What is the difference between the NCARB and AIA?

Members of the architectural community, lend me your ears. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) are two entirely different organizations!

Like every other industry, the architectural community boasts many organizations which hearken to the voices of their patrons in order to create a sense of unity among the people. Such organizations are designed to help patrons of the society with licensing, community development, industry standards, charities, and of course education.

While the NCARB and AIA share many of the same values, the differences between these two organizations are quite stark. Yet—because they work in tandem on many fronts—the NCARB and AIA are often confused as interchangeable or even one organization.

The two organizations do have quite a bit in common in regards to their core values, however, due to their very different purposes, the best way to look at the NCARB and the AIA would be to view them as two sides of the same architectural society coin. 

Mission Statements

The greatest way to differentiate two organizations is by going directly to their heart: the mission statements. 

NCARB’s official website cites its mission statement as follows: 

“The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards protect the public health, safety, and welfare by leading the regulation of the practice of architecture through the development and application of standards for licensure and credentialing of architects.” 

NCARB goes on to say they follow through with this mission statement on three fronts. 

  • Provision of Licensing 
  • Fostering Interorganizational Collaboration 
  • Creating a Centralized Database for Accreditation Information 

The AIA, on the other hand, states their mission as follows: 

“The American Institute of Architects is the voice of the architectural profession and a resource for its members in service to society.” 

The AIA strives to meet these goals through a series of standards and ethos which transcends all the work they do. 

In short, the NCARB is an organization with a much more centralized purpose: helping architects acquire and maintain licensing while also promoting inter-organizational collaboration for the purpose of bolstering the community. The AIA, on the other hand, is a more expansive organization with several different faculties and sub-purposes which engage the community in a hands-on practical manner. 

Both organizations are absolutely vital to the architectural community but foster different benefits which allow the community to grow so richly. 

The NCARB

Delving into the differences, we’ll begin with the NCARB. 

The NCARB’s main purpose is to provide architects with licensing and all the materials and courses which come with it. As such, the NCARB is the regulating force behind all industry standards, testing, and is the main source of accreditation for architecture programs across the board.

The NCARB committee members determine which laws to enforce, which to close, and which to initiate. This means the NCARB works closely within the educational and legal communities in order to uphold their mission statement to “protect”. 

As such, the NCARB is made up of a small community of only 54 members. This tight-knit unity allows for enough diversity to make informed decisions but offers the group a uniformity to ensure a oneness of mind and doctrine. This creates order in the architectural community to give a thread of continuity which leads through the education system, the industry standards, and to several other organizations with whom the NCARB associates. 

The inter-organizational communication allows the NCARB to stay up to date with concerns across the society board. This means that the NCARB is able to address new issues, technological advances, and educational changes in a timely and objective manner. This way, there is a checks and balances system in place to ensure the NCARB is remaining on top of all the necessary issues that arise on a day to day basis. 

Interorganizational communication is also fantastic for networking and creating new charitable opportunities. These connections allow the NCARB to connect people within the AIA to charitable organizations and other organizations which match their ethos to allow the architectural community the chance to make a difference in the lives of those in need. 

Lastly, the NCARB actively updates a centralized database of all credential requirements, laws, and other pertinent information for interns looking to advance their architectural career. This interactive database creates a comprehensive platform to help aspiring architects receive their licensing with easy access. 

The AIA


If the NCARB is the brain of the architectural community’s body, the AIA is the heart. While the NCARB certainly cares about the people within the community through their structural work, the AIA is given the opportunity to work within that broad structure to give the community members an outlet to speak, connect, and play together. 

The AIA has over 93,000 architects as part of its ranks, and this number grows every year! The AIA offers a free 18-month membership to architects who recently graduated from NAAB-accredited programs. This incredible number is what allows the AIA so much diversity in the projects they undertake—and is also why the NCARB loves collaborating with the AIA on so many projects. 

The diversity of crowd allows the AIA to poll the voices of the people and funnel them into the projects which excite and inspire them. This means that the AIA gets to explore a diverse ethos which includes, but is certainly not limited to, equity, climate change, immigration, infrastructure, school design, and safety, as well as sustainability. These are just a few of the areas where the AIA is passionate. 

Due to this passionate desire to connect the members of the architectural society, AIA has garnered great popularity among its patrons. Ultimately, the AIA is a place for architects to gather together to make new friends and make a difference in the world both personally and professionally. 

Conclusion

As you can see, the NCARB and AIA have a great many missions in common, but their execution of these two statements is very different.

The NCARB is devoted to establishing, maintaining, and trailblazing new industry standards while ensuring that all architects and students are equipped with the knowledge they need to adhere to these standards.

On the other hand, the AIA is more involved in getting the architectural community involved in a hands-on manner, from networking to charitable projects meant to inspire. 

Overall, both organizations play a vital role in the architectural society. It is no wonder the names NCARB and AIA are interchangeable in so many minds. One could certainly function without the other, but why should they when their mixed flavors taste so good?

Leave a Reply