AUS College of Architecture, Art and Design leads design education in the UAE

American University of Sharjah’s College of Architecture, Art and Design (CAAD) has a reputation for developing the region’s top talent for the creative economy, delivering the UAE’s number one programs in architecture and the built environment, and art and design, according to the recently released 2023 QS World Subject Rankings.

As the top choice of UAE employers, CAAD alumni are known for their award-winning creative contributions. which have received regional and international acclaim. These include  major awards such as the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize, Christo and Jeanne-Claude Award, Global Undergraduate Awards, Commercial Interior Design Awards and James Dyson Award, among many others. 

“Employers and graduate school admission committees prefer CAAD graduates because of their design abilities and because they are articulate, critical thinkers,”  said Dr. Varkki Pallathucheril, Dean of CAAD.

A recent survey of CAAD alumni indicated that more than 90 percent are employed across the creative industries, government, business and academia. Almost 40 percent of the graduates surveyed have gone on to earn graduate degrees, including from top international institutions such as Harvard University, MIT, Yale University, Rhode Island School of Design and the Royal College of Art.

“In the professional world, CAAD alumni dominate the regional design scene. We are proud to see their names behind iconic projects such as the Wasit Wetland Center in Sharjah and the Lettering Large mural at Expo 2020 Dubai. They are in leadership positions and are founders of some of the region’s leading design firms; they are contributors to major regional and global cultural events such as Dubai Design Week and the Venice Biennale,” said Dr. Pallathucheril.

Offering undergraduate programs in the areas of architecture, interior design, design management, multimedia design and visual communication, and a Master of Urban Planning, CAAD offers an engaging and rigorous learning experience for students.

“Design and the arts fundamentally affect the quality of our lives by satisfying in profound ways the needs and desires of individuals and societies. CAAD students and faculty are immersed in processes of iterative making and exploring in order to realize the transformative potential of design. They strive to understand systems at a very deep level and reimagine them in extraordinary ways. They debunk the notion that design and the arts are mere hobbies that do not add value or change lives,” said Dr. Pallathucheril.

“Something profound happens when CAAD students and faculty reimagine our world,” he said.

The CAAD experience begins with a Foundation Year program, which all students must complete before advancing into their major field of study. Students are immersed in CAAD’s studio culture, which emphasizes relationships with faculty mentors and collective learning, creating opportunities to push creative boundaries. An engaging learning environment offers students the chance to participate in guest lectures; visit local art galleries, museums and professional agencies; join cultural clubs; participate in student-led workshops;and explore design abroad through courses taught and study tours organized in Italy, Denmark and Spain.

For more information about the College of Architecture, Art and Design and its programs, visit www.aus.edu/caad.