Accreditation in education: An architecture department experience

Abstract

Accreditation is a subject recently on the agenda of university - vocational training in Turkey as it is in the rest of the world, and it is gaining importance each day. While holding an accreditation documents the quality of the education offered by an educational institution, increases its desirability and demonstrates that it meets national or international standards; it also ensures the recognition of the diploma issued by the institution. Moreover, with globalization has come the ability for architects to find work in other countries as well as their own. The diplomas being recognized in other countries, having a minimum knowledge and skill as a professional are of great importance today. For the first time this year, the Institute for Higher Education (YÖK) has included information regarding the accreditation of universities in its Student Selection and Placement System (ÖSYS) Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide for students making their applications. At the top of accreditation requirements comes providing graduating students with specific knowledge and skills in accordance with the mission of the education program. Within the scope of this study, the accreditation process commencing in the 2000s at Uludağ University Architecture Department and continuing with a certain quality understanding, as well as its contribution to education is described. The Uludağ University Department of Architecture program accreditation process experiences, which commenced with the application to the American NAAB Accreditation institution, due to a lack of an institution offering accreditation to architecture departments in Turkey at that time; and continued with the establishment of MIAK in Turkey and an application and accreditation by MIAK will be described.