(updated 2025)
California architects must complete continuing education that focuses on specific state issues and meet specific state requirements. Prior to your license expiration date California architects must complete five (5) hours of continuing education (CE) coursework on disability access requirements and another five (5) hours on net zero carbon design for a total of 10 CE hours during each renewal cycle. Additionally, the coursework must be presented by trainers or educators with knowledge of and experience in the subject matter pursuant to the California State Code.
PDH Academy offers the California Access Compliance Course and the California NetZero Design – A Guide for Architects course which satisfy both California state and requirements for professional development education, and all of our courses meet American Institute of Architects requirements. Once you pass the online exam, we’ll go the extra mile and report your earned credits to the AIA on your behalf.
Get both of these courses and meet all your CA CE with our CA 10-Hour Course Bundle.
Here’s what you can expect from these continuing education courses:
California Access Compliance ( AIAPDH731): 5 LU/HSW
This professional development course addresses California-specific accessibility issues facing architects. Title 24, also known as the California Building Standards Code, is a part of the California Code of Regulations that governs the design and construction of buildings. It addresses structural safety, sustainability, and accessibility for public schools, community colleges, state buildings, and public accommodations.
Title 24 consists of 12 parts, with Part 2 being the California Building Code, which is based on the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) with California-specific amendments. Chapter 11B of the California Building Code focuses on accessibility requirements for public buildings, accommodations, commercial facilities, and public housing.
This course provides a detailed breakdown of accessibility requirements outlined in Division 2 of Chapter 11B and offers guidance on implementing these elements as described in the chapter’s remaining divisions.
California NetZero Design – A Guide for Architects (AIAPDH733): 5 LU/HSW
This course is designed to address the complex topics that feed into the goals for achieving a NetZero environment. The discourse in this course is from the objective of NetZero as it pertains to engaging architects for the purpose of understanding what is meant by Net Zero, what are the related topics, who are the involved stakeholders, and how their work affects building designs and vice versa.
CA Course Instructor Qualifications
Instructor: Jodie Ellis, AIA
Jodie Ellis is a licensed architect in the state of Texas, and a Registered Accessibility Specialist in the state of Texas. She researched and created this course specifically for architects in the state of California.
Instructor: Professor Sandy Stannard
Professor Sandy Stannard is a licensed architect in California and professor of architecture courses at Cal Poly, focusing on ecological awareness and sensitivity. Her courses taught and architect projects make her an expert in Zero Net Carbon for architects.
Why California Standards are Different
Accessibility means providing fair access to the full use of a building for everyone, regardless of disabilities. It differs from Universal Design, which is a broader approach and strives to solve specific issues that affect people with certain disabilities. For example, where universal design helps create buildings that many different people can use, accessibility helps people who have a defined disability enjoy the use of a space without barriers.
The ADA covers the federal standards, but California standards are stricter. According to the DSA, California’s standards were developed eight years before the U.S. congress passed the ADA. It was created to meet all applicable building and accessibility code requirements in one code.
Our California Access Compliance Course and NetZero Design Course are available to architects and non-architects as well as professionals from other states. Familiarity with these topics empowers architecture professionals who need a strong foundation in accessibility for public spaces and net zero design and helps keep professional licensing and AIA membership in effect.
PDH academy offers numerous continuing education courses for architects in every state. Ready to get started? Check out our courses for architects today.