Building a Profession

With most jurisdictions requiring its completion, the Intern Development Program (IDP) has become the primary architectural internship program in the United States. This article reports findings from the first empirical assessment of IDP since its inception almost twenty-five years ago. Current and former interns from IDP and from traditional unstructured internships were surveyed. Their experiences are examined to assess whether IDP provides a superior internship. In addition, the structure of IDP is analyzed, revealing some of its inherent limitations. These findings are discussed in the context of the structural challenges facing the profession and suggestions for reforming internship are presented.