The Council for Architecture and Urbanism of Brazil (CAU/BR) has decided to deny professional registration requests from Architecture and Urbanism graduates of distance learning (EaD) programs. The resolution, dated March 29, was based on the fact that the field of Architecture and Urbanism is directly linked to the preservation of life and human well-being, the safety and integrity of property, and the preservation of the environment, with direct impacts on individual and public health.
“By law, one of the Council's purposes is to strive for the improvement of the practice of Architecture and Urbanism throughout the national territory. Furthermore, our Code of Ethics and Discipline dictates that architects and urban planners must possess a systematized body of knowledge in the arts, sciences, and technology, as well as specific in-person theories and practices of Architecture and Urbanism, making it impossible to convey this teacher-student relationship experience from a distance,” explains Luciano Guimarães, president of CAU/BR.
Recent regulations from the Ministry of Education (MEC) have continuously expanded the share of distance learning in undergraduate programs across various professions, allowing 100% online courses that completely replace in-person teaching. In Brazil, there are currently 32 educational institutions authorized by the MEC to offer 84,000 enrollment slots in Architecture and Urbanism across more than 400 learning centers nationwide. Nine distance learning programs are already operating with active classes.
According to council member Andrea Vilella, coordinator of the Education and Training Commission of CAU/BR, Brazilian society—and particularly young people interested in the career—will understand that distance learning is the very negation of the essence of Architecture and Urbanism. “This is a field tied to territory and landscape, which requires studio classes directly linked to joint drawing exercises with professors, laboratory experimentation, and the hands-on experience needed for the collective construction of knowledge.”
In 2017, CAU/BR had already publicly expressed its concern and disagreement with the unfounded and dangerous offering of undergraduate programs in the distance learning format. The statement also pointed out that, between 2012 and 2017, the number of Architecture and Urbanism programs in the country doubled, without a planned regional distribution that considered the actual demand for professional services. The Brazilian Association of Architecture and Urbanism Education (ABEA) and other organizations in the sector fully support the decision.
In early 2019, the Council of Architecture and Urbanism of Rio Grande do Sul (CAU/RS) received complaints from distance learning students claiming to have received maximum grades in practical subjects they did not even attend, let alone have access to the class content or complete the required coursework. In light of these cases, CAU/RS forwarded the complaints to the Ministry of Education and decided to deny professional registration to graduates of distance learning programs in architecture and urbanism offered by the involved institutions.
Via CAU/BR
This article was written by CAU/BR. The translation is powered by AI.
