School of Architecture Climbs in Rankings by Key Centre for Architectural Sociology

Northeastern University is proud to announce that its School of Architecture has been ranked 12th out of more than 100 architecture schools in the United States, by The Key Centre for Architectural Sociology in its 2007 “Best Architecture Schools in Research” survey.

The Key Centre, which is a research and commentary website run autonomously by architectural academic and author Garry Stevens, Ph.D., is the only known entity to measure and rank research culture at U.S. architecture schools.

Its rating system focuses on scholarly output from full-time professors; assigning scores based on the frequency at which faculty are included and cited in two of the utmost libraries of architectural research – the Columbia University Avery Index and the Royal Institute of British Architects Library.

Northeastern’s 2007 ranking is a significant jump from its ranking of 22 in the Centre’s last survey, which was published in 2005. George Thrush, director of The School of Architecture at Northeastern University, attributes this impressive progression to two key factors.

“Because this ranking is based on scholarly work – as opposed to design projects – our faculty members who write and conduct research, and our superb historians, account for much of our performance,” explains Thrush. “In addition, since the Key Centre also takes account of how often faculty works are cited by others, the School of Architecture’s ranking is indeed an indication that Northeastern research topics are of great interest to others in the field.”

The Centre – which receives no funding from government, industry, or academia – focuses on the convergence of architecture and sociology, and describes its rankings as relevant to “Post-grads looking to complete higher studies, or undergrads looking for an intellectual challenge.”

As part of a major urban research institution, Northeastern’s School of Architecture is committed to knowledge creation through research, with faculty who work collaboratively towards common goals with social ramifications. In the last year alone, Northeastern’s faculty of seven produced two books, 16 articles and book chapters, and numerous presentations. In addition, they have conducted significant public outreach.

Complementing this research strength, the School’s teaching focuses on contemporary problems of the post-industrial city, with students doing advanced work on urban housing and the integration of sustainable systems in buildings.

Graduate students concentrate on those building types that predominate today’s market-driven development world, including apartment towers, office buildings, parking structures, big-box retail, and gas stations. The School of Architecture attracts excellent students from all over the world, and is continuing to grow from just over 100 students six years ago, to almost 400 today.

Pointing to a third and final driver of Northeastern’s success, Thrush concludes, “Because our faculty members are committed to the development of this still very young School, I think there is a heightened focus on contributing to its success. I couldn’t be more proud of their work.”

For more information, please contact John Natale at 617-373-2802 or j.natale@neu.edu.

About Northeastern: Founded in 1898, Northeastern University is a private research university located in the heart of Boston. Northeastern is a leader in interdisciplinary research, urban engagement, and the integration of classroom learning with real-world experience. The university’s distinctive cooperative education program, where students alternate semesters of full-time study with semesters of paid work in fields relevant to their professional interests and major, is one of the largest and most innovative in the world. The University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. For more information, please visit www.northeastern.edu.