School of Architecture ranked among Top 20 for third consecutive year

The FIU College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts’ (CARTA) School of Architecture (SOA) has continuously established itself among the nation’s best public schools of architecture, according to the 2023 QS World University Rankings. In the 2023 report, the School of Architecture was ranked no.17 for the second consecutive year and among the Top 20 for the third consecutive year among public institutions.  

“Our placement in the QS World Rankings reflects the true excellence in our School of Architecture's students and faculty,” said CARTA Dean Brian Schriner. Schriner has served as dean of the SOA for the past 14 years and has been at the forefront of the its growth and rise to national prominence. “Being one of the youngest and most innovative public schools of architecture, the recurring Top 20 ranking is a notable achievement. Congratulations to our talented students, faculty, alumni and patrons, all of whom have shown an unwavering commitment to providing our community with access to a world-class education.” 

In 1997, the School of Architecture was founded as the first public school of architecture in Miami. After receiving accreditation from the National Architectural Accrediting Board, the school launched an international design competition, which led to the construction of the Bernard Tschumi-designed Paul L. Cejas School of Architecture Building (pictured above). Within the next 10 years, the school would become one of the first institutions in the nation to accept undergraduates into a 5-year-degree program that leads to a master's in architecture. interior architecutre or landscape architecture.

Having just celebrated its 25th anniversary, the school is known in Miami for producing superb architects and design professionals. Signature events such as the Festival of the Trees, which has raised over $500,000 for interior architecture student scholarships, and Walk on Water, the annual event where students create “shoes” to walk across a campus pond, have become traditions embedded in Panther culture.

“The sustained growth and success of the School of Architecture demonstrates thework of this community in facing the challenges and accepting the opportunities that the City of Miami and South Florida bring to our students and faculty,” said Henry Rueda, Chair of FIU Department of Architecture. “We believe that faculty, staff, researchers, planners, consultants, students and thinkers working together on topics such as academic excellence, design thinking, building practices, climate justice and leadership will prepare our students to confront and continue to succeed on the complex challenges of our natural and built environments.”  

The School of Architecture’s ranking and growing success come as it seeks to foster excellence through innovation hubs such as the Miami Beach Urban Studios (MBUS), Robotics and Digital Fabrication (RDF) lab, and Structural and Environmental Technologies (SET) Lab. Such hubs promote the school’s learning-by-doing philosophy and interdisciplinary research through engaging with robotics, immersive emerging technologies and resiliency and climate change initiatives. In addition,  the school has expanded its programs by establishing its Doctor of Design (DDes) program, one of only six such degree programs in the country, and accelerated graduate degree programs in architecture, interior architecture, and landscape architecture.