The professions associated with engineering and architecture are both regulated.
Engineering
The practice of engineering is regulated, by statute, in all Canadian provinces and territories. To become a professional engineer a student must satisfy the requirements of the licensing bodies. These requirements include a degree from an accredited program, successful completion of a professional practice (law and ethics) examination, and suitable experience. The Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) and Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE) plans described in this Calendar have been specifically designed to satisfy the criteria of the profession and are evaluated regularly by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).
In the professional plans in engineering (BASc and BSE), each student's course of study must satisfy the curriculum-content requirements of the CEAB; accreditation of the degree by the CEAB is the mechanism by which graduates qualify for registration as professional engineers without the need to undertake additional examinations in specific technical subject areas. No student will be permitted to graduate who does not meet these requirements because this would jeopardize accreditation for the program. The department or board responsible for the appropriate plan will use these curriculum content requirements in determining the suitability of student elective course selections.
Architecture
The provincial architectural associations in Canada require that an individual intending to become an architect hold a professional degree in architecture accredited and/or certified by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board. Two types of degrees are accredited by the Board: (1) the Bachelor of Architecture, which currently requires a minimum of five years of study, except in Quebec, where four years of professional studies follows two years of Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP) studies and (2) the Master of Architecture, which currently requires a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor's degree or two years following a related pre-professional bachelor's degree. These professional degrees are structured to educate those who aspire to registration and licensure to practice as architects.
The four-year Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Honours degree, followed by the Master of Architecture degree constitute an accredited professional degree in architecture.
Three- and four-year pre-professional degrees, even when included in reviews of the professional programs, are not accredited by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB). These degrees are useful to those seeking a foundation in the field of architecture, as preparation for either continued education in a professional degree program or for other professional studies or employment options in fields related to architecture.