Most state registration boards require that an individual intending to become an architect hold a NAAB-accredited degree. Although graduation from an accredited program does not promise licensure, it allows verifying the candidate has received a satisfactory professional education.

The National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) reviews two types of professional degrees:

The Bachelor of Architecture, requiring a minimum of five-years to receive a first professional degree.

The Master of Architecture first professional degree, which requires a minimum of three years of study following an unrelated bachelor's degree, or two years following a related pre-professional bachelor's degree, or five years or more in an intensive professional architecture program.

These professional degrees are intended to educate those who aspire to be registered/licensed architects. Four-year pre-professional programs are not accredited by NAAB.

To become registered/licensed, graduates from an accredited program must fulfill professional internship requirements, and pass the registration exam. The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) administers the Internship Development Program (IDP), the Architect Registration Examination (ARE), as well as provides national certification for practicing architecture in the U.S.A.