DArch Accreditation

The Doctor of Architecture degree program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.

The new Master of Landscape Architecture degree program will seek initial accreditation according to the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board’s established process and timeline.

DOCTOR OF ARCHITECTURE

In the U.S., most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the

Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree program:

Doctor of Architecture

Track I: (preprofessional degree in architecture [126/120 credits] + 90 graduate credits)
Track II: (non-professional degree [120 credits min.] + 108 graduate credits)

Next accreditation visit: 2026

A copy of the latest NAAB Conditions for Accreditation for Professional Degree Programs in Architecture, and a copy of the NAAB Procedures for Accreditation of Professional Degree Programs in Architecture are available online at www.naab.org. A copy of the SoA Visiting Team Report and SoA Annual Reports for NAAB are available in the SoA Student Services Office and can be viewed at any time during normal business hours.

The accredited degree program must demonstrate that each graduate possesses the knowledge and skills defined by the criteria set out below. The knowledge and skills are the minimum for meeting the demands of an internship leading to registration for practice. The school must provide evidence that its graduates have satisfied each criterion through required coursework. If credits are granted for courses taken at other institutions or online, evidence must be provided that the courses are comparable to those offered in the accredited degree program.

NAAB STUDENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

The criteria encompass two levels of accomplishment:

Understanding — the capacity to classify, compare, summarize, explain, and/or interpret information.
Ability — Proficiency in using specific information to accomplish a task, correctly selecting the appropriate information, and accurately applying it to the solution of a specific problem, while also distinguishing the effects of its implementation.

The SPC are organized into realms to more easily understand the relationships between each criterion.

REALM A: CRITICAL THINKING AND REPRESENTATION

Graduates from NAAB-accredited programs must be able to build abstract relationships and understand the impact of ideas based on the study and analysis of multiple theoretical, social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental contexts. Graduates must also be able to use a diverse range of skills to think about and convey architectural ideas, including writing, investigating, speaking, drawing and modeling.

REALM B: BUILDING PRACTICES, TECHNICAL SKILLS, AND KNOWLEDGE

Graduates from NAAB-accredited programs must be able to comprehend the technical aspects of design, systems, and materials and be able to apply that comprehension to architectural solutions. In addition, the impact of such decisions on the environment must be well considered.

REALM C: INTEGRATED ARCHITECTURAL SOLUTIONS

Graduates from NAAB-accredited programs must be able to demonstrate that they have the ability to synthesize a wide range of variables into an integrated design solution.

REALM D: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Graduates from NAAB-accredited programs must understand business principles for the practice of architecture, including management, advocacy, and the need to act legally, ethically, and critically for the good of the client, society, and the public.