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Continuing Education

AIA Austin sponsors and supports numerous events that help members meet their registration requirements. Please visit the Upcoming Events section for listing.

UT Center for Lifelong Engineering Education Courses

The University of Texas' Center for Lifelong Engineering Education is pleased to announce upcoming continuing education courses for those involved in construction project management and architectural engineering.

Master Calendar:
http://lifelong.engr.utexas.edu/calendar.cfm

Frequently Asked Questions about Continuing Education

What is AIA/CES?

What is my annual requirement?

How does AIA/CES Work?

What is a learning unit hour (LU hour)?

What is an AIA/CES Registered Provider Program?

What are Self Reported Activities?

How are transcript records kept and how may they be accessed?

Are there any deadlines for reporting activities?

How does “health, safety, and welfare” (HSW) tie into CES?

What subject areas qualify for HSW credit?

HSW: Further Details about Qualifying Subjects

The Architect Registration Examination

Am I supposed to add my LU hours and HSW hours together to meet the requirements?

Can I self-report HSW hours?

As a Fellow (FAIA) of the Institute, am I required to earn LU hours?

As a new AIA member, am I required to earn LU hours?

Are associate, allied, IDP, and emeritus members required to earn LU hours?

What about IDP credit for supplemental education?

How do I receive credit for becoming LEED certified?

Can I receive credit for my volunteer work?

What is the AIA/CES Non-compliance Policy?

What qualifies for an exemption from the CES requirement?

What is AIA/CES?
It is a continuing education system developed by the AIA to emphasize learning and record participation in professional learning activities. AIA/CES enables architects to keep current, master new knowledge and skills, plan for the future, and responsibly meet the role society entrusts to a professional. The program also allows members to fulfill a requirement for AIA membership and meet any state mandatory continuing education requirement. In this role, the program has the potential to be a primary force in the improvement and revitalization of our profession.

What is my annual requirement?
All active AIA members must successfully complete 18 learning unit (LU) hours each year, with at least 8 of the 18 LU hours relating to health, safety, and/or welfare (HSW).

A member who fails to meet the annual requirement will be given a one-year grace period. Any credit earned in the following year will apply toward the deficit. During the first nine months of the grace period, members are able to report retroactively any activities that were completed in the previous year.

A member who exceeds the annual requirement may carry up to 18 LU hours (including eight hours of HSW) over to the next year. Carryover credit can be used for one year only; it is not cumulative. Only the number of credits needed to fulfill the annual requirement for the following year may be carried over. Extra credit may not be carried past the one-year limit.

NOTE: Most state licensing boards do not allow carryover and deficit credit. States have strict continuing education time frame's, and credits must be earned within them.

How does AIA/CES Work?
Members can earn LU hours by attending programs offered by AIA/CES registered providers or through self-reporting independent activities and research.

What is a learning unit hour (LU hour)?
The AIA records continuing education credit in learning unit hours (LU hours). A one-LU hour activity is equal to one contact hour. An LU hour is not a continuing education unit (CEU). One tenth of a CEU (.1) is equal to one contact hour, which is equal to one LU hour. In other words, one CEU is equal to 10 contact hours or 10 LU hours.

The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) was created by IACET as a measurement of continuing education. While others may use it, the term CEU it belongs to IACET and the conversion given here refers to IACET’s guidelines. All state licensing board credit is measured in the contact hour regardless of what acronym used to describe it. Whether it’s CEC, PDH, CE, or CEU, all state licensing boards consider one contact hour equal to one hour of credit.

What is an AIA/CES Registered Provider Program?
The AIA has developed a network of more than 2500 educational providers made up AIA Chapters, affiliate organizations, firms, manufacturers, universities, non-profit organization, and government agencies. CES Registered Provider Database. These educational providers offer more than 25,000 programs each year.

Programs offered by AIA/CES providers are filed with AIA/CES Records in Oklahoma. Within 14 days of a program’s conclusion, AIA/CES providers verify and report the program attendees to AIA/CES Records. For non-AIA members the AIA/CES Provider will provide a certificate of completion upon request. The complete activities are then posted on AIA member’s transcripts.

What are Self Reported Activities?
If a program is not offered by an AIA/CES Registered provider, members have the option of self reporting the program or activity. The intent of this activity must educational in nature and new knowledge in reference to their practice of architecture. Members must indicate whether the activity they are reporting is self-designed or a structured self-reported program:

Self-Designed Activity. This type of learning activity is organized by the member specifically to meet his or her individual needs. A self-designed activity frequently involves more than one type of medium or method, such as research, reading, interviewing subject experts, listening to audiotapes, and/or viewing videos. To determine what qualifies for self-reporting, ask yourself the following questions:

(1) Is this a planned learning activity?

