NAAB Accreditation
The National Architectural Accrediting Board [NAAB.org]
In the United States, most 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 term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The Academy of Art University, School of Architecture, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- B. Arch. (162 undergraduate credits)
Next accreditation visit: 2026
Links to NAAB APRs and VTRs:
- M. Arch. (pre-professional degree + 63 graduate credits)
- M. Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + 87 graduate credits)
Next accreditation visit: 2021 (postponed to 2022 because of the pandemic)
Access to NAAB Conditions and Procedures
a) Conditions for Accreditation, latest/current edition
b) Conditions for Accreditation in effect at the time of the last visit (2009 and 2014)
c) Procedures for Accreditation, latest/current edition
d) Procedures for Accreditation in effect at the time of the last visit (2012 and 2015, depending on the date of the last visit)
Student Access to Career Development Information
Student and Career Services: https://1wwwcleandev.academyart.edu/campus-athletics/student-resources/career-services/
Architecture students can get professional, internship, and licensing advice from NCARB Licensing Advisor, AIAS Liaison, and Chair Emeritus Alberto Bertoli and IPAL and Community Outreach Coordinator Sameena Sitabkhan please feel free to schedule appointments with them to discuss your career development by emailing Architecture@academyart.edu.
Public Access to Accreditation Reports and Related Documents
a) All Interim Progress Reports and narratives of Program Annual Reports submitted since the last team visit
The Interim Program Report Covers the narrative previously included in the Annual Reports.
b) All NAAB responses to any Plan to Correct and any NAAB responses to the Program Annual Reports since the last team visit
c) The most recent decision letter from the NAAB
d) The Architecture Program Report submitted for the last visit
e) The final edition of the most recent Visiting Team Report, including attachments and addenda
f) The program’s optional response to the Visiting Team Report
g) Plan to Correct
Not applicable at the time of last NAAB Team Visit. The information can be found in the IPR 2015 (see above under “a”)
h) NCARB ARE pass rates
i) Statements and/or policies on learning and teaching culture
j) Statements and/or policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion
