Both institutions have teamed up to make sure that the program fulfils the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) standards.

The degree is an essential part of preparing for the professional practice of architecture.

The agreement states that students will have the opportunity to visit both the campus in Florida and the satellite campus in Rome. Professors from Miami will regularly visit in order to interact with both students and faculty, serve on the Program Advisory Committee and act as judges for the students’ final projects.

“This agreement shows that our students have a world-class education equal to any in the world. There is a bright future ahead for all young women studying architecture here today. With such a solid foundation, students will be able to transition smoothly into the workforce or into graduate studies. Of course, Effat graduates will be particularly welcome to join the University of Miami graduate school,” said Mervat El-Shafie, chair of the Architecture Department at Effat University.

“We chose the University of Miami because architecture is not just an academic course; it’s also a professional field. We were looking for quality and wanted to make sure the courses are up to international standards,” said Lisa Zuppe, director of international affairs at Effat University.

Effat University limits the number of students accepted per semester in order to ensure the quality of the graduates.

The agreement with the University of Miami increases the partnerships that Effat University has with other universities such as Duke University, which offers electrical and computer engineering courses, the American University of Cairo, which offers courses in Arabic language at Effat University, and Paris University, which sponsors French language programs for Effat students.