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Architecture masters of science program: theses, shifting school design to the 21st century: challenges with alternative learning environments.

Bryan H. Perez , University of Nebraska-Lincoln Follow

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Lindsey Bahe

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Perez, Bryan H. Shifting School Design to the 21st Century: Challenges with Alternative Learning Environments . Master of Science in Architecture Thesis, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2017.

A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science, Major: Architecture, Under the Supervision of Professor Lindsey Bahe. Lincoln, Nebraska: August, 2017.

Copyright (c) 2017 Bryan H. Perez

There is a need for major change in our educational system and in particular the design of schools. Our existing school model was defined in the mid- to late-1800s, as a response to the Industrial Revolution, and does not reflect the needs of the next generation of 21st century students. One of the key elements of change in schools is the shift from confined classrooms towards alternative learning environments – spaces that are designed for a specific learning type or activity.

This thesis focuses on secondary education and examines three schools identified as having innovative school designs. While all three schools are professionally recognized as innovative institutes by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Committee on Architectural Education (CAE), their local AIA chapter, and/or by the Association for Learning Environments’ James D. MacConnell Award, they vary in curriculum, program requirements, size, and site context.

The research of these schools uses a qualitative mixed method approach to measure the effectiveness of alternative learning environments in secondary schools. It is conducted through a combination of an inventory and analysis of each school’s program and spaces as well as through a questionnaire sent to the faculty, staff, and administration of each school to assess the use and qualities of the alternative learning environments in their schools. The objective of this research is to identify the positive and negative impacts of the alternative learning environments on the school’s organization, curriculum, educators, and students.

Advisor: Lindsey Bahe

Since August 02, 2017

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School Architecture: 70 Examples in Plan and Section

• Written by María Francisca González
• Published on October 08, 2023

For architects, schools are often complex structures to design. They must provide a variety of spaces for education, and also consider sports and recreational activities. But beyond its size or surface, the greatest challenge is to design an area that fosters a positive pedagogical environment for children. Below, a selection of +70 school projects with their drawings to inspire your proposals for learning campuses.

Lishin Elementary School Library / TALI DESIGN

Ratchut School / Design in Motion

Skovbakke School / CEBRA

Schoolgarden “De Buitenkans” / RO&AD Architecten

Glassell School of Art / Steven Holl Architects

Astronomical Park of Zhenze High School / Specific Architects + Unit Architects

Secondary School in Cabrils / Josep Val Ravell + Arnau Solé Simón

School of Alfa Omega / RAW Architecture

School Extension La Fontaine / LT2A

School in Port / Skop

The French International School of Beijing / Jacques Ferrier Architecture

Fênix / Arquitetura Nacional

Marlborough Primary School / Dixon Jones

Hangzhou Gudun Road Primary School / GLA

Agricultural School Bella Vista / CODE

Daishan Primary School / ZHOU Ling Design Studio

Ivanhoe Grammar Senior Years & Science Centre / McBride Charles Ryan

Bamboo Sports Hall for Panyaden International School / Chiangmai Life Construction

Elite English Training School / B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

Ruyton Girls' School / Woods Bagot

Bio-climatic Preschool / BC architects

BAPS Swaminarayan Girls Residence School / Kapadia Associates

Wenzhou Dalton Elementary School / FAX ARCHITECTS

The Saint George College’s Gymnasium / Gonzalo Mardones V Arquitectos

Oak House High School Building / Trasbordo Arquitectura

Music School / BAROZZI VEIGA

Tjørring School / FRIIS & MOLTKE Architects

Xiashan Primary School / STI Studio from the Architectural Design & Research Institute of Zhejiang University

Primary School Gartenhof / BUR Architekten

Collège Maxime Javelly / Céline Teddé & Jérôme Apack architectes

Bedales School Art and Design / Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios

BuBaO Sint-Lievenspoort / evr-Architecten + Callebaut Architecten

Tiantai No.2 Primary School / LYCS Architecture

Eco Moyo Education Centre- Classroom and Library / The Scarcity and Creativity Studio

Axis Pramiti / The Purple Ink Studio

Akademeia High School in Warsaw / Medusagroup

Primary School La Couyere / Atelier 56S

Schools in Africa and mango trees / WAYAiR Foundation

Copenhagen International School Nordhavn / C.F. Møller

School Campus De Vonk - De Pluim / NL Architects

Simone Veil’s group of schools in Colombes / Dominique Coulon & associés

Blue School Middle School / PellOverton Architects

School Jean-Monnet / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architects + CDA Architectes

Lycee Schorge Secondary School / Kéré Architecture

Montserrat Vayreda School / BAAS Arquitectura

Tanpo Solar School / Csoma's Room Foundation

COF Outreach Village Primary Schools / Studio FH Architects

St. Nicholas School / aflalo/gasperini arquitetos

Highgate Primary School / iredale pedersen hook architects

Bann Huay San Yaw- Post Disaster School / Vin Varavarn Architects

InsideOut School / Andrea Tabocchini & Francesca Vittorini

Augustinianum / architecten|en|en + Studio Leon Thier

Extension of the Charlie Chaplin School Complex / SAM architecture

School of Arts Calaisis / ARC.AME

Cascade High School Expansion / Neumann Monson Architects

Chiryu Afterschool / MOUNT FUJI ARCHITECTS STUDIO

Dos Plátanos School / Murmuro

Min Tu Won School / Orbe Architecture + Estudio Cavernas + INDA + W.E. Wattanachote + Lasavanic

Children Village / Rosenbaum + Aleph Zero

Animo South Los Angeles High School / BROOKS + SCARPA

New Jerusalen de Miñaro Primary School / Semillas

Maria Montessori Mazatlán School / EPArquitectos + Estudio Macías Peredo

120-Division School / WAU Design

Lanka Learning Center / feat.collective

Rehabilitation of an old School for the Flamenco Interpretation Center / García Torrente Arquitectos

Singapore International School of Bangkok - Phase II / Plan Architect

School and Community Center “B³ Gadamerplatz” / Datscha Architekten

School Hoek / ebtca architecten

Hall of Literature & Garden at Taizhou High School / Architectural Design & Research Institute of SCUT

Rural School Alto del Mercado / Ana Elvira Vélez + Juan B. Echeverri

After-School Care Centre Waldorf School / MONO Architekten

Editor's Note:  This article was originally published on October 14, 2018, and updated on September 14, 2020.

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教育类建筑：70例中小学校合集

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Please note you do not have access to teaching notes, primary school design: co-creation with children.

Archnet-IJAR

ISSN : 2631-6862

Article publication date: 30 November 2020

Issue publication date: 23 June 2021

The school environment affects children's health, emotions and learning. The good design of school buildings makes these places more pleasant and more functional. Children's views are important and need to be more effectively integrated in the school design project, especially after the pandemic as many schools had to re-design their spaces. However, there are challenges for academics, designers and policymakers in determining which methods are appropriate for listening to children's views and ensuring their effective participation. The study aims to evaluate the different ways in which children could get involved in designing schools, and to identify spatial design trends from the perspective of the children.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Various data collection techniques were drawings, model making and questionnaires. The empirical study was undertaken by 120 children (8–10 years old), who designed three spaces in two Primary Schools in England.

This paper discusses the change in use of spaces for current and future (post-COVID) school design and the need for multi-purpose spaces that can flip form one to another. The findings highlight the importance of involving children in the school design process that could then inform the decision-making processes of architects and designers. The findings would have implications for school design practice, demonstrating how research can be embedded in primary schools to evaluate the quality of indoor and outdoor spaces.

Research limitations/implications

More research focusing on diverse spaces, various age groups and in different primary schools would provide reliable and age-appropriate guideline for future school design. It is recommended to gather children's and teachers' views related to the changes that primary schools in the UK have applied in response to the pandemic since June 2020 to assess the impact of social distancing in various indoor and outdoor spaces.

Originality/value

The study is a response to effective involvement of children in school design process as the main user. By identifying appropriate methods to gather children's views, the gap between academics, designers and policymakers can be bridged, especially for innovative post-COVID design of primary schools with radical changes. The study also highlights children's views for design of outdoor and indoor multi-functional spaces and suggests some post-pandemic design considerations to respond to children's preferences as well as their health and well-being.

• Participatory design
• Biophilic design
• Co-creation methods
• Co-design with children
• Primary school design

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the Faculty of Art, Design and Humanities at De-Montfort University for supporting her in carrying out these studies. The author also would like to thank the headteachers and teaching staff at Earlsdon Primary School and Broad Heath Primary School for their kind support and involvement in this research. Specially, the author would like to thank all the children participated in these studies for sharing their views and creating amazing work. Funding: There was no external funding for this project, but an internal fund from the faculty to buy the materials for model making.

Ghaziani, R. (2021), "Primary school design: co-creation with children", Archnet-IJAR , Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 285-299. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARCH-07-2020-0132

Emerald Publishing Limited

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Universal access to primary schools is a key millennium development goal, still proving difficult to deliver in low-income countries. Schools designed for the poorest remain inadequate for the numbers enrolled, and for the basic needs and functions of today’s classrooms. The key issue is overcrowding; classrooms designed for forty regularly accommodate more than sixty due to the use of outdated international classroom design standards. These schools also have poor access to infrastructure; electricity, drinking water, sanitation, and ICT/library spaces. This paper highlights these issues and suggests strategies for improved school design through the evaluation the EdQual research project school case studies, the author was involved with, and also recent international examples It is argued that schools designed considering these issues, can become 'hubs' for development; providing local assets that can be shared by their communities. (Approved for forthcoming publication in the International Journal for Education Development)

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B.Arch Thesis – The Neighbourhood School, by Akshay Mirajkar, Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture,

• October 12, 2017

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B.Arch Thesis by Akshay Mirajkar | Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture.

