Microsoft Certified Architect Program
The Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) program enables the highest-achieving professionals in IT architecture to distinguish their expertise. If you have proven experience designing and delivering IT solutions for enterprise customers, and technical and leadership skills that surpass those of your peers, consider earning the MCA credential. By doing so, you can validate your advanced proficiency and join an exclusive, world-class community of experts.

Level:
Successful candidates generally have ten or more years of IT experience, and five or more years of specific architectural experience. Microsoft Certified Master certification is a prerequisite for all MCA Technology certifications.

Audience:
Practicing IT Architect, Microsoft Certified Master

* Microsoft Certified IT Professional MCITP Training Consumer Support Technician.

Type:
Microsoft Certification

Overview:

The Microsoft IT Professional MCITP Certification program recognizes seasoned architects who practice in an enterprise setting and includes the following certification tracks:

* MCA: Infrastructure
* MCA: Solutions
* MCA: Microsoft Exchange Server
* MCA: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
* MCA: Microsoft Office Communications Server
* MCA: Microsoft SQL Server
* MCA: Windows Server: Directory

By earning the MCA credential, you not only gain industry-leading certification, you also receive exclusive MCA benefits. These include access to the MCA community and private Web site; speaking and authoring opportunities; and a choice of MSDN and TechNet subscriptions, logo merchandise, and more.

The MCA credential is granted after the candidate successfully completes an interview with the MCA Review Board, a panel of Microsoft Certified Architects. During the interview, you must definitively display seven competencies of business acumen and technological proficiency.

Infrastructure certification

Infrastructure architects communicate mainly with operations managers who are responsible for maintaining the IT environment and end users, and with the engineers that maintain specific areas of the infrastructure. They typically report through the IT group and create architecture in accordance with business requirements and service level agreements, and they support the applications and solutions required for ongoing business operations. Infrastructure architects are responsible for guiding projects from concept through planning and design. During development and deployment phases, they serve mainly as consultants to the project managers, ensuring that projects adhere to the planned architecture, timelines, and budgets. Related problems are generally escalated to them.

The MCA: Infrastructure certification is designed for IT architects whose key areas of focus include:

* Physical network
* Security
* Storage
* Network operating systems
* Application platforms
* Desktop operating systems
* Messaging
* Management
* Operations

Successful candidates generally have more than 10 years of IT experience, and five or more years of specific architectural experience.

* View the steps to earning the MCA: Infrastructure certification

Solutions certification

Solutions architects help solve business challenges. They design solutions that take advantage of existing IT assets, integrate these assets into the existing environment, and align to the enterprise architecture. They are responsible for guiding projects from concept through planning and design. During development and deployment phases, they serve mainly as consultants to the project managers, ensuring that projects adhere to the planned architecture, timelines, and budgets. Related problems are generally escalated to them.

Solutions architects communicate mainly with the business owners and the technical staff responsible for implementing the solution.

The MCA: Solutions certification is designed for IT architects whose key areas of focus include:

* Integration
* Workflow
* Applications (purchased, developed, and business)

Successful candidates generally have more than 10 years of IT experience, and five or more years of specific architectural experience.

* View the steps to earning the MCA: Solutions certification

Microsoft Technology certifications

Microsoft Technology architects communicate mainly with the solutions or infrastructure architects, IT and application decision makers, and the technologists. Once product decisions for architecture have been made, the product architect, with a deep level of experience and knowledge of the products being used, helps develop the more specific product architecture.

The five MCA Technology certifications are:

* MCA: Microsoft Exchange Server
* MCA: Microsoft Office Communications Server
* MCA: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
* MCA: Microsoft SQL Server
* MCA: Windows Server: Directory

These certifications are designed for architects who specialize in using Microsoft technologies to provide expert solutions. Professionals who hold the MCA Technology credential are recognized by Microsoft and the IT industry worldwide as individuals who hold the highest level of professional certification on Microsoft server products.

Note: Before earning the MCA Technology credential, candidates must earn a current Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) credential, which validates their in-depth expertise in a specific Microsoft technology.

1. For MCA Technology certifications only: Earn a current Microsoft Certified Master credential.

Before earning an MCA Technology certification, candidates must earn a current Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) credential, which validates their in-depth expertise on a Microsoft technology.

* Learn more about the MCM program.

2. Register for the Microsoft Certified Architect program.

Note The application fee for the MCA program is US$125. Once you are accepted into the program, the fee to appear before the MCA Review Board is US$5,000.

3. Review the program resources.

After you register for the MCA program, you will be granted access to resources to help you prepare for your Review Board interview.

4. Prepare the required program documentation.

Prepare a dossier that includes your work history, an architectural solution case study, and a document showing how your skills and work experience directly apply to each of the seven architect competencies.

* Review the program competencies

5. Submit your documentation and schedule your interview.

When you are ready to appear before the Review Board, submit your final documentation and schedule the Review Board interview.

6. Successfully complete your Review Board interview.

Candidates appear before a jury of their peers, which consists of four MCAs—two each from the infrastructure and solutions domains. The two-hour session includes a 30-minute presentation by the candidate, followed by questions from the Review Board panel. The candidate receives performance results by e-mail within two weeks.