In 1914, the first courses related to architecture at North Dakota Agricultural College were offered in the Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanic Arts. In 1922, this institution granted its first Bachelor of Architectural Engineering degree. From its beginning until World War II, the architectural program maintained a strong engineering bias.

In 1969, the department invited a visiting committee from the NAAB to tour the school, resulting in initial accreditation of the five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1971. The program has received continued re-accreditation since that time. In 2014, the Department celebrated the 100th anniversary of the offering of its first courses.