Accreditation

Accreditation Actions

Determine Eligibility: Program is accepted as eligible for candidacy. This is the first step toward accreditation of a professional degree program in architecture. Once determined by NAAB to be eligible for accreditation, the institution must prepare an Architecture Program Report to apply for initial candidacy.

Award Candidacy: Program is granted initial candidacy. This is the second step toward accreditation. Programs may be granted an initial period of candidacy of not less than two years. The program reapplies for continuing candidacy every two years and must achieve accreditation within six years of the effective date of the term of initial candidacy.

Award Accreditation: Program provided sufficient information to meet all conditions and is granted a period of accreditation.

• Initial Accreditation: Initial accreditation is probationary in nature and indicates that, although deficiencies may be present, the institution has established plans and is making sufficient progress toward addressing or removing the deficiencies. Initial accreditation is granted for a three-year period from January 1 of the year of the initial accreditation visit.
• First Term of Continuing Accreditation Following a Term of Initial Accreditation: This accreditation may be granted for a period of eight years or an eight-year term with a Plan to Correct (see below). If neither term is granted, accreditation will be revoked.
• Award Continuing Accreditation: Programs that have completed the first eight-year term of continuing accreditation seeking a subsequent term of continuing accreditation may receive another eight-year term if they meet all conditions, an eight-year term with a plan to correct, or a two-year probationary term (see below). If none of these are awarded, accreditation will be revoked.

Award Accreditation with a Plan to Correct: Program is awarded accreditation with certain conditions unmet and must submit an adequate plan to correct the conditions not met. The Plan to Correct status remains until the Board finds that the program has remedied the unmet conditions within the required time frame.

Two-Year Probationary Term of Accreditation: Program has unmet conditions and (a) did not submit a Plan to Correct and therefore will receive a two-year term or a revocation of accreditation, or (b) submitted a plan to correct by the deadline and a revised plan to correct by the deadline but the Board found both plans to be insufficient. The program will receive a two-year probationary term and must show cause for the continuance of accreditation. At its next scheduled review, the program must receive either an eight-year term of accreditation or an eight-year term with a Plan to Correct, or NAAB will revoke its accreditation.

Revocation of Accreditation: Program has made insufficient progress during a two-year probationary period. Accreditation may also be revoked (a) if the team observes and NAAB finds substantial and uncorrectable noncompliance with the NAAB Conditions for Accreditation during any visit, (b) if no Architecture Program Report is submitted for a scheduled visit for continuing accreditation, or (c) if an institution phases out a NAAB-accredited degree without first filing a plan with NAAB for phasing out the degree. NAAB will consider this forfeiture of accreditation and will revoke accreditation of the degree.

The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) has 13 voting members. The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) each nominate three directors; the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) nominates two; and there are two public directors. The Past President and Executive Director serve ex officio. The NAAB Board meets five times each year to review professional degree programs in architecture at the bachelor, master, and doctor level for compliance with the current NAAB accreditation Conditions and Procedures.