Architecture Accreditation
According to the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the Architecture program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture and Design provides an excellent program for educating architects. The NAAB team conducted a comprehensive review of the professional program in Spring 2023, ultimately extending its accreditation for the maximum full-length accreditation term of eight years.
"Through discussion with students and faculty, it was clear to the Team that students receive a high level of personalized attention, which enables them to reach their highest academic achievement," read the NAAB team's final Visiting Team Report. The team also cited the students and faculty's dedication and resiliency in dealing with the challenges of working within a building undergoing renovation, stating that "a high level of academic performance has been maintained throughout."
The team was also impressed by the public outreach and engagement level students and faculty maintain across the University, the State, and the region. In particular, the work of the Community Design Workshop, Building Institute, and Coastal Community Resilience Studio was highly commended. The report states, "University leaders and alumni noted these efforts as highly valuable contributions made by the School of Architecture and Design to the community and region."
The last accreditation visit was in Spring 2023; The next accreditation visit for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture and Design is in 2031.
Statement on NAAB-Accredited Degrees
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 nonaccredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture and Design offers the following NAAB-accredited professional degree:
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) Degree which consists of a minimum of 123 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework combined with 45 semester credit hours of graduate coursework for a total of 168 semester credit hours.
The next accreditation visit for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture and Design is in Spring 2023.
Architects License Advisor
The National Council of Architecture Registration Boards defines the role of the architect license advisors as an information resource for licensure candidates and architects on the path to licensure (education, experience, and examination). Guide the transition from candidate to practicing architect within state regulatory requirements, reciprocity, and NCARB certification. Advise and assist licensure candidates with the NCARB Record application and documentation process. Most volunteer positions have a two-year renewable term.
Per NAAB Condition 5.4.2, the program is to "Demonstrate that it has an Architect Licensing Advisor who is actively performing the duties defined in the NCARB position description. These duties include attending the biannual NCARB Licensing Advisor Summit and other training opportunities to stay up-to-date on the requirements for licensure and ensure that students have the resources to make informed decisions on their path to licensure.
The Architect License Advisor at UL Lafayette is Dr. Robert McKinney, Professor; his term is 2023-2025.
Application and Admissions Requirements
In addition to the general admission requirements of the Graduate School, application and admission requirements for the Master of Architecture degree program require submission of a portfolio of architectural design work for applicants with previous architectural education or experience and, if applying for a graduate assistantship, satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Official GRE scores must be sent directly from the test administrator to the Graduate School.
Portfolio of Architectural Design Work
Applicants with previous architectural or design education are expected to submit a portfolio of work with a minimum of 4 projects, including at least three buildings, that show evidence of the following:
- Purposefulness
- Critical thinking skills
- Advanced communication
- Exemplifies traits of good writing
- Representation/graphics: process, 2D, 3D, and models
- Design Synthesis
- Demonstrates decision-making in synthesizing user requirements, regulatory requirements, site conditions, accessible design, and consideration of the measurable environmental impacts of their design decisions.
- Building Integration
- Demonstrates decision-making in integrating building envelope systems and assemblies, structural systems, environmental control systems, life safety systems, and the measurable outcomes of building performance.
The portfolio should clearly identify academic or professional products, collaborations, and roles.
Master of Architecture Degree Requirements
Curriculum: Students who have completed a Pre-Professional Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies (NAAB accredited)
45 Total Credit Hours
- ARCH 501 - Advanced Architectural Design 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 502 - Advanced Architectural Design II 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 521 - Architectural History and Theory 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 530 - Urban Theory 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 532 - Advanced Building Systems 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 540 - Architectural Practice 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 563 - Diversity and Social Equity Issues in Design 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 565 - Architectural Research and Programming 3 Credit Hour(s) - This course must be completed with a grade of B or better to apply to the degree.
- ARCH 580 - Advanced Topics in Architecture 3 Credit Hour(s)
Master's Project Track or Thesis Track
- ARCH 509 - Master's Project 6 Credit Hour(s) - This course must be completed with a grade of B or better to apply to the degree.
OR
- ARCH 599 - ARCH 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis 6 Credit Hour(s)
ARCH Electives
Choose six additional graduate credit hours (two courses at three credit hours each) in consultation with the graduate coordinator.
Curriculum: Students who have completed a Bachelor of Science degree not accredited by NAAB *
87 Total Credit Hours
- CIVE 335 - Structural Engineering I 3 Credit Hour(s) **
- CIVE 336 - Structural Engineering II 3 Credit Hour(s) **
- ARCH 403G - Principles of Design 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 404G - Principles of Building Components 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 405G - Principles of Building Design 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 409G - Architectural Design V 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 410G - Architectural Design VI 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 435G - Building Systems III 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 464G - Professional Practice and Contract Documents 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 501 - Advanced Architectural Design 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 502 - Advanced Architectural Design II 6 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 521 - Architectural History and Theory 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 530 - Urban Theory 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 531 - Building Systems 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 532 - Advanced Building Systems 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 534 - Systems of Construction II 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 540 - Architectural Practice 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 563 - Diversity and Social Equity Issues in Design 3 Credit Hour(s)
- ARCH 565 - Architectural Research and Programming 3 Credit Hour(s) - This course must be completed with a grade of B or better to apply to the degree.
- ARCH 580 - Advanced Topics in Architecture 3 Credit Hour(s)
** CIVE 335 and CIVE 336 are undergraduate preparatory courses that do not count toward the graduate degree but are prerequisites to required graduate coursework.
Master's Project Track or Thesis Track
- ARCH 509 - Master's Project 6 Credit Hour(s) - This course must be completed with a grade of B or better to apply to the degree.
OR
- ARCH 599 - ARCH 599 - Thesis Research and Thesis 6 Credit Hour(s)
ARCH Electives
Choose six additional graduate credit hours (two courses at three credit hours each) in consultation with the graduate coordinator.
* Advanced Standing Evaluation Process
Students transferring into the M. Arch. Degree program and those entering the program with a non-accredited (NAAB) undergraduate degree may be granted Advanced Standing upon evaluation of prior academic coursework for satisfactory completion of NAAB Student Performance Criteria.
Evaluation of Preparatory Education
To ensure a thorough and equitable evaluation, students must provide the Graduate Coordinator with course descriptions and supporting documents for all coursework under review. Once all documents are received, the Graduate Coordinator will call a meeting of the Master
of Architecture Evaluation of Preparatory Education Review Committee, which includes the Director of the School of Architecture and Design, the Graduate Coordinator for the program, and Graduate Faculty members from the program. The Committee will determine if NAAB Student Performance Criteria have been met for courses under review. In doing so, the Committee will develop knowledge of and may contact the credit granting institution before evaluating credits. For design studio courses, Committee members will review the student's portfolio of work, transcript, and the credit granting institution's course descriptions. For architecture elective courses, the Committee, with the assistance of architecture faculty who teach those courses, will review the student's transcript and the credit-granting institution's course descriptions.
For non-architecture elective courses, the Committee will review the student's transcript and the credit granting institution's course descriptions with the assistance of faculty who teach those courses. A grade of B or better must have been earned in all coursework for approval of Advanced Standing, transfer of graduate credit, and a request to the Graduate School to approve lessening curriculum requirements. Following the Advanced Standing evaluation process, the Graduate Coordinator will notify the student of the need to formally apply for transfer of graduate credits and which individual course requirements in the curriculum will no longer be required.
Access to NAAB Conditions and Procedures
Faculty and students can access the NAAB Conditions and Procedures for Accreditation:
2020 NAAB Procedures for Accreditation
2020 NAAB Conditions for Accreditation
2015 NAAB Procedures for Accreditation
2014 NAAB Conditions for Accreditation
2009 NAAB Conditions for Accreditation
The 2009 NAAB Conditions for Accreditation were in effect during the last accreditation visit in 2014. These are the standards by which we were last evaluated.
Accreditation Reports
The program makes the following documents electronically available to the public to promote transparency in architecture education accreditation. View the Visiting Team Reports, Architecture Program Reports, Interim Progress Reports, Annual Reports, and other NAAB-related reports below:
Current Accreditation Term (2023–2031)
2024 UL Architecture Program Annual Report to NAAB
2024 NAAB Board Decision Letter on Plan to Correct
2024 UL Architecture Program Plan to Correct
2023 NAAB Board Decision Letter on Special Report
2023 UL Architecture Program Special Report
2023 NAAB Board Decision Letter on Annual Report
2023 UL Architecture Program Annual Report to NAAB
2023 NAAB Board Decision Letter
2023 NAAB Visiting Team Report
2022 UL SOAD Architecture Program Report
Previous Accreditation Terms
2020 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2019 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2018 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2017 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
NAAB Response to 2016 Year Two Interim Progress Report
2016 Year Two Interim Progress Report to NAAB
2016 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2015 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2014 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB
2014 NAAB Visiting Team Report
2014 UL SOAD Architecture Program Report
2008 NAAB Visiting Team Report
2008 NAAB Reponse to Annual Report
2009 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB (Narrative)
2009 NAAB Response to Annual Report
2010 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB (Narrative)
2010 NAAB Response to Annual Report
2011 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB (Narrative)
2011 NAAB Response to Annual Report
2012 UL SOAD Annual Report to NAAB (Narrative)
2012 NAAB Response to Annual Report
Architectural Registration Exam (ARE) Test Results
ARE Pass Rates per school and test can be accessed through this link. This information is a valuable tool for students to see and understand the expectations of licensure pass rates. If this information is unavailable electronically, the School's Main Office on the first floor of Fletcher Hall, Room 129, upholds hard copies of the data.
Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners
Individuals and firms shall not perform or offer architectural services directly or indirectly unless they have secured a license to practice architecture from the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners. Additionally, no person shall use the title "architect" or any derivation of that word unless they have secured a license to practice.