Requirements for Licence in Ontario

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is the organization that issues Licences to practice as an architect in Ontario.

According to provincial legislation, applicants for a Licence must:

1. Be of good character; that means that you have not been found guilty of an offence that might affect your ability to practice architecture, for example, fraud

2. Be at least 18 years of age

3. Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or be a member of an organization of architects that is recognized by the OAA and that has objects, standards of practice, and requirements for membership similar to those of the OAA.

4. Have a degree in architecture from a post-secondary institution or have successfully completed the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) Syllabus (education program)

5. Have a Certificate of Certification from the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB); CACB certification information and forms are available at the CACB website

6. Have successfully completed the Admission Course offered by the OAA

7. Have successfully completed a total of 5,600 hours of work experience that meets the requirements of the Intern Architect Program; 940 hours of this experience must be gained in Ontario under the personal supervision and direction of an architect licensed by the OAA, and this 940 hours of experience must be gained within three years of applying for Licence; at least 2,780 hours of experience in total must be completed under the personal supervision and direction of an architect

and

8. Pass either the Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) or the Architect Registration Examination

Language Proficiency Assessment

The OAA does not require you to pass a language proficiency exam. However, the licensing process may involve interviews and exams that require excellent oral and written English language skills. If you feel uncomfortable participating in formal interviews, reading complex documents, or writing reports in English, you might consider upgrading your English skills before applying. See the Contacts and Resources section of this e-Career Map for information about where you can find English as a Second Language (ESL) classes in Ontario.

 
Architect Designation
An architect designation is an abbreviation of an architect title. Examples of architect designations are CMA (Certified Management architect), CA (Chartered architect, and CGA (Certified General architect). An architect designation may only be used by individuals who are accredited members of the body that has regulatory authority for the designation.