24th Engineering Conference, Engineering Education in Arab World, Jordan, Amman
Abstract
Well recognized accreditation and validation bodies ensure that architecture
graduates will be technically competent who are capable of defining multiple
career paths within a changing societal context. These accrediting bodies require
an accredited program to produce graduates who are able to solve architectural
design problems, including the integration of technical systems, environmental
systems, and health and safety requirements; and comprehend architects' roles
and responsibilities in society.
The criteria at which the accrediting bodies work and their influence on
Architecture schools, the students and syllabus in Arab region are discussed. The
RIBA and the CAA are the key professional bodies that perform accreditation
beyond their original national borders. In this paper the RIBA validation system
will be discussed in order to find out to what extent such validation process can
affect the teaching and curriculum structure within architectural schools. The
paper presents the validation process carried out at the Architectural Engineering
and Environmental Design Department, Arab Academy for Science and
Technology (AAST). The AAST architectural department is the first architecture
school to be accredited by the RIBA accreditation board in the Arab region
