Interior design makes room for another award
The university’s undergraduate and graduate interior design programs have been named No. 1 in the nation for 2013 by DesignIntelligence in its annual “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools.” Last year, SCAD was the first university in the ranking’s history to be honored with both top honors.
DesignIntelligence, the publication and rankings body of the Design Futures Council, has led industry-driven rankings in design disciplines for the past decade. The group’s research ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of deans and chairs from academic programs across the nation and leading practitioners with direct experience hiring and supervising recent design graduates. The rankings determine which schools are best preparing their students for success in design-related professions.
“SCAD interior design is a source of pride for the entire university,” said Paula Wallace, president of the college. “Many thanks to our brilliant students, faculty, and staff who strive every day toward a new era of creative and academic excellence.”
Wallace was singled out by DesignIntelligence as one of the “30 Most Admired Educators for 2013.” According to the publication, “Wallace has emerged as one of the world’s strongest advocates for design excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork ranging from digital design competencies to bold and beautiful historic preservation.”
DesignIntelligence chose the nation’s 2013 education role models based on extensive input from thousands of design professionals, academicians and students.
In addition to the interior design programs’ No. 1 rankings, the industrial design undergraduate program was ranked sixth in the nation, and the university’s graduate industrial design program was ranked seventh in the nation. The publication lauded the university’s industrial design programs’ strengths in communication and design education.
Rounding out DesignIntelligence’s honors for the school, the publication ranked the master of architecture program 20th in the nation. Regionally, the M.Arch. program was ranked fifth among the “Top Schools in the South.” Hiring practitioners in the South ranked the M.Arch. program fourth in the region.
With the program pulling ahead of other interior design programs such as The University of Cincinnati and The Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, SCAD is expected to see a surge of students in this already fast growing department.
