School of Architecture

The School of Architecture offers an NAAB accredited Master of Architecture professional degree (M. Arch). The M. Arch. program has the goals of developing students’ abilities to conceive and accurately represent environmentally sound and aesthetically fitting spaces at different scales and to provide a basis for understanding the consequences that these spaces have for their inhabitants, for society, and for the environment.

The School of Architecture capitalizes on the unique conditions provided by the city of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. The School of Architecture current research emphasis areas are: 1. Sustainable desert climate architecture; 2. Solar and energy efficient building design; 3. Ecological land use planning; 4. Education and Research Facilities Design; 5. Environmental, historic, and socio-cultural contexts ranging from the city to the building site; and 6. Hospitality Designs.

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, the Master of Architecture, and the 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. The UNLV School of Architecture offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

M. Arch. (pre-professional degree + 48 credits)
M. Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + 96 credits)

The next NAAB accreditation visit for both programs: 2017.

David Baird, Director
Randall Stout, Graduate Coordinator

Program Information 

School of Architecture Faculty  

School of Architecture Courses  

Department Website

Plans

Graduate Certificate in Hospitality Design  

Master of Architecture