Graduate architecture programs ranked among best in U.S.

Jeannie Davis, College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities

November 13, 2014

Students work in the architecture studio in Lee III.
Image Credit: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s graduate architecture programs once again have been named among the nation’s best in an annual ranking of all accredited programs in the U.S.

DesignIntelligence magazine has ranked Clemson seventh among public institutions and 18th overall nationally in the annual publication “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools.” Clemson has been ranked in this highest tier of architecture programs in eight of the most recent 10 years.

DesignIntelligence also named professor Kate Schwennsen, chair of the School of Architecture, one of the nation’s 30 Most Admired Design Educators for 2015. In honoring Schwennsen as an exemplary role model in architecture education, the publication stated, “Kate Schwennsen has brought renewed energy and focus to Clemson’s program.”

Clemson’s teaching faculty includes three previous recipients of this recognition: professor David Allison (2014), professor Dan Harding (2013) and Clemson University President Emeritus James F. Barker (2011).

The DesignIntelligence ranking is created largely by employers’ response to a single question: “In your firm’s hiring experience in the past five years, which of the following schools are best preparing students for success in the profession?”

“The School of Architecture is a point of pride for Clemson University,” said Richard E. Goodstein, dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities. “Walking through Lee III when studios are in session is a feast for the eye and the imagination. But even better, knowing that our students’ experience at Clemson is valued by their future employers is very gratifying.”

Now in its 15th year, the DesignIntelligence survey is conducted annually by Greenway Communications for the Design Futures Council, an interdisciplinary network of design, product and construction leaders. According to the publication, 1,426 professional practice firms participated in this year’s survey.

About Schwennsen, the publication went on to state, “A strong advocate for the profession with a clear vision for the school, Schwennsen brings the practical world in the academic world for a more integrated educational experience. She has a very good personal connection with students; she is dedicated to helping them prepare for the profession.”

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