Education
Continuing Education with
AIA New Orleans
Advance Your Practice, Strengthen Our Community
AIA New Orleans is committed to helping our members meet their annual continuing education requirements while advancing the practice of architecture in our unique city. Whether you need to fulfill Louisiana’s requirement of 12 Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) hours annually for state licensure or AIA’s 18 Learning Units (including 12 HSW) for membership renewal, we provide diverse, high-quality educational opportunities that go beyond mere compliance. Our programming reflects our mission to promote excellence in architecture with a particular focus on sustainability and equity, ensuring that every learning experience helps you design better buildings and contribute to New Orleans’ exceptional built environment.
CE University Series
Our flagship CE University Series delivers comprehensive, multi-session educational programs throughout the year, designed to provide in-depth exploration of critical topics facing today’s architectural practice. These carefully curated series typically run quarterly and feature expert instructors covering everything from advanced building systems and emerging technologies to business development and project management. Each session in the series builds upon previous learning, creating a cohesive educational experience that allows participants to develop expertise in specialized areas while earning multiple Learning Units toward their annual requirements.
The CE University format encourages ongoing participation and relationship-building among attendees, fostering peer-to-peer learning and professional networking that extends beyond the classroom. Recent series have covered topics such as resilient coastal design, adaptive reuse strategies for historic New Orleans architecture, and integrated project delivery methods. With both in-person and virtual attendance options available, the CE University Series accommodates busy schedules while maintaining the interactive, discussion-rich environment that makes continuing education both valuable and engaging for practicing architects at all career stages.
3 C’s Program
Our innovative 3 C’s program—featuring cocktails, conversation, and continuing education—transforms traditional learning into an enjoyable social experience that brings together New Orleans’ architectural community in a relaxed, collegial atmosphere. Held several times throughout the year, these evening events combine networking with high-quality educational content, proving that professional development doesn’t have to feel like homework. Local architects and design professionals serve as presenters, sharing their expertise on projects, innovations, and insights gained from practice in our unique market.
The format encourages organic discussion and knowledge sharing, with attendees learning as much from casual conversations over cocktails as from the formal presentations. Topics have ranged from adaptive reuse of historic Creole cottages to cutting-edge sustainable design strategies appropriate for our subtropical climate. The 3 C’s program exemplifies the New Orleans approach to professional development—serious about advancing the profession while maintaining the social connections and enjoyable experiences that make our architectural community so vibrant and collaborative.
Lunch & Learn Sessions
Our versatile Lunch & Learn program provides convenient, midday continuing education opportunities that fit seamlessly into busy practice schedules. These standalone events are presented by industry affiliates, manufacturers, fellow architects, and allied professionals, offering diverse perspectives on products, systems, techniques, and emerging trends affecting architectural practice. Sessions can be hosted at individual firms, combined with committee meetings, or offered as chapter-wide events, providing maximum flexibility for participation.
The lunch-and-learn format has proven particularly effective for product education, allowing architects to learn about new materials, systems, and technologies while earning continuing education credit. Presenters range from local building product representatives introducing innovative solutions for our climate challenges to fellow practitioners sharing lessons learned from recent projects. These sessions foster direct dialogue between architects and industry partners, creating opportunities for meaningful exchanges that expand knowledge while building valuable professional relationships. Whether focusing on technical topics like advanced facade systems or broader subjects like project delivery methods, our Lunch & Learn program delivers practical, immediately applicable education in an efficient, accessible format.
AIA University (AIAU):
On-Demand Excellence
Complement your local learning with unlimited access to AIA University (AIAU), the profession’s premier online continuing education platform offering 24/7 access to premium courses and certificate programs. AIAU provides hundreds of on-demand courses taught by leading experts, covering everything from technical building systems to business acumen, with topics specifically focused on health, safety, and welfare. The platform’s flexibility allows you to learn at your own pace, wherever and whenever suits your schedule, while automatically reporting completed credits to your AIA transcript.
AIAU features curated content from major industry conferences, specialized certificate programs, and courses covering emerging trends and technologies that are reshaping architectural practice. Whether you’re interested in embodied carbon reduction, inclusive design strategies, or advanced project management techniques, AIAU ensures you have access to cutting-edge education that keeps you current with evolving professional standards. For emerging professionals, the platform offers the Emerge Series with content specifically designed for career development, while experienced practitioners can access advanced courses in areas like firm leadership and strategic planning. With AIAU’s annual subscription option, you can earn unlimited HSW, LU, and specialty credits, making it an economical choice for meeting all your continuing education requirements while staying at the forefront of architectural innovation.