The College of Architecture, Design & Construction is comprised of the following academic units:
School of Architecture
- Architecture
- - - Rural Studio
- - - Urban Studio
- Interior Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
- Community Planning
McWhorter School of Building Science
Department of Industrial Design
- Industrial Design
- Graphic Design
The components of the College of Architecture, Design & Construction are ranked and regarded among the elite programs in the nation.
In the 2007 rankings conducted by DesignIntelligence magazine, the School of Architecture and the Department of Industrial Design undergraduate programs were each ranked as the sixth-best programs in their field nationally. The Industrial Design graduate program was ranked the third best in the nation.
The School of Architecture was voted the second most admired program in the nation by other university deans and department heads. Auburn’s School of Architecture was second only to Harvard University.
Additionally, the Interior Architecture program placed seventh nationally while the Landscape Architecture program ranked fifth in the Southeast Region.
The McWhorter School of Building Science also holds elite distinction as one of the “peer six†programs in the nation for the quality of education and quality of graduates it annually produces.
The Rural Studio has earned international acclaim in working towards its mission to enable each participating student to cross the threshold of misconceived opinions to create/design/build and to allow students to put their educational values to work as citizens of a community. The Rural Studio seeks solutions to the needs of the community within the community’s own context, not from outside it. Abstract ideas based upon knowledge and study are transformed into workable solutions forged by real human contact, personal realization, and a gained appreciation for the culture.
Based in Birmingham, Ala., the Urban Studio (more formally known as the Auburn University Center for Architecture and Urban Studies) was founded in 1991 by Associate Professor Franklin Setzer as a teaching and outreach venue for Auburn’s School of Architecture. Fourth year and thesis students pursue design, professional practice and engage in community projects. In particular, the design studio and professional practice offer numerous opportunities for interaction with the City of Birmingham and practicing architects, landscape architects and planners during project orientation, critiques and reviews. The community projects have included work with the Ensley community, Woodlawn, Rosedale and the Birmingham Historical Society’s Buddy-Up Program.
The Design-Build Masters program, under the auspices of The Community Outreach Center for Design and Construction is geared toward students with diverse backgrounds. Students with degrees in Building Construction, Architecture or those with outstanding records in other disciplines will be admitted. In this three-semester, progressive, context-based, design-build program, students will be expected to research, select, analyze, program, design and construct a comprehensive project. Teams of students will construct original designs within the supportive partnership of students, faculty, communities, local architects, and constructors. Students will have responsibility for comprehensive design-build projects involving all aspects of the process. The philosophical tradition of learning-through-experience and context based learning is the foundation of the Design-Build Masters Degree program.
In fall 2007, the Graphic Design program moved from the College of Liberal Arts to the College of Architecture, Design & Construction. Graphic Design will be a part of the Department of Industrial Design in the CADC.
The graphic design degree from Auburn is designed to ensure that students are prepared to function as creative designers/illustrators, while obtaining the academic skills which will provide professional development and career flexibility within a changing society.
To view Auburn University Academic Rankings, click here
To learn more about each of these degree fields, please click on the link on the upper left.
