Accreditation:
Schools of Architecture in the United States are regularly reviewed for accreditation by the National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB).  The standard term of registration is five years.  Probationary terms are 1-3 years.  The NAAB may revoke the accreditation of a school of architecture if it fails to meet a set of comprehensive criteria.  The accreditation status and report of any school of architecture is public information.  Applicants may wish to inquire as to the accreditation status and contents of the visiting team report prior to making decisions to attend an academic institution.

Since its founding the University of Maryland School of Architecture has consistently received five year terms of accreditation.  The School of Architecture was most recently evaluated by the NAAB Visiting Team during the spring of 1995.  Effective 1 July 2000, the University of Maryland at College Park, School of Architecture was awarded a full five-year term of accreditation.  The next accreditation review will take place during the 2004/2005 academic year.

The following statement is required by the  NAAB to appear in all promotional materials distributed by accredited schools of architecture in the United States:

In the United States, most state registration boards require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture and the Master of Architecture. A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending upon its degree of conformance with established educational standards.

Masters degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.Source: The National Architectural Accrediting Board, 1998 Conditions and Procedures for Professional Degree Programs in Architecture, (Washington, D.C.: NAAB 1998/2002 Addendum)
For more information about accreditation visit the NAAB web site at http://www.naab.org

Download the 1998 Guide to Student Performance Criteria and 2002 Addendum.(PDF Format)