In the recent times, the field of education has witnessed numerous variations on a large scale. Due to the rising commercial aspect, schools are becoming grander in terms of garnering the image of being the best one in its field. In order to sustain in this competition, schools tend to market themselves through various lucrative offers, thereby rendering the students as mere consumers of a product. Over the years, School marketing, in India and across the world, has become a booming industry, and is set to grow even further as the focus of schools is on building sustainable brands. Research shows that marketing spends are on the rise in response to the increased competition for students, staff, and resources. The aim is to attract and increase the quality of students every year, retain top faculty, increase student placement opportunities through continuous interaction with businesses, optimize cost of achievement per candidate. Also, in this scenario, misleading architectural imagery plays a significant role where it becomes the platform to attract the consumers.

Due to this rat race, quality of education suffers the most as the schools are evolving with providing various infrastructural facilities, but the quality of space required for learning has remained constant or is left unexplored. Firstly, through documentation of two city schools; the thesis studies the existing schooling scenario. Thus, after drawing conclusions from the above study, the thesis tries to answer the needs of the city through a design project.

Documentation and Analysis of two city Schools

The LFS has an oval shaped layout with a single loaded corridor connecting all the programs having service cores at each ends. Due to the large scale volume of the atrium, the noise coming from children playing in the central space causes a nuisance to the classrooms on the ground as well as the floors above. Also, the hotel like lobby space (without any windows opening on to the corridor) and the standardised composition of the programs hampers the curiosity amongst the students.

The layout of BCS consists of a long and narrow corridor which connects the classrooms in the middle and resource centres and staff space at each ends, having two service cores for the working staff and the students. The scale of the lobby causes a nuisance to the classrooms due to the noise coming from children walking or playing in the lobby and also creates a sense of suffocation, as the only opening is at the end of corridor. The hotel like lobby space and the standardised cell like composition of the programs hamper the curiosity amongst the students. On comparing the classrooms, the scale as well treatment of the interiors of them for different user age group remains the same throughout.

After studying the existing situation, it is clear that there are various schools in the city imparting education through diverse approaches, with each having its own scale of conduct. Theoretically speaking, the learning environment required for each of them should be different, based on their principles of functioning. But in practice, a standardise plan of a double or single loaded corridor with classrooms and other program spaces on either sides becomes the common ground when it comes to formulating a dedicated space for the same.

Looking at the documentation of the city based schools; the most striking flaw, which requires serious attention, would be the failure to address the curiosity of the child at any given age. Children at any age, have a tendency to know about what their schoolmates are learning, irrespective of the age group. With a walled – fortress like classroom, this desire of the child often gets unanswered.

Another major area of concern is the ignorance towards the scale of spaces. In order to maximise the space and avoid any complicated structural arrangement, the scale of the classrooms as well as other program spaces remain the same throughout all the age groups. Due to this, there is a sense of reluctance amongst the students to familiarize with the school space.

Finally, the quality of space, which differs from each institution, requires instant consideration. The learning environment required for each age group is different and depends on their psychological growth at each stage. Use of repetitive and uninteresting as well as over stimulating visuals of spaces may create a hurdle in learning by altering their thought processes. Hence, a significant amount of energy should be spent on to create a visually inspiring learning environment with equilibrium maintained between the dull as well as over doing of spaces.

Site context

Site justification

The aim is to design an institution which promotes education with an holistic approach of learning which focuses on – finding child’s true identity, meaning and purpose of his life.

The above can be achieved through connections to community, to natural world and spiritual values. Hence, such a project requires a strong neighbourhood where cross exchange of knowledge takes place between the students and the community, thus educating both of them.

With this project, apart from learning, the intervention would serve as a core to restore harmony within its people.

The site at chinchpokli is up for redevelopment, in order to upgrade and modernize the current situation. The planned project is a school tower at the present site which will accommodate all the requirements. And thus, can be a blunder of the past mistakes.

Hence, to avoid the above scenario, the designed project will thus serve as a proposal to the redevelopment project and also, to the city as an example of a school with an out of the box approach of learning which takes cues from its own people and nature when it comes to facilitate education in a dense neighbourhood.

