Where can my MArch career can take me?

Graduates from the Master of Architecture (MArch) program work in some of the world's most active and award-winning practices, as researchers and innovators in the building industry, policy makers and designers in city governments and development corporations and many other creative fields. Discover where some of our graduates are making their mark:

• Matt Walker, Computational Designer, Zaha Hadid Architects, London, UK
• Nicholas Hamel, Vice President Automation, Intelligent City, Vancouver, BC
• Wanda Dalla Costa, AIA, FRAIC, Principal Tawaw Architecture Collective, Phoenix/Calgary,
• Kate Thompson, President and CEO, Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC), Calgary, AB
• Dustin Couzens & Ben Klumper, Partners, Modern Office of Design + Architecture (MODA), Calgary, AB

Your future awaits

Architects lead complex processes that analyze the various contexts that contribute to spaces and environments. They bring together stakeholders and experts from diverse fields to design environments and objects at various scales. As an aspiring architect, you will learn these skills in collaborative environments that reward critical thinking, active participation, and rigor. Our program trains students like you to engage with the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world, empowering you to positively influence the future of both built and natural environments.

A career in architecture offers incredible diversity. While you may primarily focus on designing buildings, your skills can be applied to a wide range of fields, including furniture design, urban planning, property development, community-based design, visual artistry, technical research, and much more. The question is: which path will your architectural future take?

Your first step: a Master of Architecture degree

Earning an accredited degree from a professional architecture program is your first step toward becoming a licensed architect.

A day in the life of an architect

Your daily activities as an architect will vary considerably. Design will be a core part of your job, involving planning, visualizing, relating, selecting, discarding, synthesizing, and creating solutions. However, you will also need technical know-how, legal and administrative knowledge, and a grounding in good business practices, marketing, communications, and public relations. Your activities may include:

• Preliminary design
• Technical resolution
• Collaborating through design with allied professionals in engineering, landscape architecture and other consultants
• Securing contracts
• Resolving client/contractor issues
• Estimating costs
• Producing drawings and documents
• Calling tenders
• Reviewing work on-site
• Business development and public relations

Every commission and task will be unique, allowing you to experience the breadth of the profession.

Diverse career paths

Whether you work independently or as part of a large multinational practice, your career as an architect can take many forms. The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) provides comprehensive definitions for what constitutes an architect, architectural practice, and architecture itself. Because your education will be richly interdisciplinary, you may find yourself entering allied disciplines or career paths that require critical thinkers who can synthesize varied forms of information. Many of our alumni have become renowned artists, prominent journalists, politicians, social entrepreneurs, and other professions, all motivated to shape the change they see the world needs.

Becoming a Registered Architect

Each province has its own architectural association, and while each has its own rules for becoming a registered architect, there are three common components. The first step is earning a Master of Architecture degree accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB). The second stage is an internship, which involves gaining specified architectural work experience—typically taking three to five years to acquire the required variety of experience. Finally, candidates must complete a series of professional exams and any other requirements set by their provincial association. More information on this process is available on the websites of the RAIC and the Alberta Association of Architecture (AAA).

Reciprocity in North America

The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) between Canada and the United States was developed by the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA), the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), and the Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana (FCARM). This agreement aims to remove barriers, allowing qualified architects like you to offer professional services across borders while ensuring public health, safety, and welfare.