Programs in Architecture have been available at RISD since 1901. The department currently offers the degrees of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture, Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture. Department alumni include Anthony C. Belluschi ’65/’66, Deborah Berke ’75/’77, Jim Childress ’77/’78, Lea Cloud ’83/’84 + Victoria Rospond ’83/’84 and Michael Gabellini ’80/’81.

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NAAB 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.

Master’s degree programs may consist of a preprofessional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree that, when earned sequentially, constitute an accredited professional education. However, the preprofessional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.