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Fact Sheet – Architect

Last updated: December 2019

Regulated profession:

  • Architect
NOC 2016¹ Occupation
2151 Architect
2152 Landscape Architect

Regulator:

Regulated titles:

  • Architect
  • Registered Architect
  • Use of initials M.A.A. after his/her name

National body:

  • Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB)
    • Assesses academic qualifications of all architecture graduates (Canadian and international) on behalf of all regulators (of architecture) in Canada;
    • Accredits professional degree programs (in architecture) offered by Canadian universities; and
    • Certifies the professional qualifications of Broadly Experienced Foreign Architects.
    • CACB is not a regulatory body.

Application process: (for professional registration)

  • See MAA information on Licencing/Registration for a general overview of the licencing requirements for foreign trained applicants. Open link and scroll to “For Foreign Applicants Outside Canada and The USA  – Requirements for Foreign Applicants”  
  • There are two pathways to licensure for foreign-trained applicants:

Credential assessment:

See details in “Application process” above.

Language proficiency:

  • Academic Certification pathway – Review language proficiency requirements in the “Conditions and Procedures for the Certification of Educational Qualifications” document (pdf) located at bottom of Academic Certification page.
  • BEFA pathway – Contact the BEFA Coordinator. For contact details, open BEFA Eligibility and scroll to bottom of page.

Professional competency profiles:

  • CACB – Demonstration of Competency. Individuals pursuing the BEFA pathway to licensure are required to prove their competencies in 12 categories that illustrate the role of an architect. These same 12 competencies will be useful for individuals pursing the Academic Certification pathway.

Tools/resources:

Membership associations:

Employment outlook:

  • Open Explore careers by outlook
  • Enter occupation name or NOC code in window; click “Search”
  • Scroll down to view employment outlook by provinces and regions across Canada.

Job search tools:

  • Manitoba Association of Architects – Employment – Current Opportunities
  • To search job postings in any occupation visit:
    • Government of Canada – Job Bank – Job Search
    • Government of Canada – Job Bank – Job Match

Related occupations / Alternate careers:

There are many reasons an internationally-educated architect may be interested in working in a related occupation.  Related occupations provide an individual with the opportunity to:

  • apply his/her skills and experience in a different (but related) occupation;
  • gain meaningful, interim employment while pursuing professional certification;
  • gain meaningful, alternative employment (as a stepping stone or career goal) if he/she chooses not to pursue professional certification or if he/she is not eligible to pursue professional certification.

Listed below are examples of occupations in the broader field of architecture, design, and construction.  While each occupation will have its own set of employment requirements, none are regulated occupations in Manitoba and therefore do not have certification / registration requirements with a professional regulatory body.  Employers often, however, require applicants to have job-specific experience, training, and/or certification.  Always check the hiring criteria carefully.  Hiring criteria is set by the employer and will vary from employer to employer.

NOC 2016¹ Occupation
2253 Drafting technologists* and technicians* (Open NOC 2253 see ‘View all titles’)
2251 Architectural technologists* and technicians* (Open NOC 2251 see ‘View all titles’)
2234 Construction estimators
2231 Civil engineering technologists* and technicians*
2252 Industrial designers
5121 Technical/ writer / Specifications writer
        * Employers may require professional certification with CTTAM.

Note: This Fact Sheet was developed by Manitoba Education and Training, Immigration and Economic Opportunities Division.  It serves as a guide and will be updated periodically. When researching information on professional registration policies and procedures, always refer to the regulator to ensure accurate, up-to-date information.

1 The Government of Canada updates the National Occupational Classification (NOC) every five years. At present, users can access three versions of NOC (2016, 2011, and 2006) on the NOC website. With each update, some NOC codes will change but the majority will stay the same. When searching an occupation on the NOC website always use the most recent version (NOC 2016). The Government of Canada also operates Job Bank using NOC codes. Job Bank, however, currently operates on NOC 2011. When navigating on Job Bank, always use 2011 NOC codes.