AUS top in UAE for studies in architecture and design, QS World University Subject Rankings reveal

American University of Sharjah garnered more accolades recently with the release of the QS World University Subject Rankings putting it at top place in the UAE for programs in architecture and the built environment. At a global level, AUS is ranked among the top 150 universities for studies in architecture and the built environment, and in the top 200 for art and design.

The university’s College of Architecture, Art and Design’s (CAAD) distinctive design community is comprised of some of the most creative and forward thinkers in the region. CAAD’s accomplished faculty are constantly testing the existing boundaries of design, bringing students to the forefront of innovation and transformation.

“Design and the arts fundamentally affect the quality of our lives by satisfying in profound ways the needs and desires of individuals and societies,” said Dr. Varkki Pallathucheril, Dean of CAAD

“As our students and faculty are immersed in this process of making and exploring, they have the opportunity to realize the transformative potential of design. They produce work that shows that architecture and design add significant societal value and has the potential to change lives,” he said.

Attracting the best regional design talent, CAAD requires all first-year students to complete two semesters of foundational learning before competing for a place in one of our competitive undergraduate majors in architecture, interior design, design management, multimedia design and visual communication.

Furthermore, the liberal arts core at AUS, which augments courses in CAAD, distinguishes it from many other design schools and ensures that students receive broad preparation for the challenges they will face as versatile and successful professionals in today’s world.

Insights from the QS rankings also revealed that employers rate AUS alumni as the most preferred employees in the UAE in the fields of architecture and design. From designing some of the UAE's most iconic architecture and interiors, creating design solutions for leading global brands and pushing the boundaries of contemporary art and design, CAAD alumni consistently make headlines for their outstanding contributions to the design industry.

“Employers and graduate school admission committees prefer CAAD graduates because of their design abilities and because they are articulate, critical thinkers. I believe the results of our alumni speak for themselves,” said Dr. Pallathucheril.

Over the past 25 years, CAAD students and alumni have received regional and international acclaim for their outstanding contributions, including major awards such as the Agha Khan Award for Architecture, Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East Emergent Designer Prize, Christo and Jean Claude Award, Global Undergraduate Awards, Commercial Interior Design Awards and James Dyson Award, among many others

CAAD graduates go on to succeed in graduate studies at some of the world’s most prestigious institutions, such as Harvard Graduate School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, and New York’s School of Visual Arts, the Architectural Association School of Architecture and Royal College of Art in London.

In the professional world, CAAD alumni dominate the regional design scene and are the names behind iconic architectural projects such as the Dubai Twisted Bridge and Museum of the Future, the founders of some of the region’s leading architecture and design firms, and major contributors to major art, design and film festivals such as Dubai Design Week and Venice Biennale.

CAAD faculty play a central and vital role in this success and are not only passionate and committed teachers, but they also share their creative work and engage in scholarly activities. 

“With their energy and design knowledge, they inspire students to perform at a level that attracts recognition. They invest a great deal of themselves in their teaching. Studio instruction, which is at the heart of learning design, is an intensive endeavor and requires the investment of significant time and energy,” Dr. Pallathucheril said.

Applications for Fall 2022 are now open to prospective students who aspire to join the next generation of designers and architects and make their mark on the exciting and ever-changing creative landscape. To learn more about the College of Architecture, Art and Design at American University of Sharjah and its programs, visit www.aus.edu/caad.