Our History

CIDA Accreditation

Council for Interior Design Accreditation

The Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) is an independent, non-profit accrediting organization for interior design education programs at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The BFA Interior Architecture & Design and the MFA Interior Architecture & Design programs are both accredited by the CIDA. CIDA is located at 206 Grandville Ave., Suite 350, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-4014. Tel. 1-616-458-0400

CTC Accreditation

California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Accreditation

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is an agency in the Executive Branch of California State Government. The major purpose of the agency is to serve as a state standards board for educator preparation for the public schools of California, the licensing and credentialing of professional educators in the State, the enforcement of professional practices of educators, and the discipline of credential holders in the State of California. CTC accredits the Academy of Art University's Single Subject Art Teaching Credential Program. They are located at 1900 Capitol Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95811. Tel: 916-322-6253.

NOTE: The online Art Teaching Credential and the Masters in Art Teaching requires fieldwork assignments in observing and teaching art to pupils in local Bay Area public schools.

NAAB Accreditation

The National Architectural Accrediting Board [NAAB.org]
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, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on the extent of its conformance with established educational standards.

Doctor of Architecture and Master of Architecture degree programs may require a pre-professional undergraduate degree in architecture for admission. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree.

The Academy of Art University, School of Architecture, offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

• B. Arch. (162 undergraduate credits)
  
  Next accreditation visit 2018



• M. Arch. (pre-professional degree + 63 graduate credits)
• M. Arch. (non-pre-professional degree + 87 graduate credits)
  
  Next accreditation visit 2021

NASAD Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design

The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is the national accrediting agency for art and design and art and design-related disciplines. The Academy of Art University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) to offer degrees of Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Arts, and Certificates. All Academy of Art University AA, BA, BFA, MA, MFA and Art Teaching Credential programs are accredited by NASAD except for the programs offered by these schools: School of Acting, School of Architecture, School of Communications & Media Technologies, School of Landscape Architecture, School of Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, School of Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media, and also the AA in Automotive Restoration offered by the School of Industrial Design and the BS in Game Programming offered by the School of Game Development. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is located at 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston, VA, 20190. Tel. 703.437.0700

WSCUC Accreditation

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Academy of Art University is regionally accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), one of the seven regional associations that accredit public and private colleges and schools in the United States. WSCUC is located at 985 Atlantic Avenue #100, Alameda, CA, 94501. Tel. 510.748.9001.

WSCUC Accreditation for Online Programs
Both onsite and online degree programs at Academy of Art University are accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). The following degree programs are not currently offered online: AA, BFA and MFA in Acting, MA in Advanced Architectural Design, BS in Game Programming, and AA in Automotive Restoration.

Academy of Art University received reaffirmation of accreditation in 2014 for a term of 7 years from the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). At that time, WSCUC indicated particular concern that Academy of Art University engage with the recommendations of the Commission on five “areas for continuing action and development”: Leadership and Organizational Structure and Effectiveness (efficiency of decision-making and planning); The Faculty Role (engaging with the greater life of the institution); Student Success (improving graduation rates); Student Life (integrating the co-curriculum and maturing offerings); and Strategic Planning (centralized plans drawing on multiple perspectives, especially faculty). A Special Visit was held in September 2016, and at their meeting February 15-17, 2017, the Commission acknowledged the great progress made in each of the areas but in order to determine the level of sustainability and impact, the Commission voted to continue the Formal Notice of Concern through spring 2018.

Academy of Art University would like to thank WSCUC for its commendations of the university in the areas of: Responsiveness to the Findings and Recommendations of the 2014 WSCUC Team Report; Reduction of Direct Reports to the President, Reorganization of Management Structure, Additions to Management Team; Formative Efforts Toward the Engagement of Faculty through a more Participatory Process; Ongoing Integration of Co-Curricular Programs and Further Development of Co-Curricular Program Review; Systemic Approach to Forming the Comprehensive 5-year Strategic Plan.

Academy of Art University is committed to engaging with the recommendations of the Commission for further development: Decision-Making and Management (clarify process, define roles and responsibilities); Faculty Engagement (formalize shared governance); Faculty Roles and Responsibilities (foster faculty culture); Institutional Research Function (data and decision- making, persistence and graduation rates); Strategic Plan (bottom-up approach, data-driven changes).

The Commission has scheduled a special visit in spring 2018 that will focus on the university’s progress in addressing the Commission recommendations. Academy of Art University is required to fully address each area by the time of the special visit or the Commission will be required to issue a sanction. Many faculty and administrators in the Academy of Art University community will be collaborating on the various projects associated with continued action on these items.

The next WSCUC visit will be the special visit in spring 2018. The WASC Commission Letter can be found here. The visiting team report, which formed the basis for the Commission Action Letter, can be found here.

If you have any questions about WSCUC, please contact Cathy Corcoran (ccorcoran@academyart.edu), Academy of Art University’s WSCUC Accreditation Liaison Officer.

Non-Discrimination Statement

Academy of Art University admits students of any race, color, age, religion, and national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, physical handicap, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and other school-administered programs.