KENNESAW, Ga., Aug. 28 -- Kennesaw State University issued the following news release:

"It means a lot to me in my career," he said. "It's very rare that people get their license this soon after graduation. I made it one of my goals when I graduated to get it done as fast as possible."

Architectural licensure is built around two major requirements: professional experience and examinations. In Georgia, candidates must document approximately 3,800 hours of experience across areas such as practice management, design, and working with contractors during construction. After this, they must pass six exams that evaluate their knowledge across those same areas.

For Rixom, the two requirements came together almost simultaneously. He completed his...