For recent architecture school graduates setting off on their careers for the first time, being referred to by the traditional title of ?intern? can feel a little trivializing ? as a full-time employee with a completed degree and real responsibilities, the title does little to capture a new hire?s true role within the firm.

© Jim Richards

For recent architecture school graduates setting off on their careers for the first time, being referred to by the traditional title of ?intern? can feel a little trivializing ? as a full-time employee with a completed degree and real responsibilities, the title does little to capture a new hire?s true role within the firm.Cognizant of this discrepancy, the AIA is now taking steps to eliminate the use of ?intern,? a term grandfathered in from the days of architectural apprenticeships and more linear paths through the architectural profession.In December of last year, the AIA Board of Directors updated the Institute?s official position statement clarifying the term ?intern? to refer to a student working in an architectural office while still pursuing an architecture degree, and not to those who have already earned a NAAB-accredited degree and are currently working towards licensure. For those individuals, the AIA now recommends the use of the titles ?architectural associate? or ?design professional.?"'Architectural' as the adjective and 'associate' as the noun means this individual is associating with the profession, wit...