International accreditation of architecture programs promoting competitiveness in professional practice

Abstract

The study addresses the subject of international accreditation programs of architecture education and professional practice, as there is a strong relationship through the program's contents and its learning outcomes. The research starts with an overview of the accreditation organizations for architecture programs, The National Architectural Accrediting Board, Inc. (NAAB) in the United States and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in the United Kingdom, and the number of accredited and validated architecture programs in the Arab countries. Also, the main SPC's and Criteria for both NAAB and RIBA, and its levels, to be accomplished have been reviewed.As a case study, five architecture programs, equivalent or substantially equivalent by NAAB, have been selected, representing colleges and departments of architecture in the Middle East and the Gulf Area, comparing their courses and credit hours percentages.To accomplish NAAB or RIBA learning outcomes, an SPC's (Student Performance Criteria) are cross reviewed) to reveal the criteria for each course, besides, the documentation for courses' portfolios.In conclusion, the study summarized the importance of accreditation as a tool of continuous assessment for architecture programs to foster competitiveness in professional practice. Keywords: Substantial equivalency, Validation, Global practice, SPC matrix