Program Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Architecture is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC/NCA). It is considered a pre-professional degree and is therefore not eligible for professional accreditation. CAP's professionally accredited architecture program is the Master of Architecture program.

The HLC/NCA is the accrediting agency that accredits all institutions in the CU System. The HLC/NCA evaluates the university in terms of its mission and the agency's standards or criteria. It assesses formal educational activities, governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

The university's status as fully accredited allows students to receive federal financial aid and facilitates the transfer of credit to other institutions. Accreditation is ongoing and must be renewed every 10 years. CU Denver’s last accreditation visit was in 2011. You can learn more about the accreditation process and outcomes on CU Denver’s Accreditation site.

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 University of Colorado Denver offers the following NAAB-accredited degree programs:

• M. Arch. (preprofessional degree + 60 credits)
• M. Arch. (non-architectural degree + 105 credits)

The Master of Architecture’s most recent NAAB visit was in 2023, and the program was granted a full eight-year accreditation.

If you would like to learn more about the Master of Architecture’s NAAB Accreditation, please visit their accreditation webpage.

The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program has been fully accredited since 1983. The program had its scheduled accreditation review by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) on October 2-5, 2022. The current accreditation was awarded for a six-year period through December 31, 2028.

If you are interested in reading the program’s 2022 self-study, you can view it on their accreditation page.

The Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) accredits university programs in North America leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees in planning. PAB standards are developed with input from the public and our sponsoring organizations: the American Planning Association (APA); APA’s American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP); and the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).

The Master of Urban and Regional Planning program is accredited through December 31, 2029.

The program is required to post annual program performance indicators.  View program performance indicators here. 

The Master of Science in Historic Preservation is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC/NCA).

The HLC/NCA is the accrediting agency that accredits all institutions in the CU System. The HLC/NCA evaluates the university in terms of its National Council of Preservation Education Standards formal educational activities, governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

The university's status as fully accredited allows students to receive federal financial aid and facilitates the transfer of credit to other institutions. Accreditation is ongoing and must be renewed every 10 years. CU Denver’s last accreditation visit was in 2011. You can learn more about the accreditation process and outcomes on CU Denver’s Accreditation site.

There is no professional accrediting agency for historic preservation. However, the Master of Science in Historic Preservation is compliant with the National Council of Preservation Education Standards.

The Master Urban Design is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC/NCA).

The HLC/NCA is the accrediting agency that accredits all institutions in the CU System. The HLC/NCA evaluates the university in terms of its National Council of Preservation Education Standards formal educational activities, governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

The university's status as fully accredited allows students to receive federal financial aid and facilitates the transfer of credit to other institutions. Accreditation is ongoing and must be renewed every 10 years. CU Denver’s last accreditation visit was in 2011. You can learn more about the accreditation process and outcomes on CU Denver’s Accreditation site.

The PhD in Geography, Planning, and Design is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC/NCA).

The HLC/NCA is the accrediting agency that accredits all institutions in the CU System. The HLC/NCA evaluates the university in terms of its National Council of Preservation Education Standards formal educational activities, governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student services, institutional resources, student learning, institutional effectiveness, and relationships with internal and external constituencies.

The university's status as fully accredited allows students to receive federal financial aid and facilitates the transfer of credit to other institutions. Accreditation is ongoing and must be renewed every 10 years. CU Denver’s last accreditation visit was in 2011. You can learn more about the accreditation process and outcomes on CU Denver’s Accreditation site.