Architecture Students Achieve IPAL Milestones Before Graduation
Two Texas A&M students passed all six architect licensure exams before graduation, while four others completed IPAL graduate milestones.
Texas A&M University architecture graduate students Evan McRae ’24 ’26, Riley Gourley ’24 ’26 and Carlton Lee ’23 ’26 present a Master of Architecture final study model to Tau Sigma Delta President Matthew Benedict ’23 ’26.
Two Texas A&M Department of Architecture students have passed all six divisions of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) before graduation, achieving a milestone through the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) program.
While they are not yet licensed architects, passing the ARE means they have met the licensure examination requirement. Both are now under 400 hours from finishing the professional experience required before they can apply for licensure in Texas.
Four additional students have passed one or more ARE divisions or have completed NCARB practice exams to prepare for their remaining divisions.
All six are qualified to complete their educational experience at Texas A&M as IPAL graduates. The achievements build on the momentum from 2025, when Texas A&M former student Emma Johnson ’23 ’25 became the first person in Texas to complete NCARB’s IPAL program while earning a degree.
Developed by NCARB, IPAL is an accelerated licensure track that allows students to complete education, professional experience, and examination requirements concurrently. The IPAL pathway provides an integrated framework for students to meet the same rigorous professional standards required for architectural licensure. Texas A&M began offering the program in 2021 and remains the only institution in Texas to offer it.
Preparing for Licensure While in School
In Texas, candidates for architectural licensure must complete education, examination, and professional experience requirements before the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) can approve them for licensure. Passing all six ARE divisions before graduation is one of the most significant steps in that process.
“We are preparing future architects for a rapidly changing profession — one that may look very different from what it was when students first entered architectural education,” said Dr. Wei Yan, interim head of the Department of Architecture.
Through IPAL, Yan explained that the department deliberately bridges undergraduate study, graduate education, internships, professional experience and licensure preparation, forming a pathway from academics to practice.
“By accelerating the path to licensure, the IPAL program equips students to graduate with greater confidence, technical expertise, fluency and collaborative skills, enabling them to contribute significant value to firms earlier in their careers and to become effective professionals and future leaders in the field,” Yan added.
Learning Through IPAL
The IPAL program has grown steadily since its launch in 2021. Today, 97 students are participating in IPAL, representing more than 20% of eligible architecture students at Texas A&M.
Among them were Riley Gourley ’24 ’26 and Evan McRae ’24 ’26, the two who completed all six divisions of the ARE before graduation.
Gourley said she first learned about IPAL during her freshman year, when the Department of Architecture first began offering the program. After researching the opportunity and attending information sessions, she joined the program.
“I was really excited that Texas A&M had this program opening up that would allow us to greatly decrease the time it took us to become licensed architects,” Gourley recalled.
She said the program encourages students to enter the profession early, which helped her build a long-term relationship with a firm in her hometown where she began working full-time after graduation. Gourley gained a clearer understanding of architectural practice, from building codes and local regulations to detailing and construction.
“[IPAL] helped me get a little bit out of my comfort zone, make connections within the industry, and get very acquainted on how the profession runs and operates,” Gourley added.
Gourley said she expects to complete her remaining AXP hours and become a registered architect later this year.
McRae said he also recognized the program’s value, seeing it as an opportunity to begin the licensure process before graduation. By his sophomore year, he was gaining experience through internships and remote work with PBK Architects and Heights Venture Architects.
“IPAL provided me with a significant head start toward licensure and helped prepare me for the responsibilities and opportunities that come with entering the profession,” he said.
He said the program also opened doors to professional and academic opportunities, including conferences around the country and the two-week Texas 8 Interdisciplinary Collaborative Charrette (T8ICC) in Siena, Italy. His time in Italy experience influenced his master’s capstone project, a Pompeii Visitor Center, and allowed him to conduct field research in Pompeii.
McRae is now stepping into a full-time role with PGAL as a mid-level designer.
Building on a Historic First
Last spring, Emma Johnson ’23 ’25 set a statewide milestone by completing the education, experience and examination requirements for licensure before graduation, ready to become a licensed architect.
Her accomplishment helped demonstrate how the IPAL model can shorten the traditional timeline to licensure. According to NCARB, the traditional path to becoming a licensed architect takes more than 13 years on average. Through IPAL, Johnson completed licensure requirements in six years.
Laura Tiglao, NCARB programs manager for education services, said Texas A&M’s students continue to stand out for their commitment to the process.
“These accomplishments are a testament to not only the caliber of students in the Texas A&M program, but also the structure and support that both Dr. Valerian Miranda and Dr. Gregory Luhan provide to guide them toward achieving this monumental goal,” Tiglao said.
To learn more about the Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) program at Texas A&M, visit the Department of Architecture’s IPAL program page.
Dr. Gregory Luhan, FAIA, is a professor of architecture and the director of the CRS Center in the Department of Architecture.
