A five-year professional degree in architecture
Tennessee Tech's Bachelor of Architecture is a five-year, 152-credit-hour professional
undergraduate degree that will be housed in a new School of Architecture on the Cookeville
campus. The program is designed around studio-based instruction and a regional focus
on rural and community-centered design.
The degree program was unanimously approved by Tennessee Tech's Board of Trustees on June 25, 2026, and has completed the state's academic program approval process. Tennessee Tech plans to welcome its first cohort of students in fall 2027.
Where the program stands
The Bachelor of Architecture has completed the state's academic program approval process. Tennessee Tech is now preparing to launch the program and enroll its first class of students in fall 2027.
- Complete: Board of Trustees approval, June 25, 2026
- Complete: THEC external site review
- Complete: Final state approval
- Fall 2027: First cohort enrolls
- Spring 2032: First cohort graduates
The university is preparing enrollment materials and admissions processes for students interested in joining the inaugural fall 2027 class.
About the degree
The Bachelor of Architecture requires 152 credit hours across general education, an architectural education core and guided electives. Design studios anchor the curriculum, each carrying six credit hours and building sequentially across the five years. Coursework covers architectural systems, materials and methods, digital design tools, environmental systems, building codes, and construction documentation.
Students will be admitted in cohorts of 30, a limit set by studio capacity. Small cohorts are standard in architecture education, where low faculty-to-student ratios and dedicated studio space are requirements rather than preferences.
The program will be delivered entirely on ground in Cookeville, TN. That decision is deliberate: Architectural education depends on one-on-one design critique, pin-ups and daily access to studios, the woodshop and fabrication lab, and visualization equipment.
The curriculum emphasizes the built environment of the Upper Cumberland and communities like it — regional growth, rural development and the design questions that come with both. Cookeville ranked ninth nationally in numeric growth among micropolitan areas between 2023 and 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Why Tennessee Tech created this program
Tennessee projects roughly 370 annual openings across architecture-related occupations. Over the past five years, universities across the state have graduated an average of 138 architecture students per year. Three institutions in Tennessee currently offer a Bachelor of Architecture.
The gap is concentrated in the regions surrounding Cookeville. Northern Middle Tennessee, the Upper Cumberland and East Tennessee account for 172 of the state's 210 annual openings for architectural and engineering managers.
Accreditation
Tennessee Tech will pursue accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The curriculum has been designed from the outset to meet full NAAB standards and student criteria.
Under current timelines, the degree is expected to reach NAAB initial candidacy status by the 2028-29 academic year — well before the first cohort graduates in spring 2032 — and full accreditation by the 2032-33 academic year. Once full accreditation is granted, any student who graduated from the program within the previous two years is covered retroactively.
Accreditation matters for what comes after graduation. A degree from a NAAB-accredited program is the standard educational pathway toward architectural licensure, and many firms limit internships to students enrolled in accredited programs.
Career paths
Graduates of a Bachelor of Architecture program work as architectural and residential designers, construction and project managers, contractors, real estate developers, facilities managers and building information modeling coordinators. Others move into urban and rural planning or into analyst and specialist roles across construction and building science. The degree also serves as preparation for graduate study.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a national median pay of $96,690 for architects in 2024.
Frequently asked questions
- » When will the degree program launch?
Tennessee Tech plans to launch the Bachelor of Architecture program in fall 2027 and welcome its first cohort of students at that time.
- » Has the Bachelor of Architecture program been approved?
Yes. The Bachelor of Architecture program was unanimously approved by Tennessee Tech's Board of Trustees on June 25, 2026, and has completed the state's academic program approval process. Tennessee Tech is now preparing to enroll its first class of students in fall 2027.
- » When can I apply?
The university is preparing enrollment materials and admissions processes for the Bachelor of Architecture. Additional information about admissions timelines and application procedures will be announced as the fall 2027 launch approaches.
- » Will the Bachelor of Architecture degree be accredited?
Tennessee Tech will pursue accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The curriculum for the degree program has been designed to meet full NAAB accreditation standards and student criteria.
Under current timelines, the degree is expected to reach NAAB candidacy status by the 2028-29 academic year — well before the first cohort graduates in spring 2032 — and full accreditation by the 2032-33 academic year.
Once full accreditation is granted, any student who graduated from the program within the previous two years is covered retroactively.
- » Why is this a five-year, 152-hour program rather than a typical four-year, 120-hour
bachelor's degree?
The 152-hour Bachelor of Architecture aligns with NAAB standards and criteria. Other NAAB-accredited Bachelor of Architecture programs have the same or similar credit-hour requirements. NAAB defines a Bachelor of Architecture as a five-year professional undergraduate degree, requiring a minimum of 150 credit hours.
- » How will the degree program be delivered?
The program will use a 100% on-ground, traditional delivery model on Tennessee Tech's campus in Cookeville, Tennessee. Architectural education depends on regular access to studios, design critiques, fabrication facilities and specialized equipment.
- » Under what academic college or school will the degree be housed?
The Bachelor of Architecture will be housed in a new School of Architecture with its own administration, operating budget and dedicated faculty and staff.
- » How many students will be admitted?
Students will be admitted in cohorts of 30. The cohort size is based on studio capacity and supports the low faculty-to-student ratios and dedicated studio access required for architectural education.
- » What career fields could I pursue with this degree?
Graduates will be prepared for roles as architectural and residential designers, contractors, construction and project managers, real estate developers, urban and rural planners, facilities managers, building information modeling coordinators, and analysts and specialists working in construction and building science. The degree also provides preparation for graduate study.
- » Will this replace the Bachelor of Science in Design Studies?
No. The Design Studies program, including its architecture and interior design concentration, will continue. The two degrees serve different goals — Design Studies offers a broader, more general design education, while the Bachelor of Architecture is a professional degree pursuing NAAB accreditation with a limited cohort size.
- » I'm a current Design Studies student in the architecture and interior design concentration.
Could I transfer into the Bachelor of Architecture program?
This will depend on where the student is in the degree process. A freshman or sophomore could potentially apply for admission to the program, and the university is finalizing a plan for that process.
At a minimum, any student transferring into the program would need to complete at least four years dedicated to the architecture program due to its sequential studio course requirements. Current Design Studies students should talk with their academic advisor about their options.
Questions
Questions about the Bachelor of Architecture program can be directed to agunnels@tntech.edu.