RIBA validates programmes at over 50 schools of architecture and other course providers in the UK. We have a history of promoting high quality and innovative architectural education throughout the world, and 2024 marked 100 years since RIBA validated its first architecture course at the University of Liverpool in 1924.
Through validation, RIBA identifies courses and examinations which achieve the standards necessary to prepare students for professional practice.
RIBA cannot give validation to individual students or professionals and only validates programmes of architecture/examinations run by education providers (such as universities) or examining bodies. To gain a RIBA validated qualification, you need to study a RIBA validated course.
In the UK, RIBA is not the licensing or registration body; that function is performed by the Architects Registration Board (ARB). You should contact ARB directly for further information. If you’re an Architect registered and practising outside the UK and EU, you can apply for RIBA Chartered Membership through MEAP. This is a process to gain international Chartered Membership status only.
