Achieved highest level of accreditation for architectural education program

The Department of Architectural Design at the Graduate School of Techno Design at Kookmin University received the highest level of architectural education accreditation from the Korea Architectural Accreditation Board (KAAB) in the architectural education program accreditation review on July 31, 2024.

The accreditation of architectural education programs is a system in which the Korea Architectural Accreditation Board (KAAB) grants educational accreditation through document review and accreditation inspection of educational institutions' programs. It is a very important accreditation system for architectural education that is absolutely necessary for taking the architect qualification examination.

The architectural accreditation process begins with a candidate qualification examination by KAAB, followed by a 3-night, 4-day on-site inspection, and the certification results are notified through the final deliberation and decision of the KAAB Board of Directors. The Department of Architectural Design completed the on-site examination process in April 2024 and officially obtained architectural accreditation in July 2024.

In particular, the cutting-edge technology convergence education curriculum centered around the Smart Space Lab and Urban Architecture Lab, the hosting of the Dokdo International Competition through the efforts of the Department of Architectural Design itself for the past 12 years, and the excellent research achievements of students and faculty were recognized as strengths. In addition, the students’ high pride in the program, the dedication of the faculty, and the close bond between current students and alumni were also highly evaluated.

With this, Kookmin University has proven its excellence as the only university in Korea to have received KAAB’s architectural education program accreditation for both undergraduate and graduate school. Kim Yong-seong, head of the Department of Architectural Design, said, “We will continue to strive to achieve our educational goal of fostering future-ready architects with creativity and the ability to solve social problems based on cutting-edge science and technology, while inheriting the architectural education philosophy of the late Professor Kim Soo-geun, the first dean of the College of Design.”