About Automatic Certification for Canadian Graduates
What is Automatic Certification for Canadian Graduates?
Automatic Certification for Canadian Graduates is the formal academic certification process for graduates who have completed a professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch) degree from one of Canada’s twelve accredited M.Arch programs. Implemented in 2009, this initiative was established to streamline the academic certification process for graduates of CACB-accredited Canadian professional architecture programs and to increase awareness of the pathway toward architectural licensure in Canada.
Automatic Certification recognizes the direct connection between professional program accreditation and academic certification. Through accreditation, the CACB confirms that a specific professional architecture degree pathway satisfies the academic requirements of the Canadian Educational Standard (CES). Only accredited degree pathways within each institution are recognized as meeting these requirements. As a result, graduates of accredited Canadian professional M.Arch. programs are not required to undergo a separate academic assessment of the curriculum they have completed.
Instead, Automatic Certification focuses on confirming administrative details: that the degree was awarded by a CACB-accredited program, that the program was accredited at the time of graduation, and that the credential awarded corresponds to the accredited professional program. Once these requirements are verified, graduates can proceed through the academic certification process as part of their pathway toward architectural licensure in Canada.
The Automatic Certification Process in Supporting Graduates Path to Licensure
Role and Responsibilities of Accredited Programs
As part of maintaining their accredited status, CACB-accredited programs are required to support the Automatic Certification process. In accordance with Article 3.2.2 of the Procedures for Accreditation, programs must submit a list of graduating students, along with an official letter of confirmation signed by the head of the program, to initiate the certification process.
The program is responsible for supporting the Automatic Academic Certification process by confirming graduate completion, communicating the certification process to graduates, and maintaining accurate academic records.
- Within one month of each graduation, the program must submit to the CACB a completed graduate spreadsheet containing each graduate’s full legal name, preferred email address, professional and pre-professional degree information, including the applicable start and graduation dates, preferred language of correspondence, and preferred province for registration. The program must also provide an official letter, signed by the head of the program, confirming that the listed graduates have successfully satisfied all requirements for the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree.
- The program is also responsible for ensuring that graduates are informed about the Automatic Academic Certification process. This includes advising graduates that successful completion of a CACB-accredited professional architecture program provides the basis for Automatic Academic Certification and directing them to CACB resources for additional information about Academic Certification and the pathway toward architectural licensure in Canada.
- To support the integrity of the certification process, the program must ensure that all graduate records submitted to the CACB are complete, accurate, and up to date. The program is also expected to respond promptly to any requests from the CACB for clarification or verification of graduate information when required.
CACB Review and Issuance of Certification
To support consistent submissions throughout the year, the CACB sends a reminder email to accredited programs each semester regarding the submission of graduate information. This ensures that, regardless of when a student graduates, programs have the opportunity to submit the required information and initiate the Automatic Certification process on behalf of their graduates.
Upon receiving the required information and documentation from an accredited program, the CACB conducts an administrative verification to confirm that the graduate completed a CACB-accredited Canadian professional architecture program, that the program held accredited status at the time of the graduate’s completion, that the credential awarded corresponds to the accredited professional program, and that all information submitted is complete and accurate.
Because the graduate’s academic qualifications have already been evaluated through the program accreditation process, the CACB does not undertake a second substantive assessment of the graduate’s coursework or curriculum. Once the administrative verification has been completed, the CACB issues the Academic Certification directly to the graduate.
Role and Responsibilities of Graduates
Automatic Certification is based solely on information provided by the accredited program. Graduates should therefore ensure that their program has included them in the submitted graduate list and that CACB has accurate contact information to communicate the certification outcome.
Graduates do not need to apply directly for CACB Academic Certification. Once a student has successfully completed all requirements of a CACB-accredited professional architecture program, the program submits the required graduate information to the CACB on their behalf.
Following the submission, the CACB Academic Certification team will contact graduates by email to complete the final steps of certification, including providing a mailing address for the issuance of their CACB certification number. Graduates are encouraged to regularly monitor their email accounts, including junk or spam folders, to ensure they do not miss important communications.
Upon receiving CACB Academic Certification and their certification number, graduates become eligible to register for the Internship in Architecture Program (IAP) in any Canadian province or territory. After completing the IAP and successfully passing the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC), graduates may apply for registration with the applicable provincial or territorial architectural regulator. Once registered and licensed, they may legally use the title “Architect.”
Please Note: If you are graduating in the upcoming semester or have just graduated, please do not submit an application unless specifically instructed to do so by the CACB. Your program will submit your graduate information as part of the Automatic Certification process.
Note for Graduates Who Have Not Yet Received CACB Certification
If you graduated from a CACB-accredited professional architecture program several months or years ago and have not received your CACB Academic Certification, you will need to complete an online application to begin the certification process. There is no application fee; however, you are required to arrange for official transcripts for your professional degree to be sent directly to the CACB office. These transcripts allow the CACB to verify your academic record and confirm that your degree was completed through a CACB-accredited program. Once the required documentation has been received and reviewed, the CACB will proceed with the certification process and issue your CACB certification number.