Accreditation

NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL ACCREDITING BOARD (NAAB) STATEMENT

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.

NAAB-ACCREDITED DEGREE PROGRAMS AT THE UF SCHOOl OF ARCHITECTURE

Master of Architecture Track I: 52 graduate semester credit hours, following undergraduate pre-professional degree with architecture major
Master of Architecture Track II: 30 graduate semester credit hours, following undergraduate professional degree
Master of Architecture Track III: 48 preparatory semester credits + 52 graduate semester credit hours, following undergraduate degree with non-architecture major

LICENSING, REGISTRATION, AND CERTIFICATION IN OTHER STATES

Master of Architecture (MArch.): The University of Florida Master of Architecture (MArch) degree is accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB). The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) accredits professional degrees in architecture offered by institutions accredited by a U.S. regional accrediting agency. All 55 U.S. registration boards accept the NAAB-accredited degree for registration; 38 of those boards require it. For more information, visit the NAAB website.

Bachelor of Design in Architecture (BDes): The Bachelor of Design in Architecture degree is a pre-professional degree program. As a stand-alone degree program, it does NOT meet the minimum requirement for licensure as an architect in the State of Florida. No determination has been made about the program’s curriculum meeting other state’s educational requirements for licensure or certification as an architect.

For more guidance on the process of becoming an architect, visit the following: NCARB Earn Your Architecture License, AIA Licensing Basics

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