The OAA has a statutory obligation under the
Architects Act to ensure those in the architecture profession meet the prescribed requirements prior to licensure. The OAA must consistently apply the legislated requirements in accordance with section 31 of the Regulation in order to fulfil its statutory obligation.
The academic and experience requirements are set out under sections 7 and 13 of the Act and explicitly in section 31 of the Regulation. Unless these requirements are altered by the
Regulatory Organizations of Architecture in Canada (ROAC) (formerly known as Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities [CALA]) and/or
OAA Council by way of amendment to the Regulation, they remain the academic and experience requirements for issuance of a licence to practise architecture in Ontario as defined by the Act.
However, upon application for licence, requests for exemption from some of the legislated requirements will be considered by OAA Council as set out below.
OAA Council will respond to all formal and complete requests for exemption to the requirements for licence. The powers and jurisdiction of Council will be exercised within the principles set out in the Act and Regulation. Exemption requests are not an avenue to bypass the academic and experience requirements that have been set by the Regulation or to provide a right of review or appeal from the decisions of either the
Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) or
Experience Requirements Committee (ERC).
The purpose of section 13(1)(d) and (e) of the Act and section 33 of the Regulation is to provide a procedure for an applicant who can demonstrate circumstances their qualifications, knowledge, or experience merit exemption. OAA Council will consider requests wherein the applicant is very close to meeting the requirements but is unable to do so because of personal hardship or special circumstances or where their qualifications, knowledge, and experience are felt to merit exception.
The OAA is one of the 11 provincial and territorial Canadian architectural licensing authorities comprising ROAC. It is a signatory to the Canadian Reciprocity Agreement that allows for licence mobility across the country. This mobility is based on a consistent licensing regime in all jurisdictions and it is important to apply the same criterion to all candidates to ensure procedural fairness and the integrity of the process across Canada.
Exemption requests are not an alternative pathway for licence as an architect or Licensed Technologist OAA in Ontario.
Legislative Authority
Issuance of licence
13. (1) The Registrar shall issue a licence to a natural person who applies therefor in accordance with the regulations and,
(a) is of good character;
(b) is not less than eighteen years of age;
(c) is a citizen of Canada or has the status of a permanent resident of Canada or is a member of an organization of architects that is recognized by the Council and that has objects, standards of practice, and requirements for membership similar to those of the Association;
(d) has complied with the academic and experience requirements specified in the regulations for the issuance of the licence or is exempted therefrom by the Council; and
(e) has passed such examinations and completed such courses of study as the Council may set or approve in accordance with the regulations or is exempted therefrom by the Council. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 13 (1); 2010, c.
16, Sched. 2, s. 1 (6).
Grounds for refusal to issue licence
(2) The Registrar may refuse to issue a licence to an applicant where the Registrar is of the opinion, upon reasonable and probable grounds, that the past conduct of the applicant affords grounds for belief that the applicant will not engage in the practice of architecture in accordance with the law and with honesty and integrity. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 13 (2).
Referral to committee
(3) The Registrar, on [their] own initiative, may refer and on the request of an applicant shall refer the application of the applicant for the issuance of a licence,
(a) to the Academic Requirements Committee [now delegated to CACB] for a determination as to whether or not the applicant has met the academic requirements prescribed by the regulations for the issuance of the licence;
(b) to the Experience Requirements Committee for a determination as to whether or not the applicant has met the experience requirements prescribed by the regulations for the issuance of the licence; or
(c) first to the Academic Requirements Committee and then to the Experience Requirements Committee for determinations under clauses (a) and (b). R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 13 (3).
Determination by committee
(4) A determination by a committee under subsection (3) is final and is binding on the Registrar and on the applicant. R.S.O. 1990, c. A.26, s. 13 (4).
33. The Council may, where it is of the opinion that the applicant's qualifications, knowledge and experience so merit, grant an exemption from all or part of the academic and experience requirements set out in this Regulation.
