Kean’s Architecture Program Awarded Three Years Accreditation
By Antony Reyna | Published Nov 3, 2022
Kean University’s Michael Graves College has been awarded a 3-year accreditation term by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).
According to the NAAB, “NAAB accreditation is the primary means by which professional degree programs in architecture assure quality to students and the public. Accredited status is a signal to students and the public that a program meets basic standards for its faculty, curriculum, student services and libraries.”
Kean’s Michael Graves College gets its name from renowned Architect and Professor Michael Graves who is most well known for his influential work as a member of the “New York Five”, a prominent group of Architects in 1970s inNew York City.
“The association with Michael Graves is profoundly appropriate for this new college. Graves redefined an idea of professional practice in the late 20th century by addressing design at multiple scales, from urban and building to object and artifact. The varied programs that comprise the Michael Graves College at Kean University represent this idea well, from industrial and interior design to graphic and architectural design,” Dean David Mohney said in his public position letter on the Michael Graves College.
The college is home to two schools, the Robert Busch School of Design, as well as the School of Public Architecture.
The School of Public Architecture released a statement regarding the Master of Architecture program via their official website.
“The [Master of Architecture] program addresses the increasing level of professional design services required in the 21st century, and the increasing globalization of architectural design. It utilizes its two locations in major urban areas — the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region, and Wenzhou, China — as resources for access to professional employment and training,” the statement said.
The relatively new program, which began holding classes at Kean’s Union Campus in Fall 2015 requires juniors to study abroad during their spring Semester in Rome, Italy.
In the time since, The Michael Graves College has produced alumni who work in a wide variety of fields for some of the world’s most notable corporations such as Google and Disney. It also features members of its faculty who have past ties to Harvard, Princeton, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and other prestigious institutions both nationwide and abroad.
The NAAB recognizes 3 types of degrees in the U.S., The Bachelor of Architecture, The Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture.
Most state architecture registration Boards require that all applicants for licensure have graduated from a NAAB accredited program as a prerequisite.
A NAAB accredited degree is the first step for all prospective architects to receive their National Council of Architecture Registration Board (NCARB) certification, which permits them to work in all 55 U.S. states and territories.
The Michael Graves College which currently has locations in Kean’s Union and Wenzhou campus is scheduled for its next visit for continuation of Accreditation by the NAAB in 2024.