Download the AIAS Statement on the Department of Education’s Professional Degree List
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AIAS’ Statement on the Department of Education’s Professional Degree List
The American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) has served as the official representative organization of the collective voice of architecture students in the U.S. for nearly 70 years. As an independent, student-run, non-profit organization, we have advocated and worked alongside allies and partners to advance excellence in architectural education, training, and practice through meaningful learning opportunities and experiences that link the profession to architectural education.
In accordance with our mission, the AIAS positions itself in opposition to any policy that fails to recognize the extent and rigor of architectural education, the significance of professional licensure as an Architect, or undermines the ability of architecture students to access opportunities that allow them to become drivers of the publics’ health, safety, and welfare in the built environment.
Architecture is one of the oldest professions in modern society. As architecture students we are educated, trained, and undergo a rigorous examination process to ensure that when we become an Architect — a person who has earned a Professional License to practice — we will design buildings that protect the public. Just as a medical professional is trained to provide life-saving services to individuals, we are trained through our education to ensure that buildings are safe to occupy, ensuring that no harm comes to the people who experience these spaces every day.
The Department of Education’s proposed revisions fail to include Architecture (and other professions related to the built environment) in their list of examples that define a professional degree, thus risking the exclusion of those undergoing architectural education from accessing the necessary support outlined for Professional Students. This should be a matter of public concern, since architectural education also plays a vital role in cultivating professionals and leaders that influence and shape our communities.
Jeopardizing the affordability and access to the profession not only takes away opportunities from individuals with great potential to protect and serve the public; it also undermines the importance of the professionals involved in protecting the public through rigorous and ethical standards.
For this reason, the AIAS joins in support of the statements issued by AIA, ACSA, NCARB, NOMA, and others, urging the U.S. Department of Education to include Architecture within the Department of Education’s list of professional study areas.
Our organization continues to protect and elevate student voices in the profession of architecture, as well as to affirm the essential role of architectural education in upholding our profession’s responsibility to the public good.
Sincerely,
The American Institute of Architecture Students
2025-2026 Board of Directors
