ACSA sent the following letter in response to an opinion piece in the September 29 Wall Street Journal. 
To the Editor: 
Frank Mruk’s argument about drops in enrollment at architecture programs (“Architect Licensing Needs a Gut Rehab”) reflect common anecdotes from many architecture schools across the United States. Whether the qualifications process for architects is the reason for the drops or the lever that will change enrollment patterns, however, is even more open to question.
 
Based on market research we conducted about prospective graduate and undergraduate students, the coming waves of college students are as savvy about educational return on investment as they are skeptical about choosing career paths solely based on starting salary or on the standardized identity that comes with joining a licensed profession.
 
Instead they seek educational experiences that allow them to actualize their skills immediately. Think about the growth of the Maker Movement, where students tinker and experiment with projects at a range of scales, and you’ll understand that today’s students are sophisticated doers who seek impact as their reward nearly as much as a competitive paycheck or corner office.
 
In response to these trends, architecture and design schools are already increasing flexibility in their programs so that students can find a range of experiences while still staying within a stable professional framework. Some of these experiences involve studying while working toward the architect’s license, while others involve acquiring more specialized skills and knowledge while still completing a generalist architecture degree.
 
This should be good news to parents of future students. The profession still needs future firm partners, while at the same time schools can produce architectural professionals who go on to pursue careers improving the quality of the built environment. What used to be called alternative careers in architecture are no longer marginal, but part of an expanding tradition.
 
Marilys Nepomechie
President, Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture 
Associate Dean of Strategic Initiatives, Florida International University Department of Architecture