Accreditation
In 2012, the Egyptian Supreme Council of Universities approved the program as equivalent to its Egyptian counterparts. Accordingly, graduates of the Architectural Engineering program at AUC receive a license to practice architecture from the Egyptian Syndicate of Engineers, the sole authority for licensing the professional practice of architecture in Egypt. This was renewed in 2017 and then in 2023 for a duration of 5 years.
In 2014, the International Union of Architects (UNESCO-UIA validation) validated the Architectural Engineering degree at AUC. This was renewed in 2017 and then in 2019 for an unconditional 5-year revalidation.
The department is also currently in the process of pursuing accreditation for its undergraduate program by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). This agency evaluates architecture programs to ensure that their graduates are appropriately prepared to enter the profession and earn an architectural licensure in the United States and a certificate of licensure from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The program was approved for eligibility for initial candidacy in 2022 and was officially recognized by AUC as a Bachelor of Architecture (B Arch). In 2023, the program was approved for initial candidacy by NAAB and is due to apply for continuation of candidacy in 2024 and initial accreditation in 2026.
Supreme Council of Universities
The mission of the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU) is to endeavor to achieve the Egyptian Universities' autonomy and to have skilled graduates competitive with the international labor market to achieve linkage between higher education and the community needs, upgrade and Enhance the universities' performance by applying quality assurance and assessments methods; and achieve a knowledgeable society, encourage innovation and creativity within the framework of academic competition based on scientific excellence.
International Union of Architects (UNESCO‐UIA validation)
The International Union of Architects (UIA) is the only global organization representing the world's architects, now estimated to number some 3.2 million in all. Founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1948, the UIA advances policies and programs that improve communities through design.
National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
In the United States, most 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 professional degree programs in architecture offered by institutions with U.S. regional accreditation, recognizes three types of degrees: the Bachelor of Architecture, the Master of Architecture, and the Doctor of Architecture. A program may be granted an eight-year term, an eight-year term with conditions, or a two-year term of continuing accreditation, or a three-year term of initial accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established education standards. Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a non-accredited undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the non-accredited degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.
The NAAB grants candidacy status to new programs that have developed viable plans for achieving initial accreditation. Candidacy status indicates that a program expects to achieve initial accreditation within six years of achieving candidacy if its plan is properly implemented. In order to meet the education requirement set forth by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, an applicant for an NCARB Certificate must hold a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the NAAB; the degree must have been awarded not more than two years prior to initial accreditation. However, meeting the education requirement for the NCARB Certificate may not be equivalent to meeting the education requirement for registration in a specific jurisdiction. Please contact NCARB for more information.
The Department of Architecture at the American University in Cairo was granted candidacy status for the following professional degree program in architecture:
Bachelor of Architecture B.Arch (162 semester undergraduate credit hours)
Year candidacy awarded: 2023
Next visit: Continuation of Candidacy, 2026
Projected year to achieve initial accreditation: 2028
Earliest graduation date projected to meet NCARB education requirement: 2028
Accreditation Reports and Related Documents: