- The Bachelor of Architecture (First-Professional) degree program is the gateway to becoming a socially conscious designer. From teaching time-honored building traditions to sustainable and innovative technologies, the curriculum of this program gives students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).
- The Bachelor of Arts in Architecture degree is designed to allow career-focused students to enter the workforce as quickly as possible or to continue with their education by earning a Master of Architecture (First-Professional) degree. With a curriculum focused on familiarizing students with innovations, products, and building forms, this bachelor’s degree program gives students a strong foundation of architectural design from a technical and aesthetic perspective and prepares them for their professional future.
- The Master of Architecture I (First-Professional) degree gives students with an undergraduate degree in architecture or a related field the opportunity to earn a professional master’s degree in architecture. Our program is recognized by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) as part of the requirements for eventual architectural licensure.
- The Master of Architectural Studies (5+1) degree is designed for students with a 5-year Bachelor of Architecture (First-Professional) degree who want to advance their knowledge of architecture through focused study and design-studio work. This one-year program builds on foundational knowledge in art and design and integrates thesis-based learning and coursework to explore architecture in the context of history and theory, tectonics, urban studies, and professional practice.
- The Master of Science in Architecture degree is a program intended for students who do not plan to become licensed architects. Its emphasis is on research into problems in the built environment through a thesis or graduation project.
- The Integrated Path to Architectural Licensure (IPAL) program combines all the requirements for professional architectural licensure into a single program recognized by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). IPAL fulfills the requirements for the Master of Architecture (First-Professional) degree, Architectural Experience Program (AXP) hours, and the Architect Registration Examination (ARE).
To complement their degree, students enrolled in non-architecture undergraduate programs at NewSchool may choose to earn a Minor in Architecture. Courses are offered during the fall, winter, and spring terms. The Minor in Architecture provides students with an understanding of architecture and the other disciplines involved in the design and construction of the built environment. Students interested in pursuing a Minor in Architecture must seek approval from their academic advisor or program chair and the architecture program chair. The Minor in Architecture is only available to undergraduate students.
A minor degree will be awarded to NewSchool students who complete their major course of study successfully and who choose to focus a minimum of 18 credits of their electives or additional work in a predefined series of courses. A minor degree will be reflected in both the student’s transcript and diploma. Learn more about the Minor in Architecture.
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.
NewSchool of Architecture & Design offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:
- B. Arch. (225 undergraduate credits)
- M. Arch. (preprofessional degree + 90 graduate credits)
- M. Arch. (non-preprofessional degree + 150 credits)
Next accreditation visit for all programs: 2024
NewSchool’s Architecture Advisory Board includes leading professionals from the design community who provide advice and counsel to the administration and faculty on employment trends, market conditions, professional practice, curriculum opportunities, and other critical information to advance the school’s mission. Members of the Architecture Advisory Board include:
- Doug Austin, FAIA | CEO, AVRP Studios, Past President, AIASD
- Kennon W. Baldwin, AIA | President, Ferguson Pape Baldwin Architects
- Jack Carpenter, FAIA | Architects Mosher Drew
- Ben Dalton | Associate, The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
- Eric Davy, NCARB | Principal, Davy Architecture
- Laura DuCharme-Conboy, AIA | Architect, DuCharme Architecture
- James T. Frost, AIA | Emeritus, Consultant
- Jeffrey Gill, AIA | Executive Director, AIA/Orange County
- Kevin Heinly, AIA | Managing Director, Gensler
- Lesley Henegar | Senior Planner, City of San Diego Planning Department, Alumna
- Kurt Hunker, FAIA, NCARB | Acting Dean, School of Architecture and Construction Management
- Kathy Lord, AIA | Partner, Lord Architecture
- Michael Stepner, FAIA, FAICP | Acting Chair, Architecture Programs
- Ralph Roesling, FAIA | Principal, Roesling Nakamura Terada Architects
- Alison Whitelaw, FAIA | Principal, Platt/Whitelaw Architects, Inc.
- Len Zegarski | Special Assistant to the President for Enrollment & Assessment