(2) Is this activity intended to be educational or operational?

(3) Are you acquiring new knowledge or are you sharing your knowledge with others?

(4) How will you apply this new knowledge to your practice? This method is not acceptable for health, safety, and welfare (HSW) credit. Some state licensing boards will not accept this type of reporting for mandatory continuing education (MCE) requirements. (Recommended minimum of three hours)

Structured Self-Reported Program. This is a structured activity offered by an organized, third-party, non-CES provider. Documentation of attendance/participation will usually be required as a supplement when reporting this activity to meet a state licensure requirement.

For members who self-report a structured activity, the AIA is not able to assist in acquiring any support documentation that may be required by a state licensing board MCE audit.

To be eligible for credit, all self-reported activities must be planned educational activities that provide you with new knowledge that can be applied toward the practice of architecture. Members should complete the AIA/CES Self-Report Form and submit it to AIA/CES Records at the University of Oklahoma. Be sure to specify which type of learning activity you are reporting so the data can be entered accurately into your transcript. Title should be indicative of the program content. Members calculate LU hours for self-reported activities by reporting the number of hours spent in architecture-related learning. Think in terms of billable hours applied to learning.

How are transcript records kept and how may they be accessed?
Individual transcript records are updated daily on www.aia.org via the World Wide Web. Anyone with an active AIA membership number can access a transcript online. To access your individual transcript, go to www.aia.org/conted. You may then print out a copy of your CES transcript.

Official CES transcripts are available upon request. A hard copy of the transcript can be faxed or mailed to a member. The first request is free and for each consecutive request a fee of $10 per copy will be assessed. You may make your request in writing, by phone, or by fax to:

The University of Oklahoma
Continuing Education, AIA/CES, Room B-1
1700 Asp Avenue, Norman, OK 73072
Information line: (800) 605-8229
Fax: (405) 325-6965

Are there any deadlines for reporting activities?
There is a September 30th deadline every year. This deadline applies to any activity completed by within the previous calendar year. For example, an activity completed in December of 2006 would need to be submitted to AIA/CES Records no later than September 30th 2007. The deadline is not nine months from the date of completion; it is nine months from the end of the calendar year. Any activities submitted to AIA/CES Records after the September 30th cut off will be returned. This course of action applies to AIA Members and AIA/CES Registered Providers.

How does “health, safety, and welfare” (HSW) tie into CES?
The AIA requires members to earn 8 of the basic LU hour requirements in the area of HSW. The percentage of HSW content in any HSW-related activity must be a minimum of 75% to qualify a program or educational event for HSW credit. This accomplishes three goals:

To ensure that HSW-related programs have a real relevance to our members
To eliminate any question of whether the content of a program was actually HSW-related
To protect AIA members with state mandatory continuing education (MCE) requirements

What subject areas qualify for HSW credit?
The following is a compilation of HSW subject areas as defined by the various state licensing boards with HSW requirements. (An individual state may not accept all subject areas. Be sure to check your state licensing board’s HSW definition and requirements.)

Accessibility
Acoustics
Building design
Code of ethics
Construction administration
Construction contract laws, legal aspects
Construction documents, services
Construction functions, materials, methods, and systems
Energy efficiency
Environmental: asbestos, lead-based paint, toxic emissions
Environmental analysis and issues of building materials and systems
Fire: building fire codes—flame spread, smoke contribution, explosives
Fire safety systems: detection and alarm standards
Insurance to protect the owners of property and injured parties
Interior design
Laws and regulations governing the practice of architecture
Life safety codes
Materials and systems: roofing/waterproofing, wall systems, etc.
Material use, function, and features
Mechanical, plumbing, electrical: system concepts, materials, and methods
Natural hazards (earthquake, hurricane, flood) related to building design
Preservation, renovation, restoration, and adaptive reuse
Security of buildings, design
Site and soils analysis
Site design
Specification writing
Structural issues
Surveying methods, techniques
Sustainable design

HSW: Further Details about Qualifying Subjects
The AIA definition for health, safety, and welfare (HSW) is based on the Architect Registration Examination (ARE). The accompanying excerpt from the Architectural Design Portable Handbook,* by Andy Pressman, AIA, provides more detailed information about subject matter that can be used to earn HSW credit:

*Reprinted with permission from Stephen Schreiber, AIA, “The Architect Registration Examination” in Andy Pressman, NCARB, AIA, Architectural Design Portable Handbook: A Guide to Excellent Practices (McGraw-Hill, 2001), pp. 515-20.

