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College of Design
Opening Palazzo Bembo

Accreditation

The NC State College of Design is a part of North Carolina State University, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award degrees at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate levels. Learn more about NC State University’s accreditation.

The School of Architecture

Student design/build project

The School of Architecture at NC State is accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB). The Master of Architecture program has been accredited since 1972/73 and will be visited again in 2026. The Bachelor of Architecture degree has currently been accredited since 1985 and will be visited again in 2026. The program has also historically been accredited from 1950/51 through 1976/77. Learn more about the NC State School of Architecture’s accreditation.

School of Architecture Studio Culture Statement

NAAB Reports

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 preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

NC State University, College of Design, School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

  • Bachelor of Architecture [B.Arch.] (preprofessional degree + 30 credits)
  • Master of Architecture, Track 1 [M.Arch.] (preprofessional degree + 48 graduate credits)
  • Master of Architecture, Track 3 [M.Arch.] (non-preprofessional degree + 96 credits)
  • Architecture Registration Exam (ARE) Pass Rates by School

Additional Resources:

Graphic Design and Industrial Design

industrial design student work

Graphic Design

The Bachelor of Graphic Design, Master of Graphic Design, and PhD in Design programs are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), in affiliation with the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

NASAD is the only accrediting agency covering the whole field of art and design recognized by the US Department of Education. The organization is composed of schools and individuals representing the highest traditions and aims in the education of artists and designers. These members have proven — by the fact of their membership and activity in the organization — their deep interest in fostering high standards for art and design education. Through its annual meetings, NASAD provides a national forum for discussion of the broadest considerations involving the education of the artist and designer. The AIGA is the professional association representing more than 17,000 graphic design professionals in the United States. As an affiliate member of NASAD, AIGA participates in the definition of standards and publishing of briefing papers on graphic design education.

Learn more about the Department of Graphic Design’s accreditation

Industrial Design

The Master of Industrial Design, Bachelor of Industrial Design, and PhD in Design degrees at NC State are accredited by National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the national accrediting agency for art and design and art and design-related disciplines.

Learn more about the Department of Industrial Design’s accreditation

Landscape Architecture

The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) is a specialized agency that accredits educational programs leading to first professional degrees at the bachelor’s or master’s level in landscape architecture in the United States and its territories.

The College of Design at NC State University offers a first professional accredited degree in landscape architecture, the Master of Landscape Architecture. This degree program underwent a periodic reaccreditation review in 2016 and received reaccreditation for 6 years, the maximum time given by the LAAB. Please see the MLA Self Evaluation report prepared by the Department and submitted to LAAB, and the respective Reports of the LAAB Visiting Team.