17 CAR § 230-1003 – Requirements

(a) In addition to all other requirements for registration renewal, each Arkansas registered architect and landscape architect must complete a minimum of twelve (12) continuing education hours each calendar year.
(b) In addition to all other requirements for registration renewal, each Arkansas registered interior designer must complete a minimum of six (6) continuing education hours each calendar year.
(c)
1. (1) A continuing education hour (CEH) shall represent one (1) continuous instructional hour (fifty (50) to sixty (60) minutes of contact) spent in structured education activities intended to increase or update the architect’s, landscape architect’s, or interior designer’s knowledge and competence in health, safety, and welfare subjects.
2. (2) If the provider of the structured educational activities prescribes a customary time for completion of such an activity, then such prescribed time shall, unless the Arkansas State Board of Architects, Landscape Architects, and Interior Designers finds the prescribed time to be unreasonable, be accepted as the architect’s, landscape architect’s, or registered interior designer’s time for continuing education purposes irrespective of the actual time spent on the activity.
(d) All CEHs must be completed in health, safety, and welfare subjects acquired in structured educational activities.
(e)
1. (1) Structured educational activities are courses of study in which at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the activities’ content and instructional time is devoted to acceptable health, safety, and welfare subjects.
2. (2) These subjects must be related to the practice of architecture, landscape architecture, or interior design including courses of study, monographs, or other activities under the areas identified as health, safety, and welfare subjects, and they must be provided by qualified individuals or organizations, whether delivered by direct contact or distance learning methods.
(f) Health, safety, and welfare subjects are technical and professional courses that the board deems appropriate to safeguard the public and that are within the following enumerated areas necessary for the proper evaluation, design, construction, and utilization of buildings and the built environment:
1. (1) Legal:
  1. (A) Laws;
  2. (B) Codes;
  3. (C) Zoning;
  4. (D) Regulations;
  5. (E) Standards;
  6. (F) Life safety measures;
  7. (G) Accessibility;
  8. (H) Ethics; and
  9. (I) Insurance to protect the owner or the public;
2. (2) Technical:
  1. (A) Surveying;
  2. (B) Structural;
  3. (C) Mechanical;
  4. (D) Electrical;
  5. (E) Communication;
  6. (F) Fire protection;
  7. (G) Controls;
  8. (H) Site grading; and
  9. (I) Irrigation systems;
3. (3) Environmental:
  1. (A) Energy efficiency;
  2. (B) Sustainability;
  3. (C) Natural resources;
  4. (D) Natural hazards;
  5. (E) Hazardous materials waterproofing;
  6. (F) Insulation; and
  7. (G) Storm water management;
4. (4) Occupant comfort:
  1. (A) Air quality;
  2. (B) Lighting;
  3. (C) Acoustics; and
  4. (D) Ergonomics;
5. (5) Materials and methods:
  1. (A) Building systems;
  2. (B) Products;
  3. (C) Finishes;
  4. (D) Furnishings; and
  5. (E) Equipment;
6. (6) Preservation:
  1. (A) Historic;
  2. (B) Reuse; and
  3. (C) Adaptation;
7. (7) Predesign:
  1. (A) Land use analysis;
  2. (B) Programming;
  3. (C) Site selection;
  4. (D) Site; and
  5. (E) Soils analysis;
8. (8) Design:
  1. (A) Urban planning;
  2. (B) Master planning;
  3. (C) Building design;
  4. (D) Site design;
  5. (E) Interiors; and
  6. (F) Safety and security measures;
9. (9) Construction documents:
  1. (A) Drawings;
  2. (B) Specifications; and
  3. (C) Delivery methods; and
10. (10) Construction administration:
  1. (A) Contracts;
  2. (B) Bidding; and
  3. (C) Contract negotiations.
(g) Attending seminars, lectures, presentations, workshops, or courses shall constitute one (1) CEH for each hour of attendance.
(h) Successfully completing tutorials, short courses, correspondence courses, web-based courses, monographs, and other self-study courses shall constitute the CEH recommended by the program sponsor.
(i) CEH credit will not be granted to faculty members at a:
1. (1) College;
2. (2) University; or
3. (3) Other educational institution.
(j) Successfully completing one (1) or more college or university semester or quarter hours in architectural, landscape architectural, or interior design subjects shall satisfy the continuing education requirement for the calendar year in which the course was completed.
(k) Any structured program in health, safety, and welfare contained in the record of an approved professional registry will be accepted by the board as fulfilling the continuing education requirements of this part.
(l)
1. (1) The board approves the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) as professional registries.
2. (2) The board will accept contact hours listed by the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Services (AIA/CES), the Landscape Architect Continuing Education System (LA/CES), and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC) transcript of continuing education activities for both resident and nonresident:
  1. (A) Architects;
  2. (B) Landscape architects; and
  3. (C) Registered interior designers.