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Accreditation
Policy and Procedure for Accreditation of Architectural
Programmes
| 1.0 |
INTRODUCTION |
| 1.1 |
The Board of Architects Malaysia was
formed under the provisions of the Architects Act 1967 and it is
responsible for the enforcement of the said Act. Section 10 (1)(a) of the Act,
stipulates the following :
"10(1)(a) Subject to this Act, any person who
holds the qualification recognised by the Board, shall be entitled on application to be registered as a
Graduate Architect". |
| 1.2 |
Under Section 4(1) of the Act, the
Board is empowered :
“(gb)
to appoint a council, consisting of such
members of the Board, Professional Architects and other persons as may be
determined by the Board, to advise and regulate all matters relating to
architectural and interior design education including the certification and
recognition of such programmes.”. |
| 1.3 |
In
line with the above functions, the Board is responsible for determining the
standard for entry into the architectural profession and the accreditation of
architectural programmes for recognition by the Board.
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| 1.4 |
For
this purpose, the Council of Architectural Education Malaysia (CAEM) was formed
under the auspices of the Board to regulate all matters relating to
architectural education. |
| 1.5 |
This
document provides information on the objectives, criteria and procedures of
accreditation for programmes of study in architecture. |
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| 2.0 |
INTERPRETATION |
| 2.1 |
In
this policy and procedure, unless the context otherwise requires –
'Accreditation' refers to the official acceptance and endorsement that a particular
programme has been assessed and accredited to have attained the approved
standard required by the Council of Architectural Education Malaysia, and that
its graduates are deemed to possess the competencies required to progress
towards registration as a Graduate Architect with the Board of Architects
Malaysia.
A programme that has been accredited is referred to as a recognised programme by the
Board.
'Board' refers to the Board of Architects Malaysia.
'Credit Hours or Credit Units' refer to the weightage given to each course
which is required for the completion of the total programme.
'Conditional
Accreditation'
means the school still enjoys the same privileges under full accreditation but
must take action on the shortcoming identified by the Panel. If fulfilled the
conditional accreditation can be upgraded to full accreditation for a period of
five (5) years which shall deem to commence from the date of the conditional
accreditation.
'Council' refers to the Council of Architectural Education
Malaysia or CAEM formed under the auspices of the Board.
'Core Courses' refer to courses of substantial credit value which
relate to architecture.
'Course' refers to a subject of study which runs for multiple
weeks involving contacts with academic staff and other students in a variety of
forms including lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops as well as on-line
and electronic communication. A number
of courses may make up a sequence of study, eg. Architectural Design 1, Architectural
Design 2, etc.
'Electives' refer to a range of courses offered by the programme
for the purpose of pursuing individual interests or specific needs in addition
to the core courses.
'Panel' refers to the Visiting Panel set up by the Council.
'Programme' refers to the sequence of courses taken to qualify
for the degree or award in which a student is enrolled.
'School' refers to the entity within a tertiary educational
institution that conducts the architectural programme leading to an award of
qualification in architecture |
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| 3.0 |
OBJECTIVES
OF ACCREDITATION |
| 3.1 |
Accreditation
of educational programmes in architecture seeks primarily to ensure that the
standards attained by successful graduates of the programmes are adequate with
regard to the design, technical and professional skills required for competent
architectural practice. |
| 3.2 |
The
duration of education and training for architects is structured into three (3)
consecutive stages namely LAM Part I and LAM Part II, to be delivered in five
(5) years of formal education, followed by a professional qualification of LAM
Part III to be obtained after two (2) years of approved practical experience. |
| 3.3 |
An
architectural programme which has been accredited by the Board shall be deemed
to have satisfied the requirements of either LAM Part I, LAM Part II or both
LAM Part I and Part II of the Board’s examination in architecture. |
| 3.4 |
Towards
this objective, the Board assesses the programmes of study leading to the
awards of qualifications in architecture and accredits programmes which are in
line with the requirements of the Board. |
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| 4.0 |
POLICY
AND CRITERIA FOR ACCREDITATION |
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| 4.1
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Institutions
conducting a programme having the word 'architecture' or 'architectural' in the
name of programme or the award are required to get the advice of the Board at
the inception of such programmes. |
The
word 'architecture' in a programme |
| 4.2
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Accreditation
process is conducted upon the application of the institution offering the
architectural programme. |
Application
for Accreditation |
| 4.3
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If
the institution runs more than one
programme of study in architecture and wishes the programme to be accredited,
the institution is required to apply for the accreditation of each of the
programme separately. |
Running more than one programme |
| 4.4
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If
an institution wishes to run a programme at a different location or mode, the
institution is required to apply for separate accreditation of such programme. |
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| 4.5
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Accreditation of the programme of study is for a period of not exceeding
five years and shall lapse at the expiry thereof. |
Accreditation
period
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| 4.6 |
The
Board is empowered to require institutions to provide information on the
accredited programme or programmes and to visit the institutions as and when
necessary. |
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| 4.7 |
When
there are minimal shortcomings to the programme, the Board may grant
conditional accreditation during which time the institution must take necessary
corrective measures to address the shortcoming, within a period of up to two years failing which the
accreditation shall be withdrawn |
Conditional Accreditation |
| 4.8 |
Architectural education should
ensure that all graduates have knowledge and ability in
architectural design, including technical systems and requirements as well as
consideration for health, safety and ecological balance; that they understand
