EDUCATION

Path to an Accredited Degree

Accredited Degrees

Before selecting a particular architecture program, you need to understand the different paths to obtaining a National Architectural Accredited Board (NAAB) (www.naab.org) accredited degree. Because there is more than one path, this can be confusing. Each path is designed to offer a particular level of expertise and enable you to make a variety of career and educational choices. To become an architect, you will need to set an educational goal to obtain a professional degree accredited by the NAAB.

NAAB accredits three different professional degrees:

Five-year Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.);
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), which can accomplished by first pursuing a four-year pre-professional undergraduate architecture degree or the four-year undergraduate degree (B.A./B.S.) in a field other than architecture;
Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.), available solely at the University of Hawaii.

While your eventual goal will be to obtain an NAAB-accredited professional degree, you may wish to consider starting the path at a community college or an institution offering only a four-year degree in architecture. Further still, you can pursue an undergraduate degree in any discipline related or not to architecture.

Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.)

The Bachelor of Architecture is an undergraduate five-year degree for students coming directly from high school. It is the oldest professional degree offered at the university level in the United States.

Pre-Professional Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

Sometimes known as a 4 + 2, this path to the accredited degree involves first obtaining a pre-professional architecture bachelor of science (B.S.) degree followed by the professional Master of Architecture (M.Arch.). Pre-professional degrees are four-year degrees that prepare candidates for pursuing a professional degree.

Undergraduate Degrees (B.A./B.S.) in Fields Other Than Architecture and Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

A professional Master of Architecture program is available for candidates with an undergraduate degree in a field other than architecture. It offers a comprehensive professional education. Depending on the institution, this accredited M.Arch. will require between three and four years of study to complete.

Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.)

As a professional degree, the Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.) is currently available only at the University of Hawaii. The program is seven years in length and is unique in that it allows the graduate to fulfill the educational requirements for taking the licensing exam, whereas the post-professional doctoral degrees do not.

Decision-Making Process

Regardless of the degree you may pursue, how do you select an architecture program? After learning about the many institutions, choosing among them may seem a daunting task; over 125 institutions in the U.S. and Canada offer professional architecture degree programs. However, if you analyze the criteria that are most important, you can quickly narrow your search and manage this process.

Consider that your education in architecture is only one-third of the path to architectural licensure. There are three Es to complete before becoming an architect:

1) education—an NAAB-accredited degree (Canadian Architectural Certification Board [CACB-CCCA] in Canada),
2) experience—fulfilling the requirements of the Intern Development Program (IDP), and
3) exam—satisfactorily passing the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).

When choosing the institution where you will pursue your architecture degree, strongly consider the following:

Ensure that the degree program is accredited. Degree programs are accredited by the NAAB (or the CACB-CCCA in Canada), not the institution itself.
Be sure to understand the possible paths to obtaining your professional degree: (1) bachelor of architecture; (2) master of architecture, following a pre-professional architecture degree or a degree from another discipline and (3) doctor of architecture. Each path has advantages and limitations. Consider which is best suited for you, which will help narrow your choices.
Identify the typical coursework offered in most, if not all, architecture programs: design studio, structures, systems, graphics/drawing, architectural history, general education, computer, site, professional practice, programming, and architecture electives.

In the United States you should pursue a degree from an architecture program which is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) in order to meet the educational requirement necessary to take the Architectural Registration Exam or “ARE.” To learn the other pathways to a license contact NCARB.

More than 125 architecture programs are accredited by NAAB in the United States. NAAB accredited professional programs in architecture lead to the Doctor of Architecture, Master of Architecture or Bachelor of Architecture degree. Students may graduate from either a pre-professional architecture degree or undergraduate degree in another discipline and proceed to complete an accredited Master of Architecture program.

The NAAB is the sole agency authorized to accredit U.S. degree programs in architecture. The listing of accredited programs is available on the NAAB Web site.

Architecture Program Search

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) offers StudyArchitecture.com, an online database of all institutions that offer architecture programs in the United States and Canada. This free service allows you to search by region, curriculum, size of school and more.

Information about education in Canada can be found from the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB).

Preparing for College

Each college and university has its own specific requirements for admission. But here are some general guidelines.

Ideally, the beginning architecture student will have a solid background in the physical sciences, including mathematics; be able to "conceptualize" at an above-average level; have a strong proficiency in oral and written communication; demonstrate a breadth of interest in the humanities; and be able to draw and sketch with ease.

Drawing is probably the most easily acquired skill of the above, and math is probably the most difficult. Architecture is a highly diversified, multi-faceted profession, and the opportunities for specialization are many. So even if you do not excel in mathematics (or drawing, or writing), you may still become an outstanding architect.

Potential students should also have an ample background in English and the humanities. A good course in freehand drawing will ultimately prove more valuable than drafting or CAD; one semester of drafting or CAD (if available) is probably more than adequate. Courses in geography, history, philosophy, and government are also useful.

Foreign languages are seldom required in architecture programs, but most accept a language as an elective. Because many schools have opportunities for study abroad, the appropriate language can have considerable practical use even before graduation; facility with other languages can also be valuable in the study of architectural history and in conducting research.

A course in industrial arts can be helpful, but is not essential. Speech or debate classes are very useful, as architects (and architecture students) must often express or explain complex ideas orally.

Finally, a summer job in building construction is a very useful experience and is usually easier to find than one in an architect’s office. Also, become involved with the ACE (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) Mentor Program, whose mission is to enlighten and increase the awareness of high school students to career opportunities in architecture, construction and engineering through mentoring. If this or other opportunities in related building trades are not available, individuals should avail themselves of books and magazines on architecture from a public or university library.

It is also highly recommended that you get involved in a pre-professional organization while in high school or college. The largest organization is the American Institute of Architecture Students. Membership is open to high school and college students, interns and professionals from any country.