Academic Certification is the first mandatory required step towards registration/licensure which consists of Academic Certification (Education), Internship (Experience) and Examination.

You will need your Academic Certification and your Certification Number to register for the Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) within the Jurisdiction you would like to practice as a licensed Architect.

The Internship and the Exam are administered by the Provincial/Territorial Associations of Architecture. Contact the Architects Association of the jurisdiction where you would like to practice as a licensed Architect for more detailed information about eligibility and process.

Based on the first come first serve approach, the processing time of a complete application depends on your mode of certification.

• Up to 2 weeks if you graduated from an accredited degree in architecture accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) or the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)-USA.
• Up to 3 months if you graduated in architecture with a degree or diploma not accredited by CACB from :
  • a foreign country (Except USA) or from one of the Canberra Accord Signatories since January 1, 2010.
  • one of the Canadian schools of architecture before the implementation of the CACB Accreditation System in 1991; and
  • the RAIC Syllabus of Studies Program.

It should be noted, however, that the timeline mentioned above may vary depending on the number of applications received or for technical reasons.  

• Bachelor of Architecture Program ‑ requiring a minimum of five years of study; or
• Master of Architecture Program ‑ requiring a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor’s degree, or two years following a four-year related pre-professional degree; and does not preclude variations approved by CACB.

• Apply under the mode of certification “degree or diploma not accredited by CACB” ;
• Read carefully what the requirements for the submission are;
• Make sure your submission is complete to avoid delays in assessing your application;
• Apply online;
• Pay the required Application Fee; and
• Mail Supporting Documentation.

Please note that at this time you can also choose to apply by printed application and send your submission by mail along with your payment (Cheque or money order).

• You should apply under the mode of certification “degree or diploma not accredited by CACB”;
• Provide with the evidence of your Canberra Accord Degree;
• Read carefully what the requirements for the submission;
• Make sure your submission is complete to avoid delays in assessing your application;
• Apply online;
• Pay the required Application Fee; and
• Mail Supporting Documentation.

Please note that at this time you can also choose to apply by printed application and send your submission by mail along with your payment (Cheque or money order).

• You should apply under the mode of certification “degree or diploma not accredited by CACB”

as a graduate before the implementation of the Accreditation System in Canada,  from one of the 12 listed Canadian Schools;

• Read carefully what the requirements for the submission are;
• Make sure your submission is complete to avoid delays in assessing your application;
• Apply online;
• Pay the required Application Fee; and
• Mail Supporting Documentation.

Please note that at this time you can also choose to apply by printed application and send your submission by mail along with your payment (Cheque or money order).

• You should apply under the mode of certification “ accredited degree”
• Read carefully what the requirements for the submission are.
• Make sure your submission is complete to avoid delays in assessing your application.
• Apply online
• Pay the required Application Fee
• Mail Supporting Documentation

Please note that at this time you can also choose to apply by printed application and send your submission by mail along with your payment (Cheque or money order).

• You should apply under the mode of certification “ accredited degree”
• Read carefully what the requirements for the submission are.
• Make sure your submission is complete to avoid delays in assessing your application.
• Apply online
• Pay the required Application Fee
• Mail Supporting Documentation

Please note that at this time you can also choose to apply by printed application and send your submission by mail along with your payment (Cheque or money order).

We recommend that you use a mailing service with a tracking number, or you can use the regular mail service. Our mailing address is 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 710 Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7

In alignment with CACB’s climate commitment, we will accept the submission of a portfolio, which is not mandatory, in an electronic or hard-copy paper format. This may be provided to CACB by email to academiccertification@cacb.ca, or by mail along with your other supporting documents. Please refrain from including plastic sheet coverings or mechanically bound documents.

By credit card (through the online application).

You are expected to provide a Course Calendar with your application if your mode of certification is“degree or diploma not accredited by CACB”.

The Course Calendar or the syllabus is the official university document that describes the professional architecture program you graduated with.  You must provide within your application the Course Calendar that reflects the years of your studies and must have the description of each course of your program, the number of hours of lectures and the number of hours of studio spent on each course; the number of terms in an academic year; and the number of weeks of studies per term.

