Undergraduate architecture program ranked third in North America
Virginia Tech’s undergraduate program architecture in the School of Architecture + Design within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies is ranked third in the 13th annual America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools study conducted by the journal DesignIntelligence.
The school’s undergraduate program in interior design was also ranked in the study’s top 10 in its fields
Virginia Tech’s graduate landscape architecture program, offered in both Blacksburg and in the National Capital Region, has been ranked 12th in North America.
The study, conducted each year by DesignIntelligence on behalf of the Design Futures Council, uses the perspective of leading practitioners to determine its rankings. Professionals from some of the leading firms in the country were asked to share their opinion about which academic programs give students the best preparation for professional practice in their field. The study also presents the results from surveys given to deans and program chairs from 111 academic programs on their peers’ performance and to more than 2,300 current architecture students on their satisfaction about their education.
Architecture rankings
Virginia Tech’s undergraduate architecture program is ranked third in this year’s survey, marking the sixth straight time the program has been ranked in the top 5 in North America.
In the peer assessment survey, deans and department chairs ranked the program as the second most admired program, citing “design quality, preparation for professional practice, and collaboration with other majors,” according to the study.
More than 98 percent of students in the university’s undergraduate and graduate architecture programs said they believed the program was ‘above average’ or ‘excellent’, and a similar percentage said they believed they are well prepared for professional practice upon graduating.
Landscape Architecture rankings
Virginia Tech’s undergraduate landscape architecture program is ranked 13th this year and the university’s graduate program in landscape architecture is ranked 12th. Industry professionals rank the knowledge and skills of the programs’ graduates as among the top five in the area of cross-disciplinary teamwork.
Among their peers in other universities, the undergraduate program was tied with four other schools for number 4 as a most admired program. The study cited the program’s “excellent resources, good design program and diversity of students.”
Interior Design rankings
The undergraduate interior design program at Virginia Tech ranked 8th in this year’s study, and has been ranked in the top 10 in five of the last seven years. Industry professionals ranked the skills and knowledge of the programs’ graduates as among the top five in the area of cross-disciplinary teamwork. The program’s peers in other universities ranked the undergraduate program as the No. 5 most admired program, citing the quality of its faculty and collaborative teaching approach.
Industrial Design rankings
Virginia Tech’s undergraduate program in industrial design was ranked as the second most admired program by the academic leaders surveyed by the magazine, which cited the program’s “emphasis on human factors, comprehensive program, and quality of students.”
Most Admired Educator
For the second year in a row, a Virginia Tech professor has been named among the 25 named by Design Intelligence a Most Admired Educator in North America for 2012.
Robert Dunay, the director of the Center for Design Research in the School of Architecture + Design and the T. A. Carter Professor of Architecture was cited by the magazine for his ability to “bridge interests in industrial design, architecture, and planning.”
This recognition follows the March 2011 announcement that Dunay had been named an ACSA Distinguished Professor by the Associated Collegiate Schools of Architecture.