Analytical plans

On closely studying the movement patterns, it is clear that majority of the students, learning in this institution reside in the close proximity of the institute. Currently, the institute does not provide any seating or waiting area for the parents who have come to drop of their children. Due to this, they are forced to wait at the school gate causing traffic jam and inconvenience to other residents.

Site scenario

The part of the School building which faces the main road has been rented out for commercial activities like Doctor’s clinic, private office spaces, government post office, etc. Also, there is a line of shops thronging along the northern edge of the school plot, which is backed by an old deserted warehouse. There is a public recreational ground on the rear side of the school plot, but it does not have any official access to it. A tertiary road leads up to the open space, but it is blocked by a temple and a private office.

Program derived and Idea spring point –

The main aim of the project was to design a knowledge hub, thereby enhancing the learning process, emotionally as well as physically. The program to be derived should be based on the holistic learning of the students i.e. not binding within the four walls of the school. Hence, Special programs like a community centre is included which would encourage cross exchange of knowledge within the students and the parents as well as the society (neighbourhood). Based on the idea of interpreting ‘Education – as solving a mystery’, a series of pause points guides the program chain whereby the RG becomes the revelation in this circulation. The practice of the institution should not be bound to its students, but should also be learning as well as a social hub for the local residents. In this way, the school actually becomes an indirect connection between the neighbourhood and the recreational ground.

Design development

Based on the Idea, the situational analysis and the program chain derived, the design was developed in such a way that two third part of the plot will have the maximum programs in it (oriented by the introduction of an axis), while the one third fronting the main road will have the drop off zone (private entrance) and a small recreation area. The deserted warehouse was demolished and the shops were relocated in such a way that the roof (ramp) of the relocated shops becomes a secondary entrance to the school, thereby giving an access to programs like the Community Centre (a café, lecture hall and workshop hall) and the RG.

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Loved the design. Overall, most of the aspects has been taken care of, which is quite impressive. Though, I couldn’t see the area of the Site. Let me know if it is there and I missed out.

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10 Innovative School Designs in Rural Areas Around The World

School designs are more or less a complex problem to deal with. It is a strategic process of creating a pedagogical environment without losing the essence of a recreational and entertaining environment. Understanding the psychology of children with different age groups and sometimes even special abilities, school designing becomes a challenge to cater to all the needs and respond to context. In rural areas, schools become the only source of learnings; social, economic, linguistic, geographical , and whatnot. There are some outstanding examples of rural schools that don’t only have educational and playful character but also respond to the vernacular approach of construction, serving a beautiful aura of learning. 

Here are 10 Innovative School Designs in Rural Areas:

1. Gando Primary School

Architects: Kéré Architecture Area: 310 m² Year: 2001

The project was initiated to fill the gap of resources Architect Francis Kere had to face in his childhood. The unavailability of schools resulted in building an eco-friendly vernacular structure for the children of his town: Burkina Faso; landlocks in West Africa stood as an inspiration for further sustainable development around. The building was a result of community architecture responding to cost, climate, and lack of resources. Using a clay/mud hybrid structure, the roof was a large overhanging tin with perforated openings to support proper ventilation. In 2004, the project won the aga khan award, flourished educational life without losing the context yet responding to climate.

2. Dipshikha METI School in Bangladesh

Architects: Anna Heringer & Eike Roswag Area: 325 m² Year: 2007

Bangladesh has been rich in earth and bamboo construction and so is this handmade METI school by Anna Heringer & Eike Roswag . The architect’s vision was to create a free open forum of the learning environment to accommodate social activities and empower young minds to use their skills to develop their rural surroundings. Earth walls of the ground floor stand over the brick foundations while in contrast the first floor is designed of bamboo, creating a fragile environment and letting the sunlight in through the gaps. Introducing colors to the doors and playful holes build an inviting character for the children of Rudrapur.

3. Shiroles Rural School

Architect: Elisa Marin and Manfred Barboza Year: March 2012

Built for the agricultural community of the Costa Rican region. The context was to support the Shiroles ideology of living, “the reservation for the country’s indigenous people”. Building materials are timber; brought from the nearest forest and corrugated metal sheet available in town itself. 8,000$ was the budget per classroom including finishes. The materials were used keeping future reachability in mind. 

4. Mulan Primary School

Architects: Rural Urban Framework Area: 503 m² Year: 2012

The brief was an extension of already running a primary school. The design introduced 6 new classrooms with punctured open spaces as courtyards. To enhance recreational activities and initiate a productive reading environment, an individual open space was incorporated for the library. The vertical movement of the building makes an interesting continuation that later becomes the roof of the floors. 

