Contract - December 2014 - 10

pHoto: MEg WAlton

editorial

Making the Most of a Design Education
What school did you go to? And, if you are in a hiring position, how
important is the school that a prospective employee graduated from,
especially if they have been out of school more than 10 years? In
architecture and design, to what degree does the ranking of a school
that one graduates from matter? Is there a benefit or validity to ranking
architecture and design programs?
DesignIntelligence, the Design Future Council's bi-monthly report
produced by Greenway Group, released its annual rankings of U.S.
architecture and interior design schools last month. See the top-ranked
schools in the news story on page 110. Design professionals named
schools in response to 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 the profession?"
The results are somewhat predictable, especially for graduate
architecture school programs, with the same five northeastern schools
as last year, including four of five Ivy League schools: Harvard first,
followed by Columbia, Yale, MIT, and Cornell. In interior design, both
undergraduate and graduate rankings name New York School of
Interior Design (NYSID), Pratt Institute, RISD, SCAD, and Parsons as the
top five schools, just in different order. NYSID is the top-ranked
graduate interior design school. Three out of those five interior design
schools are in New York, where a large number of graduates enter
some of the larger interior design firms in the country and, therefore, a
large number of survey respondents favor those graduates. In the
undergraduate architecture rankings, Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo,
University of Texas at Austin, and Virginia Tech are all highly ranked,
but also happen to be three of the largest architecture programs in the
country and, therefore, graduate large numbers of alums who then
respond to this annual survey.
All of the top-ranked schools offer a very good education. And
those lucky enough to go to Harvard or Yale, for example, are very
fortunate. Will a graduate of one of those schools ultimately be a better
architect? That's not certain. More employable in the profession? Not a
given. A person who graduates from Harvard with a MArch degree is
not guaranteed to have a higher income than a MArch graduate from a
public university, but will likely have considerably more debt.
What about those that graduate from the many other schools of
architecture and design that are not the top ranked? According to the
National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), there are currently
123 schools offering 154 NAAB-accredited professional degree
10

programs in architecture. In interior design, the Council for Interior
Design Accreditation (CIDA) accredits more than 150 interior design
programs currently educating an estimated 20,000 students.
Tens of thousands of architecture and interior design students
do not attend one of the top-ranked schools. My message to those
students: don't fret, graduates of schools not in the top rankings can be
some of the top architects and designers in the country. Different
schools have different purposes, and your degree is not solely about
national reputation and status. One may choose a school for a
specialized program of study, or expert faculty. Students should search
for a program that best fits them, and that may not necessarily be an Ivy
League architecture school, a New York-based interior design school,
or an undergraduate program with hundreds of students. Your talent
will shine through, wherever you go.
Another tip to those that are still in school or recently graduated:
once you are older with years of experience, people stop caring about
where you went to school. One cannot rely solely on a school's
reputation to carry one through a career. Do good work, and seek out
opportunities outside of the school you attend. I received an excellent
education, with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Master of
Architecture, and Master of Urban Planning all from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which does not happen to be in
DesignIntelligence's current top rankings, and it is not known as a
school graduating design editors. I sought out internships, editorial
work, and connections outside of my school's program of study, and
that perseverance helped lead me to the career that I have today.
Whether looking for a school or hiring a recent graduate, look to
the quality of student work, the vision of the dean and faculty, the
practical involvement of the school in its city and professional
community, and the work ethic of its graduates. Rankings will often list
the same schools, but the design profession relies on a broader swath
of quality graduates. 

Sincerely,
John Czarnecki, Assoc. AIA, Hon. IIDA
Editor in Chief

contractdesign.com 	

december 2014


http://www.contractdesign.com

Contract - December 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - December 2014

Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Obtaining the Best Insurance Coverage Will Benefit Your Firm
Product Focus: Global Appeal
Product Focus: Woven Poetry
Designers Select: Office
Designers Select: Healthcare
Designers Select: Hospitality
Designers Select: Education
Editor's Choice
Feature: The Supporting Actor of Interiors: Amuneal Creates Interiors that Enhance Interior Architecture
IIDA Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards 2014
Brand Report 2014
Industry News: Design School Rankings
Ad Index
Event: Attendees Inspired at Contract’s Design Forum in Aspen
Contract - December 2014 - Intro
Contract - December 2014 - Cover1
Contract - December 2014 - Cover2
Contract - December 2014 - 1
Contract - December 2014 - Contents
Contract - December 2014 - 3
Contract - December 2014 - 4
Contract - December 2014 - 5
Contract - December 2014 - 6
Contract - December 2014 - 7
Contract - December 2014 - 8
Contract - December 2014 - 9
Contract - December 2014 - Editorial
Contract - December 2014 - 11
Contract - December 2014 - Industry News
Contract - December 2014 - 13
Contract - December 2014 - 14
Contract - December 2014 - 15
Contract - December 2014 - 16
Contract - December 2014 - 17
Contract - December 2014 - Columnist: Obtaining the Best Insurance Coverage Will Benefit Your Firm
Contract - December 2014 - 19
Contract - December 2014 - 20
Contract - December 2014 - 21
Contract - December 2014 - Product Focus: Global Appeal
Contract - December 2014 - 23
Contract - December 2014 - Product Focus: Woven Poetry
Contract - December 2014 - 25
Contract - December 2014 - Designers Select: Office
Contract - December 2014 - 27
Contract - December 2014 - Designers Select: Healthcare
Contract - December 2014 - 29
Contract - December 2014 - Designers Select: Hospitality
Contract - December 2014 - 31
Contract - December 2014 - Designers Select: Education
Contract - December 2014 - 33
Contract - December 2014 - Editor's Choice
Contract - December 2014 - 35
Contract - December 2014 - 36
Contract - December 2014 - 37
Contract - December 2014 - 38
Contract - December 2014 - 39
Contract - December 2014 - 40
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Contract - December 2014 - 42
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Contract - December 2014 - 44
Contract - December 2014 - 45
Contract - December 2014 - Feature: The Supporting Actor of Interiors: Amuneal Creates Interiors that Enhance Interior Architecture
Contract - December 2014 - 47
Contract - December 2014 - 48
Contract - December 2014 - 49
Contract - December 2014 - 50
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Contract - December 2014 - IIDA Best of Asia Pacific Design Awards 2014
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Contract - December 2014 - Brand Report 2014
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Contract - December 2014 - Industry News: Design School Rankings
Contract - December 2014 - Ad Index
Contract - December 2014 - Event: Attendees Inspired at Contract’s Design Forum in Aspen
Contract - December 2014 - Cover3
Contract - December 2014 - Cover4
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