Fairmont State University’s Master of Architecture program awarded 8-Year Initial Accreditation by the National Architecture Accrediting Board

Fairmont State University is pleased to announce that after the Master of Architecture Program achieved its three-year Initial Accreditation status in 2022, it has now been awarded its first term of Continuing Accreditation by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). This allows West Virginia’s only professional degree program in Architecture to continue to grow and develop for eight years before the next accreditation visit. The program’s 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. He added, “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.”  

Fairmont State would like to recognize and thank the hard-working faculty and staff who worked on this initiative including Philip Freeman who headed up compiling the Architecture Program Report (APR), Kellie Cole, Stacey Bowers, Kirk Morphew, Bob Kelly and the Architecture Program’s adjuncts.  

Professor Freeman said, "Most of our graduate students work in offices locally, and this accreditation helps us expand regionally so that we can recruit more effectively beyond the borders of the state. Through expansion like this, we are developing relationships between graduates who work beyond West Virginia.”  

The eight-year NAAB accreditation granted to Fairmont State’s architecture program signifies its dependability and consistency. Aspiring architecture students can take the first step towards becoming a licensed architect by pursuing education at Fairmont State’s architecture program that is hands-on, personal, and full of opportunity.  

When talking about the university’s architecture program, 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. Students’ exposure to dedicated faculty inspires them to be leaders in their classroom and communities.” She adds, “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.” 

The 8-year accreditation of the architecture program is another way faculty and staff work together to make Fairmont State University a Great Place to Learn, Work, and Call Home! Prospective architects from around West Virginia and beyond will be able to gain academic and hands-on experience in the Master of Architecture degree program that will aid them throughout their careers. 

To learn more about the program, visit https://www.fairmontstate.edu/academics/programs/master-architecture/default.aspx.