5. Tongjiang Primary School in Rural China

Architects: Joshua Bolchover – John Lin Area: 1096 m² Year: 2012

Located in Jiangxi Province, a region of south-east China , the project was introduced with already built constraints. An extension of primary school was constructed using the building waste available nearby. Responding to the hot climate, the roof was molded with brick waste and rubble to keep the interior thermally cool in summers and recites heat during winters. Bricks are arranged with a perforated pattern for better ventilation. The facade has vertical concrete fins, which helps in reducing heat inlet and sizes vary according to the functions. Incorporating courtyards and open spaces help in achieving the major goal of enhancing community participation and creating an adaptive educational environment. 

6. Chaparral Rural School

Architects: Plan:b Arquitectos Area: 995 m² Year: 2015

Colors juxtaposing with greenery around, the Chaparral school’s design is as simple to understand as it looks. Designed for the children of farmers of the land of chaparral. Materials used are earthy colored concrete blocks for walls while floors are constructed with concrete and stone flooring, fences use iron bars and ramps and stairs in the playground area designed for vertical movement, Southern side is linked with the roads hence is filled purely, while the northern side is open to cherish the mountain beauty.

7. Baan Huay Sarn Yaw- Post Disaster School 

Architects: Vin Varavarn Architects Year: 2015

As a part of D4D (Design for Disasters), the school design initiation was taken to overcome an earthquake in Chiang Rai, Thailand which affected more than 2k students. The brief was to design an earthquake-resistant structure with low-cost materials and easy techniques with available labors. Each classroom has a foyer for children to keep their shoes and to create a void for reducing noise. A corridor inside the building functions for better connectivity and natural materials enhances the process of building them. Incorporation of bamboo shelves to keep plants over brought nature inside and filled the space with joy and refreshments.

8. Khyaung School in Cambodia

Architects: Building Trust international, Weston Williamson + Partners Area: 440 m² Year: 2017

The aim was to design a spatial character empowering innovative minds and maximizing internal and external spaces with low maintenance. The designs of verandas at the front give groups of children the opportunity to perform multiple activities. Cross ventilation is maintained by high ceilings with brick gaps in the walls. A shaded small amphitheater just in front of the spaces provides a communal gathering space and enhances the quality of life. Bright colors bring a sense of belongingness in the minds of children and hence builds a better place to get educated.

9. Productive rural school: the first stage

Architects: rural digital baccalaureate no. 186 + communal: architecture workshop Location: tepetzintla, sierra northeast of Puebla Year: 2017-2018 first stage area: 192 sqm total project area: 1,530 sqm

Initiation by the students of rural Mexico who collaborated with local NGOs gave birth to this vernacular structure. The material used for school design is bamboo, bricks, and concrete. The students wanted to create a learning structure from which occupants can learn and teach. Planning involved the introduction of new spaces like kitchen gardens and labs to make medicines and syrups. The initiative turned into an enormous space, giving rise to the next level of construction, and hence the second stage is under construction.

10. Rane Vidyalaya CBSE school

Architects: Shanmugam Associates Area: 5000 m² Year: 2018

A smooth-walled structure built in the Theeram Malayalam; a town in southern rural India is inspired by Thirunallar temple’s walls of the 6th century merging with the cross houses of the region. The aim was to reflect the values of Rane and build a mass that has a social and educational impact on the region. The series of open spaces created helps in better cross-ventilation supported by the windows over lintel heightened walls. The use of local materials i.e. red solid bricks, baked earth tiles, terracotta jali, and grey fly ash bricks, helps in maintaining thermal comfort. The central courtyard, taken from ancient south Indian temples with the purpose of huge gatherings becomes a meaningful space to perform multiple activities. The project with contextual values responded perfectly to cater to the need for natural daylight and airflow.

Ankita Agrawal is a 4th-year undergraduate, pursuing her Bachelor's of architecture from MITS, Gwalior MP. She often sees herself as a curious and determined individual, enjoying new experiments in life. She is a keen learner, observer, and implementer. She travels to broaden her mind, experience a new culture and its essence to enrich her creativity.

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Undergraduate Thesis

• Preparing for Thesis

Elements of Thesis

• List of References
• Images and Figures
• Library Home

APA For Thesis

Browse our Thesis Finding Aid to see topics previous students researched and get inspired!

Course texts.

' CLICK TO VIEW IN LIBRARY CATALOG

See Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator Amin Espandiarimahalati

Graduate Thesis Coordinator Vuslat Demircay

Thesis - The Basics

"The starting point for any thesis has to be a critique of present circumstances, which opens up possibilities of radical and practical changes in the world."

- Zegarski / Enos (2016)

What is Thesis?

