Korea to overhaul architect licensing system after 15-year transition

The architect licensing system will be overhauled following the completion of a 15-year transition to internationally aligned eligibility requirements.

Beginning in 2027, only graduates of five-year university architecture programs or graduate schools who have completed at least three years of practical training at architectural firms will be eligible for the national licensing examination, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Sunday.

The change marks the end of a transition launched under a 2011 revision to the Architects Act, during which graduates of high schools and two- to four-year architecture-related programs remained eligible through a preliminary examination followed by five years of practical experience.

The licensing examination will be held once a year from 2027 after being offered twice a year during the transition period.

Practical training requirements will be tightened beginning in 2028. Trainees will be required to report their practical training every three months, documenting the work they have performed across different areas of practice.

The licensing examination itself will be redesigned beginning in 2032, giving prospective architecture students time to prepare for the new format, according to the ministry.

The current drawing-focused examination will be replaced with a competency-based assessment combining written and practical tests.