Fairmont State University’s Master of Architecture program has been awarded its first term of Continuing Accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), allowing West Virginia’s only professional degree program in architecture to continue growing for eight years before the next accreditation visit.
The program achieved its three-year Initial Accreditation status in 2022. The new term of Continuing Accreditation is effective from January 1, 2025, and runs until 2033.
“This new, longer period of accreditation status will allow West Virginia’s only professional degree program in Architecture the space to envision how it can best grow and prosper to benefit the people and communities of the state,” said Bob Kelly, Director of the Fairmont State Architecture Graduate Program and Professor. “Through the outreach of both our graduate and undergraduate Architecture programs, we plan to increase our involvement in community revitalization through engagement with preservation, adaptive reuse, and creative deconstruction.”
Professor Philip Freeman, who headed up compiling the Architecture Program Report, said most graduate students work in offices locally. “This accreditation helps us expand regionally so that we can recruit more effectively beyond the borders of the state,” he said. “Through expansion like this, we are developing relationships between graduates who work beyond West Virginia.”
Associate Professor of Architecture Kellie Cole said the architecture faculty provide mentorship beyond their courses.
“Smaller faculties can be invested in diverse components that round out an architecture student’s experience, including facilities maintenance to enhance the studio, technology integration, and extracurricular activities with the American Institute of Architects West Virginia, the state’s professional organization,” Cole said. “Our graduate enrollment continues to grow and is nearly at capacity. As West Virginia and our region hire Master of Architecture graduates from Fairmont State University, the impact of holistically designed spaces will expand with us.”
For more information about the program, visit fairmontstate.edu/academics/programs/master-architecture.