The Undergraduate Thesis Research Studio offers a unique opportunity to continue your design education at NewSchool. You will plan, develop, and execute a self-generated self-directed architectural research project. You will identify a problem based on your personal interests and propose an architectural solution by navigating and expanding on a given methodology comprised of research and design tasks. You will self-evaluate and clearly convey a critical position grounded in the learning outcomes of the architectural program at NewSchool.

"An architectural thesis should be seen as a desire to map, create, draw, or plan a certain kind of spatiality through a critical/ radical critique of a specific aspect within the process of archietctural production that is representative of everyday life within our current urbanized process of spatial production." Zegarski/ Enos (2016)

The library will only accept Thesis Books that follow the standards outlined here. Make sure you review them and include all required elements. 

Front Matter

• Copyright Page
• Thesis Abstract
• Approvals Page
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• Dedication (optional)
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Thesis Essay
• Research and Findings
• Design Solution
• List of Figures
• Glossary of Terms
• Vita (optional)
• Appendices (optional as needed/ appropriate)

General Thesis Timeline

Summer quarter.

• Thesis proposal and conceptual video

Fall Quarter (AR501)

• Thesis Essay, Case Studies, Programming, Site Investigation, Research Presentation

Winter Quarter (AR502)

• Project Schedule, Concept Development, Code Analysis, Site Development, Thesis Proposal Document, Design Presentation

Spring Quarter (AR503)

• Plans, Circulation, Structure, Sections, Systems, Interior Studies and Detailing, Storyboard, Final Design Presentation, Final Thesis Document

Submission Deadlines and Instructions

• Next: Preparing for Thesis >>
• Last Updated: Apr 23, 2024 7:16 PM
• URL: https://library.newschoolarch.edu/ugthesis

Dezeen Magazine dezeen-logo dezeen-logo

Drexel University spotlights twelve architecture and design student projects

Dezeen School Shows: a spa that integrates natural materials including stone and mineral plaster is included in Dezeen's latest school show by students at Drexel University .

Also included is an education centre for agriculture in Puerto Rico and a music venue situated by the Trinity River in Dallas , USA.

• Drexel University

Institution: Drexel University School: Department of Architecture, Design and Urbanism Courses: BArch, BS Interior Design, MS Interior Architecture and MS Design Research Tutors: William Mangold, Dee Nicholas, Andrew Phillips and Frances Temple-West

School statement:

"Drexel University offers the nation's top programs for experiential learning with dedicated co-op work experiences and a mission of civic engagement.

"The Department of Architecture, Design and Urbanism includes undergraduate programs in architecture and interior design and graduate programs in interior architecture, design research and urban strategy.

"Work from our programs explores qualities of place and considers that our lives are constantly shaped by the spaces we inhabit.

"At all scales, we respond to the form, light and materials of the world around us and we actively engage our social and natural environments.

"Through research and design interventions, our work enhances our lives and promotes community."

Architecture as Séance: A Dialogue Across Time by Lauren Tennenbaum

"Architecture embodies both history and visions of the future.

"The way we inhabit old buildings then can be a form of seance: a dialogue with the ghosts of our past to grapple with history and take agency in constructing heritage.

"Utilising Philadelphia's landmark brutalist Roundhouse building – former home of the Philadelphia Police Department – this thesis explores how design can amplify or subvert experiences of place and history, enabling us to reimagine our relationship with the past as an active conversation, always in progress."

Student: Lauren Tennenbaum Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: William Mangold

The Mix: Adapting to Gentrification Through Community Place-Making by Ananya Vijayendra

"This thesis project focuses on addressing socio-economic disparities in the Chelsea neighbourhood of New York City through strategic design interventions.

"Unlike typical gentrification that causes physical displacement, Chelsea is experiencing 'emotional displacement' where long-term residents feel out of place amid rapid development.

"The project creates 'third spaces' – community-oriented areas separate from home and work that facilitate social interaction between different socio-economic groups."

Student: Ananya Vijayendra Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: Sarah Lippmann

Temple at Tiffany's: Finding Meaning in Contemporary Material Culture by Nihitha Sreenath

"Temple at Tiffany's is a set of interior interventions that explore our complicated relationship with material culture.

"The project examines our aspirations of luxury and questions widely accepted symbols of status and appearances.

"Tiffany's is a symbol of prestige that operates through mechanisms of reification, fetishisation and phantasmagoria to construct meaning and produce objects that embody wealth and power.

"The interventions within the flagship Tiffany's store on fifth Avenue in New York City engage with the tension inherent in these mechanisms of status – we adore these luxury objects, yet they perpetuate stark inequalities."

Student: Nihitha Sreenath Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: William Mangold

The Connemera Greens: Kylemore Abby Hospitality Project by Jules Pipinos

"Transforming an old Irish castle into a destination hospitality venue is a vital step in cultural preservation, offering a unique blend of history and modern luxury.

