- To begin the EESA process, please follow these steps:
- Establish your record with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).
- Contact NCARB to determine the path of licensure you are eligible to take.
- Check your jurisdiction’s requirements through the Licensing Requirements Tool on NCARB’s website.
- When the licensure path and jurisdiction requirements indicate that an EESA evaluation is needed, the applicant must request an invitation to apply for EESA.
Please visit www.ncarb.org, or email customerservice@ncarb.org for additional assistance in establishing your record, and checking jurisdiction requirements or licensure path eligibility. - After receipt of an EESA invitation, the next step is to pay the EESA fee. The list of fees is available by clicking the Fees button at the bottom of this page. Upon remittance of the EESA fee, the applicant’s information is transferred to the NAAB. To complete the application, all required documents must be sent to the NAAB. To view the required documents, visit Submit Documents. Send your questions to eesa@naab.org.
To complete an application for evaluation, the following documents must be submitted after paying the EESA fee:
- Academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended either in a foreign country or in the U.S. must be sent electronically by the institution to eesa@naab.org. Evaluations completed by other agencies are not accepted.
- If an official transcript from the institution is not available, NAAB will accept a notarized copy of the transcript via mail only. Applicants must provide written evidence from the institution that an official academic transcript is not available.
- Transcripts that are not issued in English must have a certified translation completed. Please upload translations by using the ‘Submit Documents’ button. Hard copy translations are not generally accepted.
- Applicants that have submitted official transcripts to National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), should request that NCARB electronically forward those transcripts to the NAAB.
- Descriptions of all courses taken from each post-secondary institution must be uploaded using the ‘Submit Documents’ button. This documentation must include a description of the objective and outcomes for each course and note the number of credit hours or contact hours per week.
- Course descriptions made available on an institution’s website may be downloaded and saved as a PDF prior to electronic transmission to NAAB. Please include the link of each web page visited to download the course descriptions.
In exceptional circumstances where an institution is unable to submit documents electronically, NAAB will accept hard copy documents. In such cases, the institution must:
- provide written evidence that an electronic copy is not available
- ensure that the documents are mailed in a sealed envelope to the NAAB office at
NAAB, c/o EESA
107 S. West St
Suite 707
Alexandria, VA 22314
An EESA evaluation report identifies the areas of the NCARB Education Standard that have been assessed as:
- met (additional examinations and/or coursework are not required)
- deficient (additional examinations and/or coursework are required)
An evaluation report outlines deficiencies in meeting the NCARB Education Standard and requires that the applicant successfully complete additional coursework and/or pass examinations to satisfy those deficiencies. The NAAB evaluates applicants’ education credentials based on the current version of the NCARB Education Standard. Coursework and/or examinations taken to satisfy deficiencies are evaluated based on the version of the Education Standard used in the original evaluation.
Applicants must satisfy all deficiencies before the effective date of the next NCARB Education Standard or pay a re-evaluation fee. A re-evaluation uses the newest version of the Education Standard. Please review the NCARB Education Guidelines to determine acceptable topics for each subject area and category. Courses must be pre-approved by the NAAB and be taken at U.S. institutions that hold institutional accreditation.
Institutional accreditation indicates that an institution has undergone a review of its educational offerings and met the standards of quality established by an accrediting agency. These agencies are recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
The seven institutional accrediting agencies currently recognized by the USDE and CHEA are:
- Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
- New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
To confirm whether an institution is institutionally accredited, visit the CHEA database of accredited institutions and follow the instructions:
- Enter the name of the institution and click “Search’”.
- Click on the institution’s name in the “Institution” column.
- Confirm the “Institutional Accreditation” agency displayed matches one of the seven agencies listed above. After confirming if the institution is institutionally accredited, you may submit your request for course pre-approval.
Applicants must request pre-approval from NAAB before enrolling in a course or registering for an examination. Below are instructions on how to satisfy deficiencies based on the subject area and category of the 2020 NCARB Education Standard:
- Liberal Arts
To satisfy deficiencies in Liberal Arts, relevant coursework taken at institutions holding institutional accreditation or examinations offered through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) are accepted. In addition to post-secondary courses as described, the following tests will be recognized for waiver to deficiencies in English composition:- The Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT) with a score of 94 overall and 20 in the writing section; or
- The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a minimum score of 7; or
- Similar internationally recognized test of English proficiency if deemed equivalent by the NAAB.
- Design Synthesis
All deficiencies in Design Synthesis must be satisfied in studio courses offered either within a professional degree program accredited by the NAAB or the CACB/CCCA or in a pre-professional architecture degree program offered at a four-year institution accredited by a U.S. institutional accrediting agency. Studios must be administered or monitored by a member of the design faculty and must be taken for academic credit. - Building Technology
To satisfy deficiencies in Building Technology, relevant coursework successfully completed through:- Four-year institutions that hold institutional accreditation and offer a professional or a pre-professional degree in architecture or continuing education; or
- The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and American Institute of Architects (continuing education) are accepted.
- History, Theory, and Human Behavior/Professional Practice/Electives
To satisfy deficiencies in History, Theory, and Human Behavior; Professional Practice; or Electives relevant coursework successfully completed through:- Institutions that hold institutional accreditation; or
- Four-year institutions that hold institutional accreditation and offer a professional or a pre- continuing education; or
- The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and American Institute of Architects (continuing education) are accepted.
If a U.S. academic institution holding institutional accreditation grants credit in relevant subjects on the basis of equivalency examinations administered by the institution, and if that credit is listed on an official transcript issued by that institution, then that credit can be used to satisfy these Professional Practice requirements.