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Rwanda Institute of Architects

Membership and licensing

Supervising a professional intern

Supervision is how the profession reproduces itself. It is also a professional responsibility with a signature at the end of it, and this page states plainly what you are taking on.

A licensed architect inspecting a residential construction site

What you are agreeing to

  • Giving the intern exposure to the range of work RIA requires, not only the work your practice finds convenient.
  • Reviewing and signing their record regularly as the work is done.
  • Carrying professional responsibility for the work they do under your supervision.
  • Confirming completion at the end — or declining to, and saying why.
  • Telling RIA if the arrangement ends.

Who may supervise

A supervisor must be a professional member of the Institute, licensed for the current year, with at least three years of professional practice experience. RIA confirms eligibility when the intern registers.

The honest part

More work than you expect — and worth it

An intern is not free labour with a form attached. Two years of exposure to real work costs you supervision time, and the signature at the end is a professional statement about someone else's competence. Architects who take it seriously say the same two things: it improves the practice, and it is more work than they expected. Both are true, and a graduate is better served by a supervisor who knew that in advance.

Offering to supervise

Tell RIA you are willing and your name appears on the public list of architects available to supervise, filterable by district and practice type. You can remove yourself at any time, and being listed commits you to nothing beyond taking the conversation.

FAQ

Can my firm supervise rather than me personally?
Supervision attaches to a licensed individual, not to a firm. The firm employs; a named architect supervises.
What if I cannot give them site experience?
Say so at the outset, and discuss with RIA whether a secondment or a second supervisor can fill the gap. Discovering it at completion is unfair to the intern.
Am I liable for their mistakes?
You carry professional responsibility for work done under your supervision. That is the substance of the role, not a technicality.
Can I decline to confirm completion?
Yes, and you should if the work was not done.

Add your name to the supervisor list

You can remove your name at any time.

Add your name to the supervisor list See what an internship requires