Knowledge is power. Yet, policy decisions regarding internship have too often been based solely on personal experiences or organizational agendas, without the aid of empirical data or objective studies. The debate has consistently been circular in part because the less information there is, the more people are inclined to assume that they know everything and what’s best for the next generation.
 The 2003 Internship & Career Survey was intended to expand our knowledge and establish some common ground. The point was to solicit and to listen to the opinions and experiences of interns generally. As the quote above implies, such a survey was long overdue.
This effort is the result of a collaborative partnership between two unique, but related groups: the AIA National Associates Committee (NAC) and ArchVoices. The real test of any initiative is whether it’s a sustained commitment or just a one-shot deal. If the survey we are announcing today ends up being the latter–if it isn’t repeated within a couple years and the results compared to today’s findings–then this announcement isn’t worth the two minutes you’ve spent reading it so far, much less the eighteen months we’ve spent bringing it to you.
In the land of the blind, they say the one-eyed man is king. And presumably, the one-eyed man has a strong incentive to ensure that everyone else remains blind. Internship is a complex and murky issue. The 2003 Internship & Career Survey is intended to help you (and the profession as a whole) to see for yourself.
We look forward to hearing from you. Read the survey report, and email your thoughts to editors@archvoices.org.
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Sample Findings & Graphs
The average time to complete NCARB’s Intern Development Program (IDP) was significantly longer than the three years it was designed to take.
Most respondents who completed all nine divisions of the ARE did so in approximately one and a half years.
Nearly 90% of all survey respondents–including interns and registered architects–supported giving architecture school graduates access to the ARE concurrent with internship.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the nearly 5,000 people who took the time to fill out the survey. Thanks also go out to the team of young professionals that made this survey happen. You know who you are.
 As always, we welcome your thoughts by email at editors@archvoices.org.
ArchVoices is an independent, nonprofit organization and think tank on architecture education and internship… 
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