Pratt’s undergraduate and graduate programs in interior design were recently ranked third in the country, based on surveys completed by industry professionals and made available through monthly architecture and design journal, DesignIntelligence (DI). Additionally, Pratt’s graduate industrial design program ranked seventh, and undergraduate industrial design program ranked ninth, and undergraduate architecture program ranked 10th in the nation. Pratt’s design programs have consistently been ranked among the top ten in the nation, with its graduate interior design program ranked first in the nation from 2009-2011 and its undergraduate interior design program ranked second in the nation from 2008-2011 and in 2006.
Participants in the Deans Survey conducted by DesignIntelligence found that Pratt’s graduate interior design program is among the most admired in the country, and ranked the program first for its “design quality, professional student work, and creative thinking.”
According to the publication’s industrial design skills assessment, hiring firms found that Pratt students ranked third according to their design skills and fifth according to both their communication and research and theory skills.
“Pratt excels at preparing students for the professional art and design world, which is something that the DesignIntelligence rankings consistently reflect,” said Concetta M. Stewart, Ph.D., Dean of Pratt’s School of Art and Design. “Graduates of our design programs approach the world in a very hands-on, practical way that is constantly informed by critical thinking and problem solving,” she added.
Pratt’s undergraduate architecture program was ranked fourth in the East. Among firms in the East, Pratt’s undergraduate architecture program was ranked third. DI also included two Pratt alumni in their 2012 Leadership Index, which is a sampling of industry leaders in award-winning firms and their graduate affiliations. The alumni listed include: Leland D. Cott (B. Arch at Pratt, M. Arch at Harvard), who is founding principal of Bruner/Cott & Associates; and Malcolm Holzman (B. Arch at Pratt), who is partner at Holzman Moss Bottino Architecture.
“It’s no surprise that DesignIntelligence has included Pratt alumni on their list of industry leaders because our graduates continually make great strides at some of the top architecture firms in the world,” said Thomas Hanrahan, Dean of Pratt’s School of Architecture. “Pratt’s School of Architecture is deeply committed to ensuring that every student meets the goals and learning objectives necessary to achieve the highest level of excellence in all of their future endeavors, which is an example that has been set by many of our alumni,” he added.
The rankings are part of DI’s 2012 “America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools” issue, which it has published annually since 2000. The journal ranked design programs from throughout the United States based on surveys completed by professionals in architecture and design firms. These are the only school rankings based exclusively on companies’ perceptions of how well schools prepare their graduates for professional practice.
DesignIntelligence is issued by the Design Futures Council (DFC), a global network of design community professionals, including leaders of architecture and design firms, manufacturers, and service providers. Founded in 1995, the DFC aims to advance the design community by exploring trends, changes, and new opportunities in design and architecture. For more information about DesignIntelligence and the DFC, visit www.di.net.
From left to right: A student at work in the Department of Industrial Design, a student presenting designs in the Department of Interior Design, and a student at work in Pratt’s School of Architecture. Photo Credit: Bob Handelman.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Aronoff at 718.636.3554 or aarono29@pratt.edu