The undergraduate and graduate programs at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture (RRSLA) have once again received top rankings from DesignIntelligence magazine, the leading journal of design professionals. The 2016–17 issue of “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” ranked the undergraduate program as number one in the nation and the graduate program as number six in the nation for 2016–17.

Professor Max Conrad was named one of DesignIntelligence’s 25 Most Admired Educators for 2016-17.

In addition, Professor Max Conrad, who is celebrating his 50th year teaching at LSU in 2016, was named one of DesignIntelligence’s 25 Most Admired Educators for 2016–17. “[Conrad] has received many nominating letters as possessing traits that others will admire for the next 50 years including impromptu speaking, a highly cooperative style, personal magnetism, impeccable honesty, and an overall winning professional demeanor,” (DesignIntelligence, issue Q3 2016).

The LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture undergraduate program has been consistently ranked in the top two in the nation for more than a decade; the 2016–17 ranking is the seventh time the undergraduate program has held the number one position since 2006. The graduate program has been ranked within the top six in the nation for over 10 years, sharing top rankings with Harvard, Cornell, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pennsylvania. LSU is by far the most affordable graduate program of the top six.

“I’m pleased that our rankings remain strong,” commented Mark Boyer, director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. “As I’ve told current and prospective students, regardless of what the number is, the fact that you can tell a prospective employer that you have a landscape architecture degree from LSU is what matters. The number of awards our alumni, students, and faculty are receiving this year is a testament to that truth.”

DesignIntelligence’s research ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of leading practitioners. A total of 2,920 hiring professionals from 2,218 professional practice organizations participated in the research and were asked to rank the accredited schools best preparing students for success in the profession and designing a sustainable future. Firms are queried about additional issues, as well, such as how programs rate in teaching various skills, such as communication, computer applications, construction methods and materials, design, planning, research, cross-disciplinary teamwork, sustainable design practices and principles, and theory.

Surveys for “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” are conducted annually by DesignIntelligence on behalf of the Design Futures Council. The research ranks undergraduate and graduate programs from the perspective of leading practitioners. Survey participants are professionals in architecture, industrial design, interior design, and landscape architecture, drawn from the Greenway Group database of leading firms throughout the United States.

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About LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture

The Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture has established an international reputation as one of America’s leading and consistently top-ranked programs. Part of the LSU College of Art & Design, the school offers Bachelor of Landscape Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture programs. For more than 70 years, the program has produced landscape architects who practice all over the world and participate in the full spectrum of the discipline. For more information, visit landscape.lsu.edu.