History & Accreditation

The College of Architecture, Design & Engineering at Thomas Jefferson University traces its origins to a single Interior Design course offered in 1980. From there, the College grew into a nationally recognized academic community serving more than 900 students across a range of undergraduate, graduate, online graduate and doctoral programs, including:

• Architecture
• Interior Design
• Interior Architecture
• Landscape Architecture
• Historic Preservation
• Construction Management
• Sustainable Design
• Real Estate Development
• Urban Design
• Industrial Design
• Visual Communication Design
• Animation & Digital Media
• User Experience & Interaction Design
• Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

In 1982, the Bachelor of Science in Interior Design was established, followed by the launch of the Bachelor of Architecture program in 1991, with 80 first-year students. As programs expanded, the School of Architecture and Design was divided into two distinct schools in 2004 to form the School of Architecture and the School of Design and Media.

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture joined the portfolio of design-oriented programs in 2005, while the long-standing Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies continued to support related disciplines through concentrations such as Architectural Design Technology and Historic Preservation. Construction Management was the newest undergraduate addition to the School of Architecture, launched in the Fall of 2011.

As part of the university’s restructuring in 2011, the School of Architecture became the College of Architecture & the Built Environment (CABE). The College celebrated key milestones, including the 40th anniversary of the BS in Interior Design program in 2022 and the 35th anniversary of the Bachelor of Architecture program in 2026.

In 2026, the College entered a transformative new chapter when the design and engineering disciplines joined the College of Architecture & the Built Environment to form the College of Architecture, Design and Engineering (CADE). This milestone significantly expanded the College’s portfolio of creative, technical and construction-focused disciplines, creating a dynamic academic community that bridges architecture, design, engineering and the built environment. CADE reflects the university’s commitment to education, innovation and collaborative problem-solving, while creating new opportunities for students and faculty to engage, apply emerging technologies and address complex challenges.

Architecture

The Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) program and the Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) program are accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB).

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Construction Management

The Bachelor of Science in Construction Management program at Thomas Jefferson University is accredited by the Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission (ANSAC) of ABET ABET-ANSAC evaluates 4-year Construction Management programs to approve that “Graduates of Construction Management programs will have the knowledge, as well as the technical, administrative and communication skills, necessary to succeed in the construction industry.” The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program, BS in Construction Management emphasizes the importance of a rich and productive collaboration between construction, project management and design.

Interior Design

The four-year Bachelor of Science in Interior Design program at Jefferson is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA).

The field requires extensive knowledge of design, human behavior, construction, material, product and lighting technologies, building codes and much more. In many jurisdictions in North America, these professional responsibilities have led to certification or licensing of interior designers, and as part of that, testing by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). To assure that interior design graduates are ready to assume the demands of the profession and are prepared to sit for the NCIDQ Exam the CIDA has developed rigorous educational standards. Achievement of CIDA accreditation of an interior design program confirms to the public the quality of the program; “that the program meets the rigor of peer review and develops the skills and knowledge required to practice interior design.”

Landscape Architecture

The Landscape Architecture Program is fully accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB)  The 4-year Landscape Architecture Program is committed to providing leadership in confronting issues that affect urban neighborhoods and ecological systems.