Architecture is no longer a professional degree.
Let the mayhem begin.
People love titles. When James was working in the compensation field, often helping companies adjust both pay levels and employee positions, the biggest blowups came when someone’s title changed. Their pay wouldn’t be affected. However, that didn’t seem to matter as much as losing their job designation. One of my favorites was the manager who was only managing himself, and who was livid that he was no longer going to be a manager.
Architects are no different. We covet the ability to call ourselves “architect.” We have endured sleepless nights, grueling critiques, and graduate teaching assistants behaving like 12-year-olds with power. Follow that with an internship (another title—intern—that’s fallen out of favor) and exams, and any architect will tell you they have earned that degree.
Because for many people, titles matter. I don’t know of any architect who isn’t proud to say they are an architect. Keep in mind, I say this as CEO/Top Dog of Spotted Dog Architecture; as The Big Gay Architect; and as Elder Gay and Homo Emeritus. Apparently, I love a title just as much as the next person.
Except no one said we would no longer be able to call ourselves architects. Or that architecture degrees were no longer considered professional degrees. The Department of Education simply announced that architecture—along with some other professions—would no longer be considered a professional degree for student loan purposes. Degree programs won’t change. Exams we must pass to become licensed will not change. Just what architecture students can borrow.
When this first blew up, AIA Chicago posted this on their Instagram feed:
Why it matters: The federal definition will control which graduate programs qualify for higher “professional program” loan caps starting July 1, 2026. If architecture remains excluded, many M.Arch and other graduate architecture students could face lower federal borrowing limits ($100,000 vs. $200,000).
Which immediately begs the question of why graduate architecture students might need $200,000 to complete their degree. Are degree programs becoming overpriced? Is this on top of whatever undergraduates had to borrow? And how long will it take someone to dig themselves out of this level of debt? Another person commented that an architecture degree is definitely worth $200K.
AIA National is, of course, stepping into the fray—as they should. One concern they have: “The main risk is the education-to-workforce pipeline if costs rise or enrollment drops.” Not rising costs. Not asking universities and colleges to assess what students are receiving for the level of funding required. Not other factors impacting the education-to-workforce pipeline.
But I suppose those issues aren’t important as long as architecture is still considered a professional degree for loan purposes. And architects get to continue calling themselves architect. Even if the Department of Education chooses to see us differently.
