AN ASSESSMENT OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE TRAINING IN UNDERGRADUATE ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION

Özet

The scope of the architectural profession, one of the oldest professions in human history, has changedwith the advent of technology. Likewise, architectural education also changes and improves all thetime. Accrediting bodies evaluate architectural education and improve them through competenceactivities. In this study, the requirements identified by National Architectural Accrediting Board(NAAB), an international accreditation body, and the national accreditation body ArchitectureAccreditation Board (MIAK) have been reviewed, upon which it has been found out that professionalpractice has an important share in architectural education but has not been the subject of currentresearch. Therefore, the study aims to assess the situation in Turkey in terms of undergraduatearchitectural education with respect to professional practice and identify the weaknesses thereof, hencecontributing to architectural education. In this context, the professional practice requirements amongthe NAAB and MIAK requirements have been reviewed and the areas that need to be covered in termsof professional practice within undergraduate architecture programmes have been identified. Theprofessional practice courses in undergraduate architecture programmes and the course contents havebeen analysed to demonstrate the current situation of professional practice training in undergraduatearchitecture programmes in Turkey. The data for the analysis of courses and course contents have beengathered from the webpages of universities. Content analysis method has been used in assessingcourse contents.