NAAB Professional Accreditation
The Master of Architecture program is intended for students wishing to become licensed architects and is in Candidacy status for professional accreditation with the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
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.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program should be accredited within 6 years of achieving candidacy, if its plan is properly implemented. In order to meet the education requirement set forth by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, an applicant for an NCARB Certificate must hold a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the NAAB; the degree must have been awarded not more than two years prior to initial accreditation. However, meeting the education requirement for the NCARB Certificate may not be equivalent to meeting the education requirement for registration in a specific jurisdiction. Please contact NCARB for more information.
Portland State University, Department of Architecture was granted candidacy status for the following professional degree program in architecture: M.Arch (pre-professional degree + 74 graduate credits): 2008. Continuation of candidacy granted: 2010. Projected year of initial accreditation: 2012.
The latest Architecture Program Report (APR) and Visiting Team Report (VTR) are available for view in the Department Office, alongside copies of the latest NAAB Conditions for Accreditation, and Procedures for Accreditation.
The NAAB Conditions for Accreditation including the Student Performance Criteria can also be found at http://www.naab.org/
THE NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL ACCREDITING BOARD
1735 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5292
202.783.2007 Phone
202.783.2822 Fax