The course calendar is one of the key pieces in the submission as it allows assessing its content against the Canadian Education Stands (CES) Requirements in terms of Credit hours and area of study.

You can always verify before you submit the  Course Calendar, if we do have a copy in our database, from our previous assessments from candidates from the same institutions, program, and year.

Click here to find out.

• A transcript is a list of courses a student has completed, indicating grades and credits awarded.
• An official transcript is issued by the Office of the Registrar.  Student copies or electronic transcripts are not accepted by CACB. Transcripts may be sent to CACB by the applicant or directly from the university in a sealed envelope that is signed or stamped across the back flap by the appropriate official at the institution.

A certified copy is a photocopy of the original document that has been signed and sealed by a lawyer, a notary or a commissioner of oath.

Your application must be submitted in one of the two official languages (English or French). Otherwise, you will need to provide in addition to the original documents, their certified translation to English or French.

A certified translator creates a legal record.  Certified translators attest to the accuracy of a translation and place a seal on each page of the translation. The certified translator must be registered and officially authorized to do translations.  This service may be obtained in Canada or the country of origin.

A translation done by the applicant is only acceptable if it is signed and stamped by a certified translator.

• CACB evaluates credentials earned through formal academic training only. Applicants should NOT submit documentation from short-term professional development courses or other non-formal, non-academic training.  Such documents will not be evaluated or reflected in the CACB evaluation report.
• If the first professional degree is a Master’s degree, undergraduate transcripts must also be submitted.
• Although the evaluation is of the first professional degree, transcripts from post-professional degrees may be included.  If hours are missing in any subject areas based on the first professional degree, those from the post-professional degree may be considered to fulfill requirements in that particular area.
• Applicants should not add courses taken at the secondary or pre-university/college level.

Yes, your application may be supported by other university courses to fulfill some of the requirements of the CES.  Transcripts and official course descriptions must be included.

The response is no, unfortunately.

We cannot translate work experience into an equivalent to education and credit hours.

Academic Certification is about assessing your academic credentials to ensure they comply with the academic requirements of the Canadian Education Standard (CES) in terms of course content and duration, number total of credits, and area of studies. Which cannot be applied to a work experience gained after graduation?

While we understand that gathering supporting documents require sometimes multiple providers/sources, we strongly encourage you to submit your application in a single package.  It is very important to provide your name and file number in all your correspondence with us (mail, email, etc.).

The assessment of your application starts only when all required documents and payment are received.

CACB will hold on to an incomplete application for a maximum of 90 days.  After 90 days, the application and payment will be returned to the applicant – a 15% administration fee will be deducted.

No. All documents submitted by applicants become the property of CACB.  Originals should be kept by the applicants. Please send certified copies only.

The Canadian Education Standard consists of standards and procedures that have been chosen to assure that the assessments are equitable while accommodating the varied backgrounds and circumstances of the applicants.  The CES is endorsed by all the Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC).  CACB degree equivalent requires 160 semester hours of academic credit grouped into six subject areas.

Equivalency is determined based on the length, structure and content of the course being evaluated. Based on these criteria, the evaluators assign the applicant’s academic work to the subject areas by semester hour equivalents.

A semester hour of credit is equivalent to 1 hour of CACB-approved lecture time or 2 hours of CACB-approved laboratory/studio instruction time per week for the duration of the semester or term.  For programs which operate on a quarterly system, 1.5 quarter hours are equivalent to 1 semester hour.

Some degree programs contain a certain amount of elective credit hours, which means those programs allow students to enjoy some flexibility, outside the program, in a few areas and take classes that interest them. The Canadian Education Standard requires a total of 160 semester credits including a minimum of 136 semester hours of credit in five subject areas. The additional 24 semester hours of credit may be taken in any one or more of the five subject areas and/or acceptable elective subjects.  Courses taken at the university level not related directly to architecture are acceptable toward the elective requirements.

