Accreditation and Licensure
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 non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
Accredited Programs
The College of Environmental Design’s Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
| MArch Option 3 | 72 Graduate Credits |
| MArch Option 2 | 120 Credits + 48 Graduate Credits |
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2032
- 2020 NAAB Conditions for Accreditation (in effect at time of last visit)
- 2020 NAAB Procedures for Accreditation (in effect at time of last visit)
- NCARB ARE Pass Rates
Past Reports
In addition to NAAB criteria and information, the UC Office of the President has issued a notice regarding professional licensure and certification.
- Architectural Licensure Information
- National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
- The California Architects Board
Professional work experience is typically tracked through the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). NCARB and CED’s Department of Architecture hold informational meetings for students throughout the year.
An assigned NCARB mentor is available to meet with students, attends the annual Cal Day event to meet incoming students and parents, and provides licensure information for distribution at the annual CED Career Day. The current NCARB faculty mentor is Keith Plymale, a continuing lecturer on the architecture faculty who is licensed in the states of California, Florida, and Kentucky.
To become a licensed architect, you will need to complete several steps designed to build skills and ensure readiness to competently to design buildings.
In most U.S. states and territories, you’ll need a degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). CED’s master’s degree program is NAAB-accredited. To see all accredited programs, visit the NAAB website.
The NCARB’s Architectural Experience Program (AXP) provides a framework to document experience in a broad range of areas. The AXP is split into areas that mirror the phases of a typical architecture project and identifies 96 key skills you will practice as an architect. To complete the program, you’ll submit experience reports and track your growth, documenting a total of 3,740 hours earned in a personal NCARB Record.
The Architect Registration Examination (ARE) 5.0 is a multipart test made up of six divisions. Each U.S. jurisdiction requires that you pass the ARE.
The California Architects Board was created in 1901 by the California Legislature to fulfill the mission of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public through the regulation of the practice of architecture in California. The Board establishes regulations for examination and licensing of the profession of architecture in California. There are over 21,000 licensed architects and approximately 10,000 candidates who are in the process of meeting examination and licensure requirements.