COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech University has received final approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to establish a new Bachelor of Architecture degree, paving the way for the university to launch the five-year professional program in fall 2027.
Tech was notified of the approval in an Aug. 24 letter from THEC. The 152-credit-hour degree program will anchor a new School of Architecture at Tech.
The program was unanimously approved by Tech’s Board of Trustees on June 25 before moving through THEC’s final approval process. With the program now approved for a fall 2027 launch, the university expects to graduate its first cohort of students in spring 2032.
The Bachelor of Architecture curriculum will include instruction in architectural design, history and theory, building structures and environmental systems, project and site planning, professional responsibilities and standards, materials and methods, digital design tools, building codes and construction documentation.
Students will be admitted in cohorts of approximately 30, allowing for the low faculty-to-student ratios and dedicated studio spaces that are central to architectural education.
The program also responds to projected demand for architecture-related professionals in Tennessee. State job outlook data project an 18% increase in demand for architects across Tennessee from 2020 to 2030. Tennessee projects roughly 380 annual openings across architecture-related occupations.
Sharon Huo, associate provost and professor of structural engineering, and Aeric Gunnels, lecturer of architecture and interior design, helped oversee Tech’s proposal for the program. The university plans to hire additional faculty, including a Director of the School of Architecture.
Gunnels said the new program is a natural addition to Tech’s academic portfolio given the strong response to student surveys and Tennessee’s continued population growth.
Tech also will pursue accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The curriculum has been developed to meet NAAB standards and student criteria, with the university anticipating initial candidacy status during the 2028-29 academic year and full accreditation by 2032-33. Accreditation would apply retroactively to include the program’s first cohorts of graduates.
Learn more about Tech’s new Bachelor of Architecture degree at www.tntech.edu/architecture.
