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NAAB Accreditation Visit: Winter 2011

NAAB Accreditation visit: Winter 2011

The NAAB Board of Directors has selected Stephan Pappas, AIA, as the team chair for the accreditation visit scheduled for the Architecture Department in Winter 2011.

The NAAB Visiting Team will be on campus between Saturday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 16th, 2011. To view complete schedule, please visit: Schedule (.pdf)

For more information about the team members of the NAAB visiting team go to:

Stephan Pappas, AIA, Chair
Georgia Bizios, FAIA, Member
Michael J. Thompson, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB, Member
Audrey M. Blevens, Member
Wallace B. Gordon, Member
Stacey White, Member
Elsayed Amer, Member

Accreditation

"In the United States, 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 U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-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 consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional

graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, College of Architecture and Environmental Design, Department of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree program:

B. Arch. (225 undergraduate credits)
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2011"

Becoming an Architect

A professional degree is required by most jurisdictions for licensure, the basic requirement being eight years of combined education and work experience.  Since you can only receive a maximum of five years of education credit, the Bachelor of Architecture degree offered by Cal Poly is the most efficient path to licensure.  Students completing this degree are immediately eligible to take the Architectural Registration Exams (ARE), although must work an additional three year internship before being eligible to take the oral California Supplemental Exam (CSE).  The National Council of Architectural Accrediting Boards (NCARB) has established the Intern Development Program (IDP) to ensure that interns are exposed to the broad sweep of professional experience during this time.  California has established its own Comprehensive Intern Development Program (CIDP), which overlays a requirement for evidence of experience onto the time-based IDP requirement.

There are five important steps to become an architect (per NCARB web site):

  1. Meet Education Requirement
    Earn a professional degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Board (NAAB). Most accredited architectural programs are Bachelor of ARchitecture (B.Arch) or master of Architecture (M.Arch), requiring five or six years of study.
  2. Meet Experience Requirement
    The Intern Development Program (IDP) guides you in acquiring experience in areas of architectural practice. You must start a National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) Record to document your experience.
  3. Meet Examination Requirement
    The Architect Registration Examination © (ARE ©) assesses the knowledge and skills necessary to practice architecture independently. Some jurisdictions will allow you to start the ARE while completing the IDP.
  4. Meet Licensure Requirements
    You must be licensed by a U.S. jurisdiction to be an architect. All U.S. jurisdictions required you to meet education, experience, and examination requirements prior to licensure.
  5. Get Certified
    The NCARB Certificate is the final credential you should obtain. Certification recognizes licensed architects who meet the profession's highest standards. Over half of U.S. registration boards require the NCARB Certificate for reciprocal registration.

Degree Nomenclature

The Architecture Department at Cal Poly offers a five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree (BArch). This is a first professional degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).  In addition, the department offers the Master of Science in Architecture, which is a post-professional degree in the broad field of architecture with an emphasis on environmental planning and design in an information society.  These are not the only degrees available to prospective students; other institutions offer programs leading to the following:

  • Pre-professional bachelor’s degree (BA or BS in Architecture, Architectural Studies etc.):  This is a four-year degree that usually requires a first professional master’s degree before the graduate is eligible for licensure as an architect.
  • Professional master’s degree:  Students completing a four-year undergraduate degree can enter a program granting the Master of Architecture (MArch), which is accepted in lieu of a five-year Bachelor degree for licensure.

Students interested in pursuing an advanced degree in architecture with a specialization in areas such as design theory, healthcare facilities, historic preservation, solar design, etc., can resume their studies at the graduate level to receive the MS or PhD in Architecture.  They may choose to do this either directly after receiving their undergraduate degree or after a few years in a professional office. Some choose to return after many years of professional training.

The five collatoral organizations

"Five collateral organizations represent different groups responsible for the education, training, registration, and practice of architects:

  1. (NCARB): The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
    NCARB is the national organization representing the state registration boards responsible for establishing, interpreting, and enforcing national standards for architectural licensure.
  2. (AIA): The American Institute of Architects
    The AIA is a professional organization for architects. Membership in the AIA is open to all registered architects and other interested citizens. The AIA's mission is to serve as the voice of the architecture profession and as a resource for its members in service to society.
  3. (ACSA): The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture
    ACSA represents architectural education worldwide. Its membership includes all of the accredited degree programs in the United States and CAnada. The ACSA works to advance the quality of architectural education by encouraging dialogue among the diverse areas of discipline on issues that will affect the architectural profession in the future.
  4. (NAAB): The National Architectural Accrediting Board
    NAAB's mission is to provide leadership in the establishment of education quality-assurance standards to enhance the value, relevance, and effectiveness of the architectural profession. The NAAB board is comprised of three members each from ACSA, AIA, and NCARB, as well as two members from AIAS and two public members.
  5. (AIAS): The American Institute of Architecture Students
    AIAS is an independent, student-run organization whose mission is to promote excellence in architecture education, training, and practice. The AIAS serves as the voice of students to the educational system and the profession of architecture. AIAS representatives serve on NAAB accreditation teams and on the boards of directors of AIA and ACSA."

Resources

NAAB Reports

Career Information and Professional Organizations

Important Reports

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