"This initiative not only safeguards the architectural heritage of the castle but also breathes new life into its storied halls, making them accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences.

"By incorporating live music, several bars and lounges, the project creates a vibrant social hub that celebrates Irish culture and traditions."

Student: Jules Pipinos Course: BS Interior Design Tutor: Karen Pelzer

Agricultural Education Center in Puerto Rico by Almudena Munoz Ferran

"This agriculture education centre located in Puerto Rico will house volunteers in an immersive education program who want to learn how to work and cultivate their own land.

"The program will give them the necessary tools to create their farm or garden in Puerto Rico or wherever they choose to do so.

"The building will also serve as a community space, offering neighbours a place to meet, shop for fresh produce and take an array of classes, including on topics related to home gardens.

"The project is meant to address the lack of agricultural production in Puerto Rico in a holistic and vibrant way."

Student:  Almudena Munoz Ferran Course: BS Interior Design Tutor: Marie Mastrobattista

Museum for History and Cultural Expression by Adelyn Winger

"This thesis explores recent controversies surrounding ethnographic museums and the decolonisation of art, with the goal of designing a space that is culturally sensitive and can pioneer a new age of museums.

"This space will combine classical elements with modern technology to create a 21st-century museum that paves the way for the future of education and curation, whilst attracting people from various cultural backgrounds to come together and learn.

"The space will function as an educational and community space for users to have a cup of coffee and write or sketch."

Student: Adelyn Winger Course: BS Interior Design Tutor: Frances Temple-West

Footprints of Urban Heritage, Revitalising Kembang Jepun by Anjelica Soesanto

"Once a vibrant place where my grandparents fell in love, Kembang Jepun now suffers from a declining population, making it an unfavourable and unsafe area.

"My thesis suggests rejuvenating this historic street by honouring its urban heritage and attracting people to live, work and socialise there again.

"I propose a design inspired by vernacular Indonesian architecture for the heart of Kembang Jepun that includes mixed-use buildings and street amenities tailored to residents and visitors, creating 'third places' at multiple scales that serve as anchors of community life."

Student: Anjelica Soesanto Course: BArch Tutor: Kelly Vresilovic

Reshaping the Trinity: The Dual Performance of Critical Infrastructure by Rachel Sasson

"The project considers the dual ability of the Trinity River to function as both essential stormwater infrastructure and a vibrant public space.

"The floodway, an expansive landscape between two levees, has historically divided Dallas communities both physically and socially.

"The proposed redesign integrates ecological strategies to manage water, with features including a dynamic stage for outdoor music, house ticketing, vending and other support programmes."

Student: Rachel Sasson Course: BArch Tutor: Joanne Aitken

Beyond Birth: Crafting Supportive Postpartum Environments by Teagan Robinson

"There are three million pregnant women in the United States each year, and many feel like candy wrappers: packaging to be discarded after use.

"American apathy towards the female experience after birth is reflected in our lack of standardised postpartum care.

"This has contributed to one of the highest maternal death rates in the developed world, with more than half occurring after birth – according to the World Health Organisation, many of these deaths are preventable with proper postpartum care.

"This thesis explores the role of interior design in providing this crucial support, aiming to improve outcomes for both mothers and infants."

Student: Teagan Robinson Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: Jihyun Song

Reflective Effect: Materiality Impact on Embodied Cognition in Experience Design by Banan Baeesa

"This thesis explores the relationship between humans and the environment by combining reflective materials and immersive design.

"Reflective surfaces can transform spaces and their symbolic and illusionary aspects blur the traditional boundaries between internal and external characteristics.

"It can bridge the gap between the occupants and the surrounding space and is a spatial phenomenon that allows people to observe themselves in their surroundings.

"Reflective materials in interior spaces create engaging and immersive user experiences by taking advantage of our embodied cognition, and these materials aid in the physical body's complete immersion in its environment."

Student: Banan Baeesa Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: Telsa Love

Nature Connection: Integrating Nature into Sensory Design by Chi-Ying Lin

"This thesis explores the integration of sensory and natural design elements within a spa environment to enhance mental wellbeing and create a transformative experience.

"The design utilises visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile stimuli to craft a holistic experience that is aesthetically pleasing and promotes relaxation and ease.

"The use of natural materials such as wood, stone and mineral plasters, along with strategic placement of plants and water features, aims to replicate the calming effects of the natural world."

Student: Chi-Ying Lin Course: MS Interior Architecture Tutor: Lisa Patusky

Entwine – Elementary Education Interwoven with Nature by Yael Asman

"Entwine is a fun elementary school that I would have loved to send my kids to.

"When working on this project, I aimed to create a design that is a plethora of engaging experiences related to the natural environment.

"This is conceived as architecture that is dynamic and multifaceted at some locations and peaceful and harmonious at others; however, the principal idea of the design is employing the natural environment as a tool to inspire natural curiosity and motivation of independent learning."

Student: Yael Asman Course: BArch Tutor: Kelly Vresilovic

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Drexel University. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here .

• Student projects
• School Shows

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Thesis and dissertation filing guidelines

Students who have enrolled in dissertation or thesis credits will prepare a manuscript to publish through ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. You own and retain the copyright to your manuscript. The Graduate School collects the manuscript via electronic submissions only. All manuscripts are made available through ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database (PQDT), in ProQuest/UMI’s Dissertation Abstracts International, and through the University’s institutional repository, ScholarWorks.

Getting started with campus resources:

• Office of Human Research Protection
• Campus computer Help Desk @One : (775) 682-5000
• ProQuest Help Line: (877) 408-5027 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET, or 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. PT)
• For specific questions, call the Graduate School Graduation staff at (775) 784-6869

Jump to a section

• Important dates and milestones for graduating students
• Electronic manuscript submission
• Checklist to complete your electronic submission
• Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page
• Formatting your dissertation or thesis
• Templates, samples and forms for filing

1. Important dates and milestones for graduating students

• Contact your advisor to discuss department considerations and potential dates for your defense.
• Contact the Graduate School to ensure your progression paperwork has been approved.
• View important dates and purchase a graduation application through MyNevada for your graduation semester.
• Doctoral students must submit their dissertation title for the commencement program.
• Schedule defense date with the entire advisory committee in accordance with graduation deadlines.
• Submit all forms and final manuscripts to the Graduate School by established deadlines.

2. Electronic Manuscript submission

ProQuest electronic submission site

Set up an account with ProQuest and wait for a password sent via email. ProQuest offers email and phone support,   1-877-408-5027 , frequently asked questions, etc. Visit the site early to familiarize yourself with the submission process.

3. Checklist to complete your electronic submission

• Master's  Notice of Completion and Doctoral Notice of Completion Form  - This form includes all committee signatures AND the Graduate Program Director’s signature.
• Master's Final Review Approval and Doctoral Final Review Approval   Form - This form serves as the final approval from your advisor. The Graduate School will accept the dissertation/thesis after the date listed on the form. The approval date on the form indicates the student’s submission can be accepted.
• Committee Approval Page   - Use the online Word document template (NO SIGNATURES and no page number). This page will be merged into your manuscript to acknowledge committee members.
• Filing for Copyright Registration   (optional) - Students have the opportunity to register a copyright of their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service, which is paid online with student submission.
• Processing fee  - $85 thesis / $95 dissertation.  Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA . Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.
• NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates  – For  doctoral students only.

4. Instructions for completing thesis/dissertation committee approval page

• The Committee Approval Page (see forms links at bottom of page ): This interactive template has established borders.
• Use the accompanying template on page two of this handout to complete the Committee Approval form. Check spelling carefully and make sure that case (upper-case/capital and lower-case letters) and font style (regular or bold) follow the template. Spacing between lines will depend on how long your thesis/dissertation title is and how many committee members you have.
• Type the words as they appear on the template, i.e., on the first line “We recommend that the thesis/dissertation”, followed by the second line “prepared under our supervision by.”
• At brackets [1] enter your full name in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS and BOLD-FACED.
• Type the word “entitled” all in lowercase letters.
• At brackets [2] enter the complete title of your thesis/dissertation. The title should be in both CAPITAL and lower-case letters and must be Bold-Faced. If the title is long, use two or more lines, breaking the lines at appropriate words in the title. Do not hyphenate between lines.
• Type the words “be accepted in partial fulfillment of the,” and then, on the next line, “requirements for the degree of.”
• At brackets [3] enter the name of the degree being awarded, e.g., for Ph.D. enter “Doctor of Philosophy,” for Ed.D. enter “Doctor of Education”. The degree should be in all CAPITAL LETTERS and Bold-Faced. DO NOT enter the name of the graduate program, such as anthropology or economics.
• At brackets [4] type the full name of your thesis/dissertation advisor followed by his/her degree, followed by the word “Advisor”. For example, “Sonia A. Skakich, Ph.D., Advisor”. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
• Enter the subsequent committee members and type the full names of the rest of your committee members followed by their degrees and their roles in the committee (Committee Member or Graduate School Rep.) under each one. Use one line for each member. The Graduate School Representative should be the last committee member listed. Use both capital and lowercase letters.
• The last entry is reserved for the Dean of the Graduate School (which is already entered on the form).
• At brackets [5] enter the month and year of official graduation. The month must be May, August, or December