You must use your current legal name and provide with your application a legal proof of change of name. Otherwise, we will issue the certificate with the name used on the transcript attached to your application.

You must provide your current legal name along with a certified true copy of a legal proof of name change document, i.e., legal name change certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate, etc, with your submission.   These documents must be in French or English or accompanied by an official translation.

Certification Decisions are rendered on behalf of the CACB by the CACB Assessment Committee. Applicants have the right to request a reassessment of their application or appeal the decision.

There are three possible outcomes:

• Full certification: Full compliance with the Canadian Education Standard (CES) Requirements. A certificate with a Certification Number is issued for registration within the Internship in Architecture Program.
• Provisional Certification: Partial Compliance with the CES. The applicant’s academic qualifications are deficient in particular subject areas of the CES and he/she is required to further his/her studies to fill the gaps in the identified subject area by completing courses upon approval by the CACB.

A provisional Certification Number is issued to allow registration within the Internship in Architecture Program while completing the courses within a delay of a maximum of 18 months.

• Applicant is denied Certification: The applicant’s academic qualifications do not fulfill the minimum requirements to be evaluated by the assessment committee and required for registration/licensure requirements in Canada.

You will receive your assessment result by Canada Post regular mail (no tracking number is provided by Canada Post for regular mail). Make sure we have the right mailing address and email address in your file. CACB is not responsible for documents damaged or lost in the mail.

If you would like the result of your assessment sent via alternative shipping method. CACB is happy to comply with the request, however, additional fees may apply.

Provisional Certification is an accommodation that allows for registration in the Internship in Architecture Program for a limited time, before achieving full Certification. Rather than waiting until completion of the missing courses, applicants are allowed to start the Internship while they are completing them. The Provisional Certification (Status) is limited to a maximum delay of 18 months.  Failing to satisfy the requirements in this period of time, CACB will lapse the Provisional Certification Number and Status and will advise the Association of Architects to remove the applicant from its Internship in Architecture Program.

Under exceptional circumstances, CACB may grant an extension to this delay upon a written and documented request.

You can take your course/s with any accredited program in Architecture in Canada or online with RAIC Syllabus.  

Before you register, you must request and obtain the approval of CACB for the course you would like to complete.

CACB does not recommend specific courses. After you have finished your search of cours/es for the appropriate area of deficiency outlined in the letter you received from us, you must submit your selection for the Certification Coordinator’s approval by email to academiccertification@cacb.ca  stating:

• The deficiency you wish to address;
• The name of the educational institution where you will take your coursework;
• The course code/s and name; and
• The Course Description and load along with the credits to be received.

Yes, you may appeal the Committee’s Decision within sixty days of receiving notice from CACB.

However, CACB offers a one-time-only possibility to request a reassessment of your file within 30 days of receiving the notice from CACB.

Your requests for the Committee to review its decision must be done in writing and must include additional documents to be considered.

Reassessment is initiated at the simple request of the candidate.

There is no fee for a second review by the Assessment Committee. The candidate must submit within 30 days new evidence or documents, which can sustain and/or clarify the deficiency initially found by the Committee. Upon receipt of the new documentation, the file is brought to the next Assessment Committee Meeting. Candidates can request a maximum of two reassessments.

Appeal of the Assessment Committee decision must be notified within sixty days of receiving the decision notice. The candidate must submit, along with the appeal fee, a formal letter to the President of the CACB Board outlining the reason for the appeal, with supporting documentation where appropriate. Upon receipt of the official request for appeal, the file is brought for review to the next Board meeting (these are held twice a year).

The Board will review the appeal request and may:

1. Refuse the request for review;
2. Refer the case to the Appeal Committee; or
3. Defer judgment pending the receipt of additional information from the candidate.

You can request a Letter of confirmation of your certification or a replacement of your certificate, please select and complete the appropriate form below (a nominal fee applies):

⦁ Request for a Letter of Confirmation

⦁ Request for a Replacement Certificate