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 term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards.
Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The Spitzer School of Architecture at the City College of New York offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2025.
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) requires that the following documents are made publicly available:
2020 Conditions for Accreditation
2014 Conditions for Accreditation
The Procedures for Accreditation, 2020 Edition
The Procedures for Accreditation, 2015 were in effect at the time of last visit.
Architectural Registration Examination statistics, including those for Spitzer School architecture programs, are available at the NCARB web site.
In order to assist students, parents, and others as they seek to develop an understanding of the larger context for architecture education and the career pathways available to graduates of accredited degree programs, the Architecture Programs at Spitzer make available the following list of resources.
In addition, the Spitzer School administration and program Advisors provide relevant programming to provide career guidance, and are available to students for advice and direction to further resources.
The ARCHCareers blog discusses the process of becoming an architect:
ARCHCareersGuide.com
Architects must be licensed before they can practice architecture as or call themselves an architect. The steps to becoming an Architect are described on the site of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB):
www.NCARB.org
You may download a copy of the NCARB ARE 5.0 Handbook:
https://www.ncarb.org/sites/default/files/ARE5-Handbook.pdf
For specifics on the practice of the profession of Architecture in New York State, see: https://labor.ny.gov/stats/olcny/architect.shtm
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. The AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession: http://www.aia.org/
The Center for Architecture, the AIA New York Chapter, provides resources to both the public and building industry professionals, through exhibitions, programs, and special events: http://cfa.aiany.org/index.php?section=center-for-architecture
The American Institute of Architect Students (AIAS) is a student-run organization that has been working for the betterment of the Architectural Education Community for over 50 years: http://www.aias.org/about/about/
The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 1912 to advance the quality of architectural education and to provide a forum for ideas on the leading edge of architectural thought: http://www.acsa-arch.org/
Architecture programs, as part of the accreditation process, are required to prepare and make electronically available to the public the following NAAB documents:
2023 Interim Progress Report response B Arch | M Arch
Reports:
2017 Visiting Team Report (VTR)
2017 Architectural Program Report (APR)
2012-2013-NAAB Interim Progress Report (IPR)
NCARB publishes pass rates for each section of the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) by institution. This information can help prospective students who may be seeking higher/postsecondary education in architecture. Programs are required to make this information available to current and prospective students and the public by linking their websites to the results.
The Master of Landscape Architecture Program at the City College of New York’s Bernard & Anne Spitzer School of Architecture is fully accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board. Click here for full accreditation details and other public information.