Individual Occupational Requirements for
GS-808: Architecture Series
The text below is extracted verbatim from
Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards
for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-137), but contains minor edits
to conform to web-page requirements.
Use these individual occupational requirements in conjunction with
the "Group Coverage Qualification Standard for
Professional and Scientific Positions."
- Degree: architecture; or related field that included 60 semester hours of course
work in architecture or related disciplines of which at least (1) 30 semester hours
were in architectural design, and (2) 6 semester hours were in each of the following:
structural technology, properties of materials and methods of construction, and
environmental control systems.
OR
- Combination of education and experience--college-level education, training, and/or
technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the arts and sciences
underlying professional architecture, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical
and practical, of the architectural principles, methods, and techniques and their
applications to the design and construction or improvement of buildings. The adequacy
of such background must be demonstrated by at least one of the following:
- Related Curriculum: Degree in architectural engineering may be
accepted as satisfying in full the basic requirements, provided the completed
course work in architectural engineering provided knowledge, skills, and
abilities substantially equivalent to those provided in the courses specified
in paragraph A. The curriculum for a degree in either architecture or
architectural engineering covers function, esthetics, site, structure,
economics, mechanical-electrical, and other engineering problems related to
the design and construction of buildings primarily (but not exclusively)
intended to house human activities. The courses required for a degree in
architecture generally place emphasis upon planning, esthetics, and
materials and methods of construction, while the courses for an architectural
engineering degree place equal or greater weight on the technical engineering
aspects such as structural systems, mechanical systems, and the properties of
materials. Because of this difference in emphasis, persons with degrees in
architecture may have a preference for work assignments that offer greater
opportunities for them to express their artistic and creative abilities. As
a result, they may be more concerned with planning and design aspects of
architecture, and persons with degrees in architectural engineering may be
more engaged in aspects emphasizing technical engineering considerations.
- Experience: An applicant lacking a degree in architecture must have
had l year of experience in an architect's office or in architectural work
for each year short of graduation from a program of study in architecture. In
the absence of college courses, 5 years of such experience is required. This
experience must have demonstrated that the applicant has acquired a thorough
knowledge of the fundamental principles and theories of professional
architecture.
- Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours
leading to a Bachelor of Architecture or higher degree in an accredited college or
university is qualifying for GS-7.
- Applicants with an architecture degree who have appropriate experience as a technician
equivalent to grade GS-5 or higher may have such experience credited for grade GS-7
only on a month-for-month basis up to a maximum of 12 months.
(Note: These provisions also apply to graduates of architectural engineering
curricula.)
Candidates registered to practice architecture by one
of the State registration boards, using standards in compliance with the basic minimum
provisions recommended by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, are
recognized as meeting the full requirements for eligibility at GS-11.
The following kinds of experience are
not acceptable as professional architectural experience: professional landscape
architecture work consisting mainly of the layout, design, construction, or maintenance of
land areas and landscape features, including ground and water forms, vegetation, roads,
walks, incidental structures, and other landscape features; experience in the application
of artistic embellishment to practical design such as the decoration of interiors, including
the construction, layout, and selection of furniture and furnishings that do not alter the
basic architectural design of the interior; city and community planning work that relates to
the broad social and economic growth and development of such community services and facilities
as industry, commerce, transportation, streets, utilities, and parks.
Registration as a
professional architect is an appropriate selective factor for appointment to certain,
typically high-level, architect positions. The key consideration is that registration must
be essential for acceptable performance of the work of the position to be filled.
Accordingly, it is an appropriate requirement for positions with duties and responsibilities
that satisfy one of the following criteria:
- Responsibility for final approval of design standards and criteria for designs of
major buildings and related structures involving public safety where such compliance
with State laws meets an essential need of the architectural organization to provide
objective evidence to agency management and the public that the work is performed
by architects of proven competence.
- Responsibility for architectural determinations concerning contract awards or other
major aspects of design and construction work to be performed by architects in the
private sector where registration is essential to have their full confidence and
respect to achieve cooperation on critical architectural issues.
Some architect positions in the Federal service have duties and responsibilities that
would support a requirement for registration. The position description should clearly
document the basis for the registration requirement. It would not be appropriate to require
that candidates be registered for positions with less responsibility than that indicated
above, for positions that involve responsibilities and functions such as research, or for
the sole purpose of improving the "image" of architects in the Federal service. Because of
the importance of registration for those positions where it is an appropriate requirement,
such positions have been characteristically filled by registered professional architects. If
a currently filled position is newly identified as requiring a registered architect, the
requirement for registration should be waived for the duration of the employee's
incumbency.
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