Tennessee Tech University to Launch Bachelor of Architecture Degree

Key facts

• Tennessee Tech University secured state approval to launch a Bachelor of Architecture degree.
• The Tennessee Higher Education Commission announced approval on August 24.
• Tennessee Tech's Board of Trustees issued unanimous approval on June 25.
• The new 5-year professional program will welcome its first students in fall 2027.
• The 154-credit-hour degree will be the foundation of a new School of Architecture on the Cookeville campus.
• The first cohort is expected to graduate in 2032.
• Cohorts will be capped at roughly 30 students.
• The program will be entirely in person.
• State projections point to roughly 370 to 380 annual job openings across architecture-related occupations in Tennessee.
• Tennessee Tech intends to pursue accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), with initial candidacy anticipated by the 2028-29 academic year and full accreditation targeted for 2032-33.
• Once accredited, the program would become the fourth Bachelor of Architecture offering in the state, alongside the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University of Memphis, and Belmont University.
• Belmont's B.Arch. program received NAAB accreditation in May.
• Tennessee Tech plans to hire additional faculty, including a director for the new school.