The most common pathway to registration is completion of an accredited Australian architecture qualification followed by the Architectural Practice Examination.

A number of alternative pathways are available in defined circumstances.

Local and overseas experienced practitioners may be eligible to complete a fast-track assessment before applying to APBSA for registration and are conducted on APBSA’s behalf by the national body — AACA.

For practitioners who obtained an architectural qualification outside Australia and do not qualify to apply for registration under Mutual Recognition Agreements, the Overseas Qualifications Assessment conducted by AACA provides access to the Architectural Practice Examination.

Here, graduates can find out about the requirements to register as an Architect, including:

  • qualifications recognised for registration
  • Architectural Practice Examination (APE)

as well as how to go about applying for the APE, registering as an architect, and how you can refer to yourself before registration.

To be registered as an architect you must have an approved qualification recognised for registration by the Architectural Practice Board of SA, and have passed the Architectural Practice Examination.

APBSA UniSA prizewinner Sharlyn Burdon with Hon. Nick Champion, Minister for Planning.

Qualifications recognised for registration

Australian tertiary qualifications that are recognised for registration by architect registration boards must be accredited. Generally, a 5-year Master of Architecture is the qualification. The accreditation procedure is conducted by the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) every five years, and the qualifications are assessed against the nationally agreed National Standards of Competency for Architects (NSCA).

There are 22 Australian universities providing courses that are approved by the Architectural Practice Board of SA (i.e. the 5 year Master of Architecture degree).

In South Australia, the approved universities are the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.

The full list on institutions is available from the AACA website Accredited Architecture Qualifications.

For more information on Architectural education in Australia, visit the Architect Accreditation Council of Australia.

Pathways to registration

APBSA University of Adelaide prizewinner Kim Byungjin with Hon. Nick Champion, Minister for Planning.

To become eligible for registration, a person must have completed an approved course (Master of Architecture degree from a recognised University), and have passed the national Architectural Practice Examination (APE). A list of the approved courses leading to a qualification for registration can be obtained here.

If an individual does not have an approved qualification recognised for registration alternative pathways to registration can be considered. The National Program of Assessment is available to persons without a recognised qualification but have substantial skills and experience in the architectural profession. A competency-based assessment procedure is conducted. Please contact the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) if you consider that you meet the criteria for this pathway.

There are two other pathways to registration:

Overseas Architect Assessment (OQA)
OQA is a pathway for overseas registered architects who have the appropriate skills and knowledge but are not eligible for registration in Australia under existing international mutual recognition agreements. Contact the AACA for more information on this pathway. If your qualification is approved by AACA you are entitled to take the Architectural Practice Examination.

Experienced Practitioner
The Experience Practitioner pathway is an alternative road to registration. This has two streams:

  1. Overseas Experienced Practitioner pathway — A person with an overseas qualification and at least seven years of relevant professional experience after graduation with a minimum of three years practising at an Executive level (principal decision maker), including a minimum of 12 months of relevant professional experience in Australia within the last three years. Please contact the AACA for more information and application procedures.
  2. Local Experienced Practitioner pathway — A person with an accredited Australian qualification and at least seven years of relevant professional experience after graduation with a minimum of three years practising at an Executive level (principal decision maker) – including a minimum of 12 months of relevant professional experience in Australia within the last three years. Please contact the APBSA office for more information and the application procedure.

All applications for registration via these alternative pathways must demonstrate application of the required performance criteria from the National Standards of Competency through a portfolio of complex projects. Assessment of applications are conducted via a desk-based eligibility verification, followed by a panel interview with two assessors.

Titles and use of titles

Graduates of recognised architectural courses are entitled to use the term 'Graduate of Architecture' to describe themselves before registration. But under the Architectural Practice Act 2009, graduates cannot use the term 'Architect' until registered as an architect.

The title “Architect” is restricted in use by law in all Australian States and Territories (and most overseas countries) to practitioners registered with the registration boards established under State Acts of Parliament.

The holding of a degree in architecture alone does not allow a person or organisation to use the title “Architect”. Section 38 of the Act provides that it is illegal in South Australia to hold out a person, partnership or body corporate as an architect unless they are registered with the Board in South Australia. The maximum penalty is $50,000 or imprisonment for 6 months.

A person holding an architectural qualification may describe himself or herself as holding that qualification. It is therefore permissible for a person to state that he or she holds a particular professional degree, for instance a B Arch or M Arch. It is not however permissible under the Act for a person who is not a registered architect to refer to himself or herself as an architect except in the limited circumstances described above i.e. in relation to a Landscape Architect, a Naval Architect or Computer Systems Architect. See: sections 40 and 41 of the Act.

University graduates may use the term ‘Graduate of Architecture’ or ‘Graduate of Architectural studies’ without being in breach of the Act.

Please contact the Board if you require further information.

Guidance Note 2 'Use of Titles' provides information on how the title 'architect' can be used. This can be viewed here.