The Architect Registration Examination
Stephen Schreiber, AIA
The Architect Registration Examination is designed to determine whether applicants for architectural licensure posses’ sufficient knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide professional services while protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the general public. Each of the nine divisions of the ARE is designed to test for minimum competency in a specific area important to the protection of the public.

The ARE consists of six multiple-choice divisions (Pre-design, General Structures, Lateral Forces, Mechanical/Electrical Systems, Materials and Methods, and Construction Documents and Services) and three graphic divisions (Site Planning, Building Planning, and Building Technology).

The Pre-design division focuses on environmental analysis, architectural programming, and architectural practice, including:

Evaluation of existing structures
Impact of sociological influences on site selection and land use
Effect of physiographic and climatic conditions on land use
Ability to develop construction cost estimates and budgets
Development of design objectives and constraints for a project
Effect of human behavior, history, and theory on the built environment
Interpretation of land surveys and legal restrictions
Principles of practice, including office management
Consultant coordination

The General Structures division covers structural systems and long-span design, including:

Basic structural analysis and design
Selection of appropriate structural components and systems
Calculation of loads on buildings
Incorporation of building code requirements
Identification and selection of various structural connections
Analysis of soils reports

The Lateral Forces division concentrates on effects of lateral forces on the design of buildings, including:

General concepts of lateral loads
Identification and calculation of wind loads and seismic loads
Incorporation of code requirements
Requirements for non-structured building components related to lateral forces

The Mechanical/Electrical Systems division addresses mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and acoustical systems (and their incorporation into building design), including:

Incorporation of code requirements
Evaluation, selection, design, and incorporation of appropriate plumbing, HVAC, electrical, and sound control systems
Determination of heating and cooling loads
Selection of building envelope elements
Evaluation of costs of mechanical and electrical systems

The Materials and Methods division addresses the evaluation and selection of materials and methods of installation and the development of building details, including:

Evaluation of site conditions
Incorporation of environmental and cultural issues
Identification and ability to detail concrete, masonry, wood, structural metal, and miscellaneous metal
construction
Analysis, selection, and ability to detail moisture and thermal protection systems, door and window systems, finish materials, specialties, and conveying systems
Evaluation of costs of systems
Incorporation of code requirements

The Construction Documents and Services division covers the conduct of architectural practice, including:

Preparation and review of working drawings and specifications
Coordination of contract documents
Preparation of bidding instruments
Evaluation of substitutions and preparation of cost estimates
Interpretation of general conditions
Review of standard agreements
Observation of the progress of work and material testing
Preparation and review of documents for change orders, progress payments, and project closeout

The Site Planning division focuses on the relationship between site use and environment; the consideration of topography, vegetation, climate geography, and law on site development; and the synthesis of programmatic and environmental requirements. Six vignettes test the candidate’s understanding of specific areas:

Site design—general site planning principles
Site zoning—cross-sectional building area limitations imposed by zoning and other setback requirements
Site parking—requirements and limitations that influence the design of parking areas and driveways
Site analysis—requirements and limitations that influence subdivisions of land and delineation of building limit areas
Site section—influence of site design requirements on sections
Site grading—understanding of requirements affecting topographic changes

The Building Planning division covers the synthesis of programmatic and environmental issues into coherent designs through the process of schematic design. Three vignettes test the candidate’s understanding of specific areas:

Block diagram—development of a diagrammatic floor plan from a bubble diagram
Interior layout—principles of design and accessibility that govern interior space planning
Schematic design—understanding of the planning process involved in schematic design

The Building Technology division also concentrates on the synthesis of programmatic and environmental issues into coherent designs at the design development level. The six vignettes test candidate’s understanding of specific areas:

Building section—impact of structural, mechanical, and lighting components on the vertical form of buildings
Structural layout—basic structural framing concepts through development of a framing plan for a simple building
Accessibility/ramp—accessibility requirements related to ramp and stair design
Mechanical/electrical plan—integration of mechanical, lighting, and ceiling systems with structural and other building components
Stair design—the three-dimensional nature of stair design and code issues
Roof plan—basic concepts related to roof design through the development of a roof plan for a small structure

Am I supposed to add my LU hours and HSW hours together to meet the requirements?
No. The HSW column on your transcript simply shows how many of your total LU hours are HSW-related. The annual requirement is 18 LU hours, of which eight must be HSW-related. Thus, if you earn eight hours of credit from an HSW-related activity, you will need only 10 more hours (of either HSW-related or non–HSW-related activity) to meet your requirement. Eight hours is the minimum requirement for HSW credit, but that number may be exceeded.

