Accredited Programs
We are in constant pursuit of our vision to establish a School of Design with nationally recognized and professionally accredited programs. In compliance with accreditation standards, learn more about the conditions, terms and procedures of the accreditations of our various programs below.
Architecture 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.
Current Term of Accreditation
At their July 2019 meeting, the directors of the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) reviewed the Visiting Team Report (VTR) for South Dakota State University. As a result, the professional Master of Architecture degree program was granted an eight-year term of accreditation. The term is effective January 1, 2019, and the program is scheduled for its next visit for continuing accreditation in 2028.
The Department of Architecture at SDSU offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- M. Arch. (pre-professional degree + 48 graduate credits)
- M. Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + 97 credits)
- Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2019
To promote transparency in the process of accreditation in architecture education, the program has made the following documents electronically available to the public:
Current NAAB Conditions:
Current NAAB Procedures:
Architecture Registration Examination Pass Rates:
Interim Progress Reports:
- Because DoArch is recently accredited, no Interim Progress Reports have been submitted.
Recent Decision Letter from NAAB:
Previous DoArch Architecture Program Report (APR):
Previous NAAB Visiting Team Report (VTR):
Current DoArch SPC Matrix: