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Rankings
According to the 8th edition of Princeton Review's Gourman Report : A Rating of Graduate and Professional Degree Programs in American and International Universities, the Master of Architecture Program was ranked 7th (Gourman, Jack. The Gourman Report: Graduate Programs, 8th edition. Princeton Review Publishing LLC., New York, NY. 1997).
The Master of Architecture Program was ranked 11th by the Almanac of Architecture & Design (in conjunction with DesignIntelligence and Counsel House Research) in 2005. The annual study researches perspectives of professional practitioners who were asked to consider their firms' hiring practices during the past five years and indicate which schools have produced the graduates best prepared for real world practice. ( Almanac of Architecture & Design 2005, 6th Edition. Greenway Communications, LLC., Atlanta, GA. 2005).
In order to obtain an architectural license in the United States, all state registration boards (except Arizona) require a degree from an accredited professional degree program and a designated amount of work experience in the form of Intern Development Program requirements (IDP).
Accreditation
The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), which is the sole agency authorized to accredit US professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes two types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture (5 Year) and the Master of Architecture (2 or 3 Year). Both Master of Architecture programs at the University of Michigan (2G and 3G) are fully accredited by the NAAB.
The accreditation process provides periodic independent evaluation of the quality of the professional program as assessed from a national perspec¬tive. It provides assurance that graduates of the program are competent in architectural design, have a grasp of technical systems and requirements, are able to incorporate considerations of health and safety into design, understand the historical, human, and environmental contexts of architec¬ture, and are adequately prepared for internship in professional practice.
The Master of Architecture degree is the program of professional study at the University of Michigan that is accredited by NAAB. A copy of the most recent accreditation report is available in the Architecture Program Office.
IDP
The IDP program is administered by The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and the experience required for Michigan is currently 5600 hours of training experience.
Licensing
Typically, a minimum of three years of experience and a professional degree in architecture are required before one can take the licensing exam. In the United States, licensing of architects is the legal prerogative of individual state governments. Each jurisdiction sets its own requirements for initial registration, examination, and corporate practice. Due largely to the efforts of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), guidelines for license examination eligibility and the exam itself are fairly uniform from state to state. However, it is always advisable to check with the individual board to verify registration and practice requirements, as each jurisdiction may change its rules, statutes, and regulations at any time. A license is not required in order to work in an architectur¬al firm; but to have ownership in a firm or to use the title Architect legally, licensing is mandatory.
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