Topic: College of Architecture and Planning

January 13, 2009

The architecture program at Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning has earned the distinction of being a world-class program from Design Intelligence.
 
In its inaugural publication, "The Cramer Report: America's World-Class Schools of Architecture," Design Intelligence listed the architecture department among America's best. In its related publication, the 2009 edition of "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools," the organization cited the undergraduate landscape architecture program as the eighth best in the nation — marking the third straight year it has made the top 10 — and the graduate program as the fifth best.
 
The world-class stamp is substantive because it is based on the programs' current rankings and those over the last 10 years. It is also based on ratings by academic deans and chairs from around the country, overall campus environment and student evaluations, and program accreditation, noted Guillermo Vasquez de Velasco, dean of CAP.
 
"Our consistent national rankings are based on our ability to continue to attract the best students, retain our outstanding faculty and engage our amazing alumni," he said.
 
Along with earning high overall rankings, the landscape architecture department scored strong marks in the assessment of skills related to design, computer applications and sustainable design practices; all happen to be well-known areas of excellence at Ball State, Vasquez de Velasco added.
 
"America's Best Architecture and Design Schools" is based on the hiring experiences of leading U.S. employers who are polled regarding which accredited programs produce the best-prepared graduates.
 
The most recent national Architect Registration Examination rates of success statistics stand as evidence of how well CAP's architecture department graduates are prepared, Vasquez de Velasco added, noting that CAP graduates performed exceptionally well in the following divisions of the exam:

  • mechanical and electrical systems — fifth
  • materials and methods — 10
  • site planning — 13
  • pre-design — 20