About Accreditation

What is Accreditation?

Accreditation is the public recognition accorded to a professional degree program that meets established professional qualifications and educational standards through initial and periodic evaluations.

In Canada, the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) is the sole organization recognized by the architectural profession to accredit professional architecture degree programs offered by Canadian universities. The CACB is also one of the founders and an active member of the Association of Accrediting Agencies of Canada (AAAC).

Photo Credits. University of Toronto. John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture

Why Choose an Accredited Program?

In Canada, becoming a licensed architect is a regulated profession. Achieving the required professional competence involves a combination of education, practical experience, and professional examinations. Graduating from a CACB-accredited program is the first of these three essential steps toward licensure.

Canadian architectural programs are offered at both the pre-professional and professional levels. However, the professional degree, which fulfills the education requirement for licensure, is awarded only at the Master’s level (M.Arch).

What is CACB’s Accreditation Process?

The CACB only accredits Programs that are intended by their institution to be professional degrees in architecture that lead to licensure. Professional accreditation of a Program means that it has been evaluated by the CACB and substantially meets the educational standards that comprise, as a whole, an appropriate education for an architect. The accreditation process requires a self-assessment by the institution or Program, an evaluation of the self-assessment by the CACB, and a site visit and review conducted by a team representing the CACB.

Each Program must complete a series of steps, with CACB providing guidance and oversight throughout the entire process, including:

  • Architecture Program Report: Programs prepare a self-evaluation report to document their compliance with the CACB Conditions and Procedures for Accreditation.
  • External review: Accreditation reviews and site visits are conducted by a visiting team appointed by the CACB, composed of educators, practitioners, and students/interns.
  • Visiting Team Report (VTR): Prepared by the visiting team at the end of its site visit, this report summarizes the team’s findings, with a focus on evaluating the program’s performance against the CACB Conditions and Terms for Accreditation.
  • Accreditation Decision: The CACB Board renders the accreditation decision based on the program’s APR, the VTR assessing compliance with the CACB Conditions and Terms for Accreditation, and the Visiting Team recommendation. The Board also considers the program’s accreditation history before granting a term of accreditation.
  • Maintaining Accreditation: Programs must submit annual reports to demonstrate ongoing compliance and, if applicable, address any specific areas of noncompliance.

CACB Accreditation Office Hours

CACB office hours provide a dedicated time to engage with our staff and discuss questions, ideas, or aspects of your program. Sessions can be scheduled at any time for guidance or to address specific topics. These sessions offer an opportunity for targeted training, such as preparing the Annual Report, completing the Architecture Program Report (APR), or organizing the Virtual Student Exhibit.

To schedule an office hour, please contact our coordinator at accreditation@cacb.ca