Our History

Why Accreditation?

The accreditation of professional programs in the United States began after earlier efforts to accredit post-secondary educational institutions. Standards and procedures were developed in consultation with professional schools, academic institutions, professional societies, state registration boards, members of the profession, representatives of related professions, students, and the public.

1897

Legislation in Illinois regulating the practice of architecture is passed. Dankmar Adler, a principal in the eminent Chicago architecture firm of Adler and Sullivan, and Nathan Ricker, head of the architecture program at the University of Illinois, are credited with moving the law through the Illinois State Legislature.

1902

The Illinois Board of Examiners and Regulators of Architects establishes a rule restricting the licensing exam to graduates of the state’s approved four-year architecture curriculum.

1903

The Illinois Board expands the aforementioned licensing exam policy to include graduates from Cornell, Columbia, and Harvard Universities, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Pennsylvania – an action that brought to light the need for a system of standardization among programs nationally.

1912

The Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) is founded and attempts to establish national standards in architecture education.

1914

ACSA establishes “standard minima,” which schools have to meet to be granted membership.

1932

ACSA abandons the use of standard minima.

1940

Recognizing the need for an impartial organization to facilitate quality assurance in support of architecture programs that prepare students for professional licensure, ACSA, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) establish NAAB with the authority to accredit schools of architecture nationally.

1967

NAAB is dissolved by resolution of AIA, ACSA, and NCARB and reestablished as a separately incorporated and independent 501(c)(3) organization, the National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc.

1972

The Board of Directors is expanded to include one director nominated by the Association of Student Chapters/AIA (the precursor to AIAS) and one graduate student nominated by schools accredited by NAAB.

1975

NAAB publishes a restructuring report, articulating goals, objectives, and policies that establish many of the principles NAAB continues to observe today, including the first statement of conditions/criteria and the first set of procedures.

  • Two goals centered on ensuring that architectural education and advances in the field of architecture serve the public.
  • Three objectives focused on school accountability, continuous improvement, and fostering recognition of the programs that meet and maintain established qualifications.
  • Thirteen policies describing core parameters around which NAAB will operate, including which entities are eligible for accreditation, how standards will be determined, and processes for coordinating with all stakeholders.

1999

The composition of the Board of Directors is revised to have 13 voting members:

  • 3 from persons nominated by AIA, ACSA, and NCARB each; all for staggered three-year terms.
  • 2 from persons nominated by AIAS for staggered 2-year terms.
  • 2 to represent the public interest: 1 from education but not architecture; 1 from neither education nor architecture.

2015

Maximum term of accreditation changes from six-years to eight-years .

2020

NAAB publishes the 2020 Conditions and Procedures for Accreditation, shifting NAAB accreditation to an outcomes-based assessment framework.

Ever Evolving

Over time, as architecture education and practice became more complex, NAAB continued—and still continues—to revise its accrediting process in response to the advice of its various constituencies. At first, ad hoc committees were formed to address specific concerns identified by one of the organizations within architecture, allied professional organizations, or regional and federal agencies. Today, the process of review and revision has become a formalized process of validation.

NAAB initially accredited schools of architecture; today it accredits the professional degree programs within schools, although other programs are reviewed on an advisory basis when they are identified by a school as being relevant to its professional program. In addition, accrediting standards have evolved to include general studies in combination with professional and elective studies, outcome-based performance criteria for evaluating student work, and procedures for guiding the accreditation process.

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