31. For the purposes of clause 13 (1) (d) of the Act, the following are the academic and experience requirements for the issuance of a licence to a person:
- The person must hold a degree in architecture from a post-secondary institution or must have successfully completed the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Syllabus.
- The person must hold a Certificate of Certification issued by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board.
- The person must have completed the OAA Admission Course offered by the Association.
- The person must have successfully completed one of the following:
i. The Examination for Architects in Canada published by the Association.
ii. The Architect Registration Examination of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.
iii. Any combination of the components of the Examination for Architects in Canada published by the Association and of the Architect Registration Examination of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards that, considered as a whole, is equivalent to one of those examinations, as approved by the Council.
5. The person must have completed a total of 3,720 hours of experience that meets the requirements of the Intern Architect Program published by the Association. The experience must include,
i. at least 940 hours of experience in Ontario under the personal supervision and direction of a person licensed to engage in the practice of architecture in Ontario, which must be completed within the three years before the date on which the person applies for the licence, and
ii. at least 2,780 additional hours of experience under the personal supervision and direction of a person authorized to engage in the practice of architecture.
Academic and Experience Requirements
- Education
All individuals must hold certification of their academic qualifications from the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB), or demonstrate to the satisfaction of Council that acquisition of such a certificate has not been possible, by providing documented evidence of the CACB rejection and the grounds for that rejection. Further, they must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Council, that their qualifications, knowledge, and experience merit an exemption from this education requirement.
- OAA Admission Course Lectures
All individuals must complete the current OAA Admission Course, or demonstrate to the satisfaction of Council that there are circumstances that make attending the course impossible, unreasonable, or unnecessary. Further, they must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Council, that their qualifications, knowledge, and experience merit an exemption from participation in the OAA Admission Course.
- Examination
All individuals must complete the current Examination for Architects in Canada (ExAC) or the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), or demonstrate to the satisfaction of Council that there are circumstances making this impossible, unreasonable, or unnecessary. Further, they must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Council, that their qualifications, knowledge, and experience merit an exemption from the examination requirement.
All individuals must complete the experience requirements as set out in the Canadian Experience Record Book (CERB) of the national Internship in Architecture Program (IAP), or demonstrate to the satisfaction of Council the circumstances making it impossible or unreasonable to meet the experience requirements set out in the Regulation. Further, they must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of Council, their qualifications, knowledge, and experience merit an exemption from the experience requirement.
Process Information
Council will consider the nature of the circumstances of the licence applicant that have prevented the individual from meeting the prescribed licensing requirements.
When making request for exemption, the Registrar will require that applicants provide:
- a written submission;
- details of the specific requirements in the Regulation which they are unable to meet;
- a non-refundable fee; and
- a response to questions a) and b) below.
a) Why does the applicant believe their qualifications, knowledge, and experience warrant an exemption from the Regulation?
b) What are the circumstances that would warrant OAA Council granting an exemption from the present legislated requirements for licence?
Where a request for exemption received by the Office of the Registrar includes exemption from all or part of the experience requirements, that portion will be forwarded directly to the Experience Requirements Committee (ERC) for consideration. The ERC will provide a written recommendation to Council as to whether the applicant’s experience merit an exemption from the experience requirement(s).
Where a request for exemption received by the Office of the Registrar includes exemption from all or part of the educational requirements, that portion will be forwarded directly to the Canadian Architectural Certification Board for consideration. The CACB will provide confirmation if an individual’s academic qualifications are in compliance with the Canadian Education Standard (CES);in Architecture for entry to the profession.
Once in receipt of the information from the CACB and/or the Experience Requirements Committee, Council will make the final determination as to whether the applicant merits the requested exemption from the requirements for licence.
Any prospective OAA licence applicant seeking more information on Exemption Requests to Council should contact Camelia Bostan, Administrator Licence.
The Office of the Registrar advises individuals requesting an exemption from academic, examination, and/or experience requirements that, if one is granted by OAA Council, they may not necessarily qualify for recognition under the Mutual Recognition Agreement with the United States of America.