the cultural, intellectual, historical, social, economic and environmental
context for architecture, and that they comprehend thoroughly the architects’
roles and responsibilities in society, which depend on a cultivated, analytical
and creative mind. The programme of study should address the various issues
outlined in APPENDIX A. |
Learning Outcome
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4.9
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The
duration of architectural programme shall be as
follows:- |
Duration
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4.9.1 |
For
LAM Part I accreditation, the programme shall be of no less than three (3)
years duration after Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or the equivalent,
or of no less than four (4) years duration after Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)
or the equivalent, delivered on a full time basis |
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4.9.2
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For LAM Part II accreditation, the programme shall be of no less that two (2) years duration upon registration of a
full time programme. |
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4.9.3
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For
both LAM Part I and Part II accreditation, the programme shall be of no less
than five years duration after Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM) or the
equivalent, or of no less than six years duration after Sijil Pelajaran
Malaysia (SPM) or the equivalent, delivered on a full time basis. |
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4.9.4
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Any
programme delivered on part time basis must show evidence of equivalency as
stated in paragraphs 4.9.1, 4.9.2 and 4.9.3 |
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4.10
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The
minimum credit requirement for an academic
programme in architecture is 150
credits and the distribution is as follows :-
LAM
Part I : Minimum 90 credits LAM Part II : Minimum 60 credits
The
allocation of credits shall be in the following proportion:-
a)
Architectural core courses minimum 70% b)
Architectural related studies : 10 - 15% c)
Others : 15 - 20%
For
details please see APPENDIX B. |
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4.11
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Major
changes in syllabus and curriculum of accredited programmes have to be
presented to the Council for advice.
These refer to changes involving the following aspects:-
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- Underlying
philosophy of programme
- More
than 40% of programme content
- Location
and mode of delivery
- Name
and duration of award
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4.12
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The
students’ admission system must ensure that only qualified candidates are
admitted into the programme. For details
please see APPENDIX C. |
Entry requirements
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4.13
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The
teaching staff must be sufficient in number and capability to ensure the
quality of the programme. For details please see APPENDIX C. |
Staff
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4.14
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There
must be dedicated work space for each student in a studio with an allocation of
2.5 sq.m per student. Inability to provide this requirement, the institutions
has to substantiate with evidence showing occurrence of sharing and peer
learning. Apart from dedicated studio space, institutions should also provide
spaces for presentation and exhibition of student’s works. |
Facilities
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4.15
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There
should also be other related facilities such as laboratories, model making
workshop, building technology workshop, repository of students’ works, facilities
for research, advanced studies, information and data exchange for new
technologies to support effective learning environment. |
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4.16
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The
programme must have adequate access to institutional support and financial
resources to ensure the ongoing viability of the programme. |
Finance |
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| 5.0 |
ACCREDITATION
PROCEDURE |
| 5.1
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Schools of
Architecture seeking accreditation from the Board should apply to :
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Honorary
Secretary Council of Architectural Education Malaysia c/o Board of Architects
Malaysia 17th
Floor, Block F, PWD Headquarters Jalan Sultan
Salahuddin 50582 Kuala Lumpur |
| 5.2
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Preliminary
Visit :
Newly
established schools are advised to consider requesting for a preliminary visit
by the CAEM Panel to advise the implementation of the programme. Such visits can be requested as early as in
final semester of the second year. |
| 5.3
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Application
for accreditation shall be submitted to the Council before the first cycle of the programme is
completed i.e when the first batch of students are in their final semester.
Such application shall be submitted at least six (6) months before the intended
accreditation visit. |
| 5.4
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AAccreditation
Visit :
Panel from CAEM would visit the School to assess the standard of architectural
education at the end of either Part I or at the end of the Part I & II of
the School’s syllabus, where relevant. |
| 5.5
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The
documentation of information as prescribed in APPENDIX D shall be
submitted to the Council one month
prior to the visit of the CAEM Panel. |
| 5.6 |
The
application for continuing the accreditation shall be submitted at least six
(6) months before the expiry of the original accreditation period. The
submission of documentation to the Council shall be made at least one (1)
month before the visit. Additional documents submitted thereafter may not
be taken into consideration by the Panel in assessing the programme |
| 5.7 |
To
prepare for the visit of Panel, the School shall make ready items as described
in APPENDIX
E. |
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5.8
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Where
Conditional Accreditation has been awarded (Paragraph 4.7 refers), interim
visits may be necessary and/or the School may be required to furnish information
as prescribed by the Panel.
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5.9
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The
preparation for the visits and the expenses incurred by the Board shall be
borne by the School, the particulars of which shall be determined by the CAEM. |
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