Ball State's Department of Landscape Architecture has been ranked as the 11th best undergraduate program in the nation and the Midwest's best graduate program by Design Intelligence.

Landscape architecture's undergraduate program tied with Texas A&M for its national ranking, which was published in the 2006 edition of "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools."

"This honor speaks volumes to our challenging curriculum, our stellar faculty and our outstanding students," said Joseph Bilello, dean of the College of Architecture and Planning. "By immersing our students in in-depth projects that benefit local and international communities, we are able to produce graduates who are global citizens, ones who are ready to be productive professionals and citizens."

At the regional level, the master's program tied for first place with Ohio State University, and the undergraduate program was also honored as the third best program in the Midwest.

Through the program, landscape architecture students plan and design land and outdoor spaces for human use, enjoyment, safety, health and welfare. They also learn to integrate the work of architects, engineers, planners, ecologists, geographers, and physical and social scientists.

"This certainly affirms last year's initial national ranking," said Malcolm Cairns, chair of the landscape architecture department, referencing last year's top 15 national ranking. "We'll continue to emphasize hands-on learning, research and practice to enable aspiring professionals to bridge the interests of society and environment and seek responsive solutions."

Design Intelligence's annual ranking of architecture and design schools was based on the hiring experiences of leading U.S. landscape architecture firms. Employers were polled in regard to which LAAB (Landscape Architecture Accrediting Board) accredited programs produced the most professional, best-prepared graduates over the last five years.

(Note to editors: For more information, contact Cairns at (765) 285-1971 or mcairns@bsu.edu.)