Our mission
The School of Architecture provides deep immersion in the discipline of architecture, intensified by the broader Carnegie Mellon culture of interdisciplinary innovation and creative inquiry.
We define the discipline of architecture as the integrated pursuit of design creativity, historical perspective, social responsibility, technical expertise, and global environmental leadership. Our undergraduate and graduate degree programs prepare students to be excellent, discipline-defining design thinkers in diverse global contexts.
This world-class architecture education is enhanced by our position within one of the world’s leading research and entrepreneurship institutions, and by the fundamental premise that architectural excellence demands both rigorous training in fundamentals and the development of unique specializations. Students may extend their core knowledge either through concentration in architecture subdisciplines like sustainable design or computational design, or through interdisciplinary interaction with CMU’s other renowned programs—whether the sciences, the humanities, business, or robotics. Though every School of Architecture student graduates with intensive architecture knowledge, no two graduates leave with the same education.
In the twenty-first century, few architecture problems are straightforward. SoA graduates excel in the roles architects have performed for centuries—and in new roles catalyzed by the depth and breadth of their education—to create and execute innovative solutions to a huge range of emerging global challenges.
NAAB accreditation statement and documentation
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 pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The Carnegie Mellon University School of Architecture offers a NAAB-accredited BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE (B.ARCH) degree. Next NAAB accreditation: 2018.
ARE pass rates are available at the website of the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB). For most recent CMU SoA ARE pass rates, choose "Pennsylvania" and "Carnegie Mellon University" from the drop-down menus, and choose "2015" from the list of available years.