Can I self-report HSW hours?
Yes—but with restrictions. You may self-report any structured activity that is HSW related and receive HSW credit for it. In other words, the activity must be developed and presented to you by a third party organization. You cannot receive HSW credit for any self-designed activity. For example, even though code research is HSW in nature, if it is a self-designed activity, the AIA does not allow HSW credit for it. This policy was adopted to ensure quality control guidelines are enforced and to comply with state licensing board requirements.

As a Fellow (FAIA) of the Institute, am I required to earn LU hours?
FAIA members are required to complete the 18 LU hours (8 HSW) of continuing education each year. If you are interested in applying for FAIA status, remember that you must have been an active AIA member in good standing for 10 consecutive years prior to your nomination. This includes meeting the annual CES requirements. Those who nominate someone for fellowship must also be in good CES standing.

As a new AIA member, am I required to earn LU hours?
New, first-time members of the AIA are not required to complete the annual 18 LU hours (8 HSW) during the calendar year that they join. Their requirement will begin January 1 of the following year. However, records are kept for those who submit their activities. Any credit received in the first year will not apply toward the following year’s requirement unless you exceed the 18 LU hour (8 HSW) requirements.

Are associate, allied, IDP, and emeritus members required to earn LU hours?
Associate, allied, and emeritus members are exempt from the CES membership requirement but are encouraged to participate for their own personal benefit and that of the profession. Records are kept for all members who report their activities. IDP interns and nonmembers may now use the AIA record-keeping services.

What about IDP credit for supplemental education?
Supplementary education is a way for interns to earn IDP training units outside of normal work in a firm or other recognized training setting. You can earn IDP training units by attending or completing AIA-approved continuing education programs and resources, such as the AIA convention, education programs conducted by your local AIA or CSI component, or education available through the Internet. As of January 1, 2000, IDP credit is given at .15 units per hour for all continuing education programs. An official AIA transcript must accompany IDP training reports documenting completion of the programs. Interns who are not members of the AIA may access a free IDP number through the Emerging Professional's Companion found here: http://www.aia.org/idp_default. Other resources are available through the Emerging Professionals section of aia.org.

Supplementary education cannot be used to satisfy the minimum training requirements in IDP training areas 1ƒ{16, and total credit from supplementary education activities cannot exceed 235 training units.

For more information, call NCARB at (202) 879-0502 or visit www.ncarb.org.

How do I receive credit for becoming LEED certified?
If you studied on your own and took the exam you may self-report that time online as a self-designed activity (research). Since it was not structured and presented to you by a third party, it will not be eligible for HSW credit. If you took a class from an organization that was not an AIA/CES Registered Provider then you may self-report the class as a structured activity program. This type of activity will be eligible for HSW credit. If the program was presented by an AIA/CES Registered Provider then the program provider is responsible for the submission of your activities to AIA/CES Records.

Can I receive credit for my volunteer work?
Volunteer work is a wonderful way to give back to the community. However, the intent of the continuing education program is to further the development of the architect. Consider whether or not the activity is new knowledge gained in reference to your practice. Ask yourself whether the event is planned to help you in your practice or to share the knowledge that you have with others? If you feel that this experience was a valid educational experience that can be applied to your practice of architecture, then you may self-report. You will be required to clearly state your learning experience and how it will specifically help you improve your practice.

What is the AIA/CES Non-compliance Policy?
Members are considered in non-compliance with the AIA/CES requirement if they have not completed and reported their annual 18 LU hours (8 HSW) by December 31st of every year. Members in non-compliance have an opportunity to report missing continuing education credits for nine months into the next calendar year. During this period, members are considered “at risk” of membership termination for non-compliance with CES. At risk notifications will begin in February of each year. Members are contacted via mail, email, telephone and fax. If CES transcript records still indicate these members have not completed the annual CES requirements after September 30, they are then considered lapsed for non-compliance and cannot renew their membership for the following year until the audit is resolved.

What qualifies for an exemption from the CES requirement?
Exemptions may be granted for three reasons:

Severe medical difficulties for at least the last 3 months of the probation year (this includes members of your immediate family)
An unexpected/nonpermanent overseas assignment for more than 6 months or the last 3 months of the membership year
Severe financial hardship

Other unusual circumstances may be considered but must be reviewed by AIA/CES. Documentation is required.

Need to access your personal CE transcript?

It’s easy. Just go to www.aia.org - on the right you will see Member Login - type in your member number and password. Or go directly to the Transcript Center. Be sure you are current with your requirements: 18 for AIA membership (8 of the 18 must be a HSW and 1 must be a Barrier Free HSW). Questions? Call the Chapter Office.

Continuing Education Self-Report Forms

Continuing Education Self-Report Forms are available at www.aia.org.