Doctor of Architecture in the United States

In the United States, a Doctor of Architecture (D.Arch.) is a professional doctorate conferred upon the completion of an architectural doctoral program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).¹ The only university currently offering a Doctor of Architecture degree program in the United States is the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.²

Most state registration boards in the United States require a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure.³ The National Architectural Accrediting Board, the sole agency authorized to accredit United States professional degree programs in architecture,¹ recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture.⁴ 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 only university in the United States offering a Doctor of Architecture degree program is the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The university's Doctorate of Architecture degree program was first accredited by the NAAB in 1999.⁵ Admission to the program is open to students who have completed high school, transfer students who have completed some college-level work, and students who have completed undergraduate or advanced degrees.⁵ Completion of the degree requires 120 undergraduate credits and 90 graduate credits.⁵