UT is home to the sixth best undergraduate architecture program in the South, according to a recently released report from DesignIntelligence, the leading industry organization that ranks collegiate architecture programs.
UT architecture graduates also were recognized by professionals as the fifth best hires by firms residing within UT’s classified fourteen-state region, according to the annual report, “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools.”
The professionals were eligible to select and grade students from programs anywhere in the nation. Among the schools UT outranked in the poll: Cornell, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Notre Dame.
DesignIntelligence is noted as the most important and respected poll in the country for the design disciplines. Its rankings are equivalent to those of the US News & World Report or the Princeton Review grading systems, which do not evaluate design programs.
In 2011, it ranked the UT architecture program as a top 20 program in the nation.
The national school rankings are based on surveys from professionals, deans, and chairs from 351 academic programs. DesignIntelligence’s professional practice survey queried 392 field-related organizations, 282 of which are architectural or architectural/engineering firms.
The professional survey asked participants which schools had the best-prepared graduates, based on their hiring experience in the past five years.
“Central to our academic mission is preparing our students to be excellent in the profession,” said Scott Poole, dean of the UT College of Architecture and Design. “Our design-build projects, such as the New Norris House, the UT Solar House, and the Haiti Studio, have allowed our college to build an extensive record of collaboration across disciplines. These projects have raised standards for architecture and design in the region, promoted new strategies for sustainability, and extended the reputation of the university within the state of Tennessee and across the nation.”
The rankings reflect the college’s growing profile. Last year, DesignIntelligence also named Poole one of the “25 Most Admired Educators of 2012.”
Continued growth of the college’s programs will be seen in some major developments proposed over the next two academic years. These additions include new graduate degrees in urban design and development and a joint Master of Architecture/MBA program, as well as the appointment of world-class faculty scholars. The Barber-McMurry Visiting Professor—a nationally recognized practitioner—and the Governor’s Chair—an expert with research focuses in urban design and emerging clean energy practices—will begin teaching in 2013.
UT architecture students also have the added advantage of a lower tuition rate compared to the national average. UT’s architecture program is $9,692 for in-state students and $28,182 for out-of-state students. Nearly 75 percent of UT’s architecture and design students receive some sort of financial assistance or scholarships.
To learn more about the UT College of Architecture and Design’s programs, visit arch.utk.edu.
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C O N T A C T :
Kiki Roeder (865-974-6713, kroeder@utk.edu)