LSU’s football team isn’t the only top-ranked group on campus, as LSU’s Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture once again ranks atop lists of the best programs in the U.S., according to national rankings released this month by DesignIntelligence, the leading journal of the design professions.

The school’s undergraduate landscape architecture program was once again recognized as the top program in the country, according to the rankings, while the school’s graduate program placed second, behind only Harvard University.

“This is especially exciting, since it is one of those rare times in academia where an academic program and an athletic program are top ranked at the same time,” said Van Cox, interim director of the school.

DesignIntelligence is the only publication that ranks architecture and design programs throughout the country. In the biggest issue of DesignIntelligence ever published, “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2012” presents a definitive analysis of architecture and design programs across the United States. The rankings are compiled by researchers from DesignIntelligence, who interviewed nearly 400 leading practitioners that rank the schools best preparing students for practice in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial design.

In this year’s overall ratings, the school was ranked second in skills of communication, design, computer applications and cross-disciplinary teamwork, and tied for third for their sustainable design practices and principles. The school was also ranked second nationally by leaders of the various disciplines for being among their most admired undergraduate landscape architecture programs. The responses of 38 education leaders were tallied in a DesignIntelligence survey of landscape architecture deans and department heads. These individuals offered their opinions about programs in their own institutions as well as other landscape architecture departments across the United States.

“The fact that so many practitioners and academic leaders affirmed LSU’s success at educating productive members of the landscape architecture profession is truly rewarding,” Cox said. “It is evidence of the quality of LSU’s landscape architecture programs, which are the only accredited programs in the state of Louisiana.”

LSU’s Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture has consistently ranked among the Top 5 programs in the country since the rankings were devised more than a decade ago. The school has ranked either first or second for their undergraduate program and second or third for their graduate program for the past five years The consistency of such high rankings is unmatched by any other undergraduate program in the U.S., and only Harvard University’s graduate program can claim such results in that category.

Cox said the continued support of the school by alumni is an important factor in its continued success.

“Our alumni family continues to participate through serving as advisors, offering internships, hosting field study experiences, serving as guest lecturers and critics and endowing professorships, chairs, scholarships and financial aid,” he said. “We are truly grateful for their participation.”

For more information on DesignIntelligence’s “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools 2012,” visit www.di.net.
To learn more about the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, visit www.landscape.lsu.edu.

Contact Aaron Looney
LSU Media Relations
225-578-3871
alooney@lsu.edu