1 Foreword

The Royal Institute of British Architects

The role of the RIBA in architectural education is enshrined in the Institute's Charter, granted in 1837, namely '...the advancement of architecture and the promotion of the acquirement and knowledge of the arts and sciences connected therewith.' The Institute may also grant diplomas, certificates or other forms of recognition. In pursuit of these objectives and powers the RIBA established its own examination in Architecture in 1863. It became compulsory for admission as a corporate Member of the Institute in 1882. Later, in response to requests from schools, the RIBA embarked upon the recognition of courses and examinations considered to have achieved the necessary minimum standard for exemption from the RIBA Examination as an alternative route to membership. In 1924 the Visiting Board was established to visit schools and evaluate the effectiveness of courses and examinations in achieving the standards necessary to prepare students for the professional practice of architecture.

Although the responsibilities and objectives of the RIBA and the ARB are not identical they derive from a common basis of agreed professional standards. Mutual participation in the evaluation of these standards was formalised by the establishment of the independent and jointly funded RIBA ARCUK Joint Validation Panel in 1992. The Joint Validation Panel was superseded by the arrangements described in this documentation in July 2000.

The Commonwealth Association of Architects, (CAA), of which the RIBA is a founding member, participates in UK visiting Boards through one member acting as its representative. By doing so, recognised schools in the UK join a list of CAA recognised schools throughout the Commonwealth. The RIBA also makes recommendations to the Construction Industry Board on the satisfactory achievement of the Common Learning Outcomes for Degree Courses in Construction and the Built Environment. The RIBA is a signatory to the agreement on this statement.

The Visiting Board system is, by its nature, a monitoring process to ensure compliance with minimum standards, to better the norm and to encourage the excellent. The Royal Institute of British Architects has a wider responsibility to encourage diversity, foster research and to strengthen the academic integrity of the arts and sciences of architecture as the bedrock for a mature, contemporary and socially responsible practising profession.

The Architects Registration Board

The Architects Registration Council of the United Kingdom was established by the Architects Registration Act of 1931 as the statutory body responsible for keeping a Register of Architects and for determining the standards of education and professional competence required for registration in the United Kingdom. Registration with the Council became mandatory for anyone to practise under the title Architect in the UK. The name of the registration authority was changed to the Architects Registration Board (ARB) by the Architects Act, 1997 which also clarified its consumer protection and public interest role. The ARB also succeeds ARCUK as the UK competent authority for Europe with a specific mandate to implement the 1985 European Commission Architects Directive which specifies the core areas and duration of study required for European recognition of a qualification of architecture.

An applicant for registration by the Board is entitled to be registered and thereby use the title "Architect"if he or she holds such qualifications as the Board may approve. Before prescribing qualifications the Board has a statutory duty to consult the bodies representative of architects which are incorporated by royal charter. To assist it in making its decisions in relation to particular qualifications the Board has made arrangements for educational establishments providing architectural qualifications to be visited in an organised and systematic way to monitor standards and provide materials to be included in information submitted to the Board as a basis for its decisions.