Accreditation

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 pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. 

The City College of the City University of New York, Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs: 

B. Arch. (160 undergraduate credits) 

M. Arch. (non-preprofessional degree + 108 credits) 

Next accreditation visit for all NAAB-accredited programs: 2026 (postponed from 2025 due to COVID-19).

Landscape Architecture Accreditation

Programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s levels in the United States are eligible to apply for accreditation from the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB). LAAB is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as the official accrediting body for first professional degree programs in landscape architecture. LAAB is a member of the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors (ASPA). The Master of Landscape Architecture program at the City College of New York is accredited by LAAB. City College has had a fully accredited MLA degree program since Spring 2009. The most recent accreditation review was in Spring 2022, and the next accreditation review is scheduled for Spring 2028. In accordance with the Higher Education Act, City College of New York confirms that the Master of Landscape Architecture program meets the educational requirements for licensure eligibility in all U.S. states. For more information about LAAB, see https://www.asla.org/accreditationlaab.aspx.

The City College of New York Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture also offers the following non-accredited degree programs:

• M.U.P. Urban Design (32 credits)
• M.S. in Arch. (48 credits)
• M.S. in Sustainability in the Urban Environment (30 credits)

The M.S., and M.U.P. have been registered by the New York State Education Department. They are also accredited, as are other graduate programs at The City College, by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.