Cornell's undergraduate and graduate interior design programs in the College of Human Ecology's Department of Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA) have been ranked the second-best program nationwide in the annual survey conducted by DesignIntelligence magazine.

Last year the programs were ranked third in the nation, but this year the only school ahead of Cornell is the Rhode Island School of Design.

The ranking, based on the hiring experiences of a cross-section of leading U.S. firms, assessed how well prepared recent graduates were in a range of vital design skills.

"I am proud and absolutely delighted that our program has once again been recognized in this way," says Franklin Becker, professor of DEA and chair of the department. "It reflects a deep commitment on the part of our faculty to make a difference in both the academic world and in design practice. Our graduates flourish because of their unique combination of skills and perspectives. Our program was one of the first in the country to integrate the social sciences with design. And we are fortunate, indeed, that we got the model right more than 30 years ago and can still evolve and push the boundaries of design education today."

In the same issue, DesignIntelligence gave Cornell's Bachelor of Architecture program top marks.