U.S. Architect’s 28th Visit Marks Milestone Pursuit: Granting Graduates Seamless Integration with U.S. Architect Registration Exam

David Mohney, the dean of the Michael Graves College of Architecture and Design at Wenzhou-Kean University (WKU) visited Wenzhou for the 28th time recently. This time, he came with the aim to facilitate the accreditation of WKU's architecture program (M.Arch) by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) of the United States, which when obtained, will grant graduates of WKU's architecture program (M.Arch) seamless transition to take the Architect Registration Examination, the licensure examination accepted in United States and Canada for architecture professionals.

David Mohney is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, holds a M.Arch from Princeton University School of Architecture and attended Harvard University to study Fine Arts, where he received his A.B.. He was previously the dean for University of Kentucky College of Design. He has taught at the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in New York City, the Graduate School of Design at Harvard, and the Southern California Institute of Architecture in Los Angeles. Ten years ago, he was appointed to be the dean of Michael Graves College at Kean University and took a role in the establishment of the Architecture Program at Wenzhou-Kean University six years ago.

“Our programs for design and architecture at Wenzhou-Kean University emphasize originality and creativity. I think that’s one of the things that makes Wenzhou-Kean University different from other traditional Chinese universities,” said Dean Mohney. The Masters of Architecture program at WKU abides by the standard and course offering requirements of NAAB. Students grasp the history of architecture, and knowledge of constructional technologies while getting experience in the craft of artistic expression. Through studio and project-oriented training, architecture students combine practicable work and classroom learning to gain a capability in the training of the skill.

 

During the trip, Dean Mohney has been busy preparing for the NAAB accreditation. Kean USA alongside WKU received candidacy status in the procedures for accreditation in 2022, and WKU is expected to gain initial accreditation by 2024. Students enrolled in WKU’s Master of Architecture degree program can take the Architectural Registration Examination upon graduation, and become certified architects in the United States, which marks a significant step forward in the College’s history.

 

 

School of Public Architecture at Wenzhou-Kean University started to offer the Master of Architecture degree program in the Fall of 2021 and B.A. Architectural Studies program has been awarded with provincial “First-Class” status. Many of the graduates further their studies at the AA School of Architecture in England, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design, and other prestigious institutions of architecture.

 

Writer: Wenwei XIANG, Yifei DING