Globally Connected
NewSchool’s student body is rich in diversity. In Fall 2017, more than 135 international students from more than 20 countries joined the NewSchool Community, including students from: Saudi Arabia, Mexico, India, Kuwait, China, Spain, Peru, Brazil, Norway, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam, Mali, Republic of Korea, Canada, Morocco, Angola, Bahrain.
Students at NewSchool experience a truly global classroom environment with the opportunity to participate in unique study abroad programs, an international campus community, cross-location collaborations, flexible online learning, and world-renowned guest lecturers.
Award-Winning & Accredited
Our faculty and students have the dedication and drive to achieve great things in their education, local communities, and careers. NewSchool students have won local, regional and national competitions, and are continuously striving to gain knowledge and experience to advance their academic and professional careers. Learn more about our award-winning community.
NewSchool of Architecture & Design is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). Programmatic accreditation is provided through the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) for professional architecture programs. Our Master of Architecture program is ranked as one of the Top 30 in the World by Frame magazine. Read more about our accreditations.
Industry & Career Focused
NewSchool faculty and staff are committed to the success of students both during and after their formal education. Strong industry connections, collaborations, and cutting-edge design education are part of classroom instruction each day, as well as real-world, skills-based instruction that prepares students for employment and successful careers following graduation.
NewSchool’s global university network provides students with access to some of the world’s most influential companies, including Gensler, URS, Balfour Beatty, Hensel Phelps, Delawie Wilkes Rodriquez Barker, and Bjarke Ingels Group.
The mission of NewSchool of Architecture & Design is to nurture and inspire design-minded students. NewSchool graduates demonstrate a firm foundation of critical thinking, ethical behavior, and a culture of professional practice on their way to becoming socially responsible leaders of change for our global society.
NewSchool achieves this mission through:
- A progressive curriculum, taught by accomplished, active faculty.
- Practitioner-based models of learning focused on problem-solving, experiential learning, and process-based design.
- Active participation and engagement in our local and global community.
- The constant pursuit of academic excellence.
NewSchool’s vision is to be a leading provider of architecture and design education focused on improving the quality of life in the built and natural environments on both the local and global scales as informed by nature, supported by research, focused on professional practice, and committed to sustainability. NewSchool’s vision will be accomplished through a disciplined approach to the following tenets:
- People: NewSchool will be a place where faculty and staff are engaged in a vibrant educational setting and where students find meaning and inspiration in the pursuit of their professional goals.
- Portfolio: NewSchool will grow its commitment to sustainable design and dynamic program development by anticipating the ever-changing needs of our students and the professions we serve.
- Partners: NewSchool will be a leading contributor to the design professions around the globe.
- Place: NewSchool will be practice-oriented and student-centric and will contribute to multiple locations, both domestic and international
- We value inquiry as the search for knowledge and the willingness to question.
- We value critical thinking that subjects all concepts, ideas, and opinions to intellectual reflection and a rigorous examination based on logic, clarity, consistency, and fairness.
- We value a climate of open exchange and dialogue that allows for the sharing of a range of opinions and methods.
- We value ethical behavior that promotes the practice and application of personal, professional and social responsibility.
- We value leadership in the academic, professional, and social environments with the expectation that through one’s actions, the actions of others are influenced, inspired, and focused.
- We value the diversity of cultural and social backgrounds, offering differing points of view brought about by an array of cultural traditions, economic backgrounds, religious upbringing, and gender.
- We value engagement as the act of contributing to the health and well-being of the academy, the profession, and the community
At NewSchool, we challenge our students with rigorous advancement standards, and our hands-on instructional program nurtures artistic passion while demanding professional excellence. We believe that a wide range of individuals can find reward and fulfillment in the study of architecture and design. It is this philosophy that shapes the NewSchool Mission, Vision, and Values.
Our faculty includes experienced architects, designers, and practicing professionals who develop creative mentorships with students. NewSchool subscribes to the “learn by doing” thesis of American philosopher John Dewey, and we encourage our students to intern as soon as their abilities and circumstances allow. NewSchool strives to meet the ever-changing demands of the architectural and design professions. We continually adapt our educational objectives to meet the fundamental goals of practice within the professions: ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
NewSchool faculty has identified five overarching institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) that apply to students in all programs. NewSchool’s graduates should be able to:
ILO 1. Use critical thinking in the formation, analysis, and evaluation of ideas.
ILO 2. Demonstrate creativity in problem solving.
ILO 3. Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures and environments.
ILO 4. Communicate effectively through written, oral, and visual media.
ILO 5. Demonstrate professional and ethical practices.
The ILOs are designed to be universal, learning oriented, measurable, and distinct. Interpretation of these ILOs allows our diversified programs to link to the institution and to each other, while maintaining the character and academic rationale of the specific field.
Many of the most pressing problems of contemporary society now demand creative solutions: urban conditions of both density and sprawl, the accelerating depletion of the earth’s natural resources, and globalization’s impact on local culture and meaning. Education in the design professions is intended to prepare students to address these and other problems creatively.
NewSchool’s programs in Architecture, Construction Management, Graphic Design & Interactive Media, Product Design, and Interior Architecture & Design are dedicated to providing the skills and methodologies necessary to adapt to — and excel in — a changing professional environment positioned to serve society. Design and its related fields necessitate a commitment to lifelong learning and exploration. This requires the mental agility to learn new disciplines and to communicate effectively. In addition to learning their professions, students are instructed in a variety of areas based in critical thinking, including a broad general education program, oral and written communication, computer application, library research, and problem analysis. Graduate students are expected to focus on the key issues, methodologies, and skill sets necessary for advancement within their disciplines.
Architecture, design, and related disciplines are integrative professions that require lifelong learning and exploration. Excellence requires the mental agility to learn new disciplines and to effectively communicate new ideas. At NewSchool, we give students the skills they need to adapt and thrive in a challenging professional environment.
The NewSchool Foundation (NSF) promotes the awareness, appreciation, and understanding of architecture, and its crucial role in society, along with art and design disciplines, in creative problem solving and building better communities. NSF focuses on the following areas to achieve this mission to benefit students and the general public:
- Support and enhance the Richard Welsh Memorial Library at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design through acquisition, expansion, preservation and special programs.
- Provide funding and organization for continuing and expanding the NewSchool Lecture Series of architects, designers, and artists.
- Work with local architecture firms and others to create events that promote and enhance architecture and design awareness.
- Provide scholarship and grant opportunities to architecture & design students.
- Initiate and cooperate with experimental architectural design projects and concepts in urban design.
- Sponsor architecture and design competitions.
- Publish Cartouche to acknowledge excellence in architecture and design disciplines and provide a forum on related topics.
- Sponsor fundraising events and other activities to support the mission.
Vision of the NewSchool Foundation
Our vision is to enhance the educational experience of students at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design and to provide research opportunities for faculty. For more information on the NewSchool Foundation, click here.