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 November/December 2013 issue of “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” ranked the undergraduate program as number two in the nation and the graduate program as number three in the nation for the year 2014.

“America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” is 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.

A total of 1,108 professional practice organizations participated in the research and were queried on the question, “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which of the following schools are best preparing students for success in today’s profession?”

Firms are queried about additional issues, as well, such as how programs rate in teaching various skills, such as: communication, computer applications, design, research and theory, cross-disciplinary teamwork, and sustainable design practices and principles.

“This year’s research shows that there are a handful of schools that remain dominant while others have adjusted upwards or downwards,” said James P. Cramer, founding editor of DesignIntelligence and co-chair of the Design Futures Council. “While there is a year-to-year consistency in the rankings, there is also a noticeable flux brought about by a new building, a name change, a news story, or a brand-changing event that occurs at a campus. Over time we can understand that some schools are better preparing their students for success in the design profession than others.”

The LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture undergraduate and graduate programs have been consistently ranked within the top five in the nation for the past decade, and both programs have been ranked in the top three since 2008, with the undergraduate program holding the number one ranking for four years since 2007.

“America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools” also published the rankings of the top five undergraduate and graduate schools by region. Louisiana State University is ranked as the number one landscape architecture school in the South for both its graduate and undergraduate programs, followed by the University of Georgia and Texas A&M University.

In addition to the undergraduate and graduate school rankings by professionals, deans and chairs from 119 academic programs participated in surveys about their education. The responses of 63 education leaders were tallied in the DesignIntelligence survey of landscape architecture deans and department heads.

LSU was ranked as the number one “most- admired” undergraduate landscape architecture program for its consistent design quality, innovation, and reputation. The graduate program was ranked number four for its awareness of ecological issues and its sustainability research.

“Continuing to be in the top tier of landscape architecture schools is a privilege and honor for our programs. I am always impressed with our faculty, students, and alumni and this recognition from our peers confirms that our hard work and dedication is paying dividends. We will continue pushing our academic work to provide the best quality education for our students and to develop new knowledge that drives the profession,” said Bradley Cantrell, associate professor and director of RRSLA.

“America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools, 2014” is available for purchase online. Visit store.di.net/products/best-architecture-schools for more information. 

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 over 60 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.

Contact
Angela Harwood
LSU College of Art + Design
102 Design Building
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
225-578-9041
aharwood@lsu.edu