Master of Architecture NAAB 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.
UMass Amherst Architecture Department offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- M. Arch. (pre-professional degree + 57 graduate credits), typically two years
- M. Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + up to 87 credits), typically three years
- Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2024