The School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been ranked the 13th best undergraduate program in the nation by the architectural research organization DesignIntelligence. This is the highest ranking in the history of the School of Architecture.

The DesignIntelligence Quarterly’s annual “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” edition is the most sought-after publication in the U.S. for design school ratings. For this year’s rankings, hiring professionals from nearly 2,000 firms were asked to identify programs that are best preparing students for success in the profession.

They also were asked to consider 11 design education focus areas. Rensselaer was ranked 6th nationwide in “Engineering Fundamentals”; 9th in “Design Technologies,” “Construction Materials and Methods,” and “Interdisciplinary Studies”; and 10th in “Research.”

In addition to the school rankings by professionals, deans and chairs from 215 academic programs participated in surveys, and more than 4,300 students and recent graduates were polled on the quality of their programs and their plans for post-graduation.

“It’s quite satisfying to know that the exceptional achievement of our students and faculty is being recognized nationally,” said Dean Evan Douglis. “I really believe we have one of the premier architecture programs today throughout the country. Given the pedagogical diversity of our faculty, our unique culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, our commitment to the study of architecture as the integration of art and science, our robust study abroad program providing our students with a life-changing cultural immersive experience, and our unwavering commitment to architecture as an important social project, the education of an architect here at Rensselaer is creatively and intellectually rigorous, experimental, comprehensive, and timely in response to a complex and changing world. I am confident we are preparing our students to become future leaders in the profession.”

Situated within the nation’s oldest technological university, the School of Architecture at Rensselaer offers an immersive, contemporary program that combines the artistic and scientific aspects of the discipline with critical lessons in architecture as a creative, ethical, and sustainable practice.

The school is uniquely positioned to adapt to the changes that are occurring within the discipline and profession of architecture in the areas of globalization, interdisciplinary teamwork, emerging technologies, and an increased awareness of the environment. Together with a strong creative focus on design, these issues are at the core of Rensselaer’s undergraduate and graduate architecture programs.

The School of Architecture offers two undergraduate programs, the five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree and the four-year Bachelor of Science in Building Sciences degree. The school also offers graduate professional and post-professional architecture degrees, as well as internationally renowned graduate research programs in architectural acoustics, lighting, and built ecologies. Last year the school awarded 54 bachelor’s degrees, 32 master’s degrees, and 4 doctoral degrees.

Architecture students have the opportunity to study and work on the latest advances in sustainable technologies and next-generation building systems at the Institute’s Center for Architecture Science and Ecology in New York City. The school also houses the Lighting Research Center, which has been pioneering research in solid-state lighting, light and health, transportation lighting and safety, and energy efficiency for nearly 30 years.

The School of Architecture is one of five schools at Rensselaer through which students at all levels are engaged in and researching a wide array of critical 21st-century challenges. In addition to Architecture, the university offers more than 145 programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels in the schools of Engineering; Science; Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; and the Lally School of Management; as well as an interdisciplinary degree in Information Technology and Web Science.

The School of Architecture epitomizes The New Polytechnic, a new paradigm for teaching, learning, and research at Rensselaer that uses advanced technologies to enable fresh collaborations across disciplines, sectors, and regions, in order to answer the global challenges of our day. The New Polytechnic is transformative in the global impact of research, in its innovative pedagogy, and in the lives of students at Rensselaer.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is America’s first technological research university. For nearly 200 years, Rensselaer has been defining the scientific and technological advances of our world. Rensselaer faculty and alumni represent 85 members of the National Academy of Engineering, 17 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 8 members of the National Academy of Medicine, 8 members of the National Academy of Inventors, and 5 members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, as well as 6 National Medal of Technology winners, 5 National Medal of Science winners, and a Nobel Prize winner in Physics. With 7,000 students and nearly 100,000 living alumni, Rensselaer is addressing the global challenges facing the 21st century—to change lives, to advance society, and to change the world. To learn more, go to www.rpi.edu.

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