) publishes a guide to the salaries typical of the various stages of qualification[6]: Beginning level candidates (part one) can expect between £15,000 and £18,500. Recent graduates (part two) earn between £22,000 - £29,000. Newly registered architects (part three) earn £29,000 - £32,000; part three, three to five years post-registration £34,000 - £40,000 (salary data collected May 06). The range of typical salaries at senior levels (after 10-15 years in role)is between £32,000 to £80,000, depending on the seniority of the position.


[edit] Schools of Architecture
Main article: List of international architecture schools
For degrees in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK, see Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture.
For schools in the US, see US Architecture Schools.
Professionals engaged in the design and supervision of construction projects prior to the 20th century were not necessarily trained in a separate architecture program in an academic setting. Instead, they usually carried the title of Master Builder, or surveyor, after serving a number of years as an apprentice (such as Sir Christopher Wren). The formal study of architecture in academic institutions played a pivotal role in the development of the profession as a whole, serving as a focal point for advances in architectural technology and theory.

The most significant schools in the history of architecture include:

1800s — École des Beaux-Arts for the formation of the professional architecture school, and the succession to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts. The École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris, the world's first school of engineering.
late 1800s and early 1900s — MIT the first professional school in the U.S., legitimizing architectural practice as a profession. Cornell University for being the first to extend its curriculum to five years with an obligatory thesis. The Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, for developing Beaux-Arts principles into the age of industry, within the setting of the purpose-built building by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Bauhaus (1919–1933), Germany, for combining courses in product design, the arts, building, and craftsmanship.
1930s–1950s — Harvard and Illinois Institute of Technology for the introduction of Modernism in the U.S. academic context
1960s — UC Berkeley for creation of the 4-year B.Arch. and 2-year M.Arch. system; Architectural Association, London, for the creation of a 'unit master' system, and the influence of teachers belonging to Archigram.
1970s — IUAV, 'The School of Venice' [7] for re-evaluating modernism through history and critical theory. The Bartlett School of Architecture, London, for reinventing architecture as 'environmental design'.
1980s — Princeton and Cooper Union for pedagogical innovation, Education of an Architect
1990s — Columbia and Sci-Arc for the rise of formalism, implementation and influence of new computer tools, and conceptual refocusing.

[edit] Further reading
Roger K. Lewis, Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1998.
David Chappell, J.Andrew Willis, The Architect in Practice. Blackwell Publishing, London, 2005.
Blythe Camenson, Careers in Architecture. McGraw-Hill; New York, 2001.
Lee W. Waldrep, Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design, John Wiley, Chichester, 2006.
American Institute of Architects, The Architect's Handbook of Professional Practice, Student Edition, John Wiley, Chichester, 2001.
Peter Piven, Bradford Perkins, Architect's Essentials of Starting a Design Firm (The Architect's Essentials of Professional Practice), John Wiley, Chichester, 2003.
James R. Franklin, Architect's Professional Practice Manual. McGraw-Hill Professional, New York, 2000.
James P. Cramer; Scott Simpson, The Next Architect: A New Twist on the Future of Design. Greenway Communications, 2006
James P. Cramer, How Firms Succeed: A Field Guide to Design Management. Greenway Communications; 2nd Illus edition, 2004.
Gerald Morosco, Edward Massery, How to Work With an Architect, Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2006.
Pat Guthrie, Architect's Portable Handbook. McGraw-Hill Professional; 3 edition, 2003.
Charlotte Baden-Powell, Architect's Pocket Book. Architectural Press, London, 2001.


A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering. Originally a civil engineer worked on public works projects and was contrasted with the military engineer, who worked on armaments and defenses. Over time, various branches of engineering have become recognized as distinct from civil engineering, including chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering, while much of military engineering has been absorbed by civil engineering.

In most countries, a civil engineer has graduated from a post-secondary school with a degree in civil engineering, which requires a strong background in mathematics and the physical sciences; this degree is typically a four-year degree, though many civil engineers continue on to obtain additional degrees. In many countries, civil engineers are subject to licensure, and often, persons not licensed may not call themselves "civil engineers".

In the United States, most civil engineers practice in particular specialties of civil engineering, such as geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering, or environmental engineering. Civil engineers are typically employed by municipalities, construction firms, consulting engineering firms, state governments, and the federal government.

In some places, a civil engineer may perform land surveying; in others, surveying is limited to construction surveying, unless an additional qualification is obtained.

Contents [hide]
1 Civil engineering in European countries
1.1 Belgian civil engineers
1.2 Scandinavian civil engineers
1.3 Spanish civil engineers
2 See also



[edit] Civil engineering in European countries

[edit] Belgian civil engineers
In Belgium, civil engineer (abbreviated ir.) (burgerlijk ingenieur in Dutch)is a legally protected title applicable to graduates of the five-year engineering course of an university or the Royal Military Academy. Their speciality can be all fields of engineering: civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, chemical. This use of the title may cause confusion to the English speaker as the Belgian "civil" engineer can have a speciality other than civil engineering.

The formation of the civil engineer has a strong mathematical and scientifical base and is more theoretical in approach than the practical oriented industrial engineer (ing.) educated in a four-year program at a polytechnic. Traditionally, students were required to pass an entrance exam on mathematics to start civil engineering studies. This exam was abolished in 2004 for the Flemish Community, but is still organised in the French Community.


[edit] Scandinavian civil engineers
In Scandinavian countries, some Master of Science and Master of Technology degrees are called civil engineer (civilingenjör (Swedish), sivilingeniør (Norwegian), civilingeniør (Danish)). That is if they have their graduation, or "diploma", from an institute of technology. As in English the word has its origin in the distinction between civilian and military engineers, as in before the start of the 19th century only military engineers existed and the prefix "civil" was a way to separate those who had studied engineering in a regular University from their military counterparts. During the middle of 19th century (before [1] 1874), its Swedish interpretation also became "a person graduated from an institute of technology", and now the profession represents all fields within engineering professions, like civil engineering, computer science, electronics engineering, etc.

Although a 'college engineer' (högskoleingenjör, diplomingenjör/mellaningenjör (Swedish), høgskoleingeniør (Norwegian), diplomingeniør (Danish)) represents a Bachelor of Science in Scandinavia, to become a 'civil engineer' one often has to do up to one extra year of overlapping studies compared to attaining a B.Sc./M.Sc. combination. This is because the higher educational system is not fully adopted to the international standard graduation system, since it is treated as a professional degree. A Scandinavian "civilingenjör" will in international contexts commonly call itself "Master of Science in engineering" and will occasionally wear an engineering class ring possibly inspired by the Canadian iron ring.

In Norway the title "Sivilingeniør" will no longer be issued after 2007, and have been replaced with "Master i teknologi", which translates to "Master of Technology". The extra overlapping year of studies have also been abolished with this change to make Norwegian degrees more equal to their international counterparts.


[edit] Spanish civil engineers
In Spain, a civil engineering degree is obtained after six years of study in the various branches of mathematics, physics, mechanics, etc. The official title of Civil Engineers in Spain, Ingeniero de Caminos, Canales y Puertos (often shortened to Ingeniero de Caminos) literaly means Engineer of Roads, Canals and Harbors, though civil engineers in Spain practice in the same fields beyond those as civil engineers do elsewhere. The first Civil Engineering Institute, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos Canales Y Puertos de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid: [2] was founded by Agustín de Bethencourt y Molina in 1802.