Architecture Program Accreditation
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, three-year, or two-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 require a preprofessional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, School of Architecture, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- M. Arch. (preprofessional degree + 48 graduate credits)
- M. Arch. (non-preprofessional degree + 48-96 credits)
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2025
Architect Registration Examination
The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) is the third component of the “3 E’s” required in a candidate’s path toward licensure (i.e., Education, Experience and Examination). Education is met by completing a NAAB-accredited professional degree. Experience is satisfied and documented through NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP). The final step in the licensure process is “Examination.” The ARE pass rates for the UNLV School of Architecture can be found by visiting the NCARB website.
It should be noted that the national average to complete the ARE is 2.5 years; Nevada’s completion timeline is 2.9 years according to NCARB by the Numbers 2015.
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