Architecture in UK

The School of Architecture at the University of Kentucky has achieved a national reputation for excellence through the commitment of its faculty and the spirit, talent and dedication of its students. The School of Architecture is fully accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

The architecture studio is the foundation of the program. Studios provide a social and curricular framework for the architecture student. Representational skills such as drawing, model making, and computer modeling are practiced rigorously as essential skills for design. In addition to the design studio, students study building technology; materials and structural systems; digital fabrication techniques; the history, theory, and criticism of architecture; and the ethical and professional principles of a successful architecture practice.

Students also learn contemporary processes such as prototyping to solve problems, and innovate new solutions. Prototypes, three-dimensional physical models, are created with digital design and fabrication tools and technologies such as CNC milling, 3-D printing, and laser-cutting. Prototypes can be created quickly, allowing students to propose solutions, examine results, redefine problems, and propose new solutions. In the School of Architecture, prototyping has come to define a new model of design research in which the focus is not so much on the creation of a final design but rather on the creation of design knowledge itself.

The four-year bachelor's degree in Architecture qualifies students for careers in architectural offices, building construction, development and public agencies. To become a licensed architect in Kentucky and other states, the graduate must complete a two-year Master of Architecture program. Both degree programs are offered at the University of Kentucky.

Accreditation
In the United States, most state 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 U.S. professional degree programs in architecture, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture, and Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted a 6-year, 3-year, or 2-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 consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.