Industrial design program granted full accreditation

The industrial design program in the School of Architecture at Virginia Tech has been granted full accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the national collegiate accrediting agency for art and design disciplines.

"Accreditation is important because it gives us access to a national discussion regarding the duality of education and practice and helps us ensure a quality of teaching, research and service that has already brought to the program national recognition," said Robert Dunay, T.A. Carter Professor of Architecture and program chair for industrial design.

Industrial designers help establish an organization's identity, initiate new strategies, develop new products, or create expanded markets. Industrial design at Virginia Tech prepares the individual to help provide the things and systems that go beyond styling: to address substantive needs for a better and more meaningful life.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2004, the College of Architecture and Urban Studies is one of the largest of its type in the nation. CAUS is composed of two schools and the departments of landscape architecture, building construction, and art and art history. The School of Architecture + Design includes programs in architecture, industrial design and interior design. The School of Public and International Affairs includes programs in urban affairs and planning, public administration and policy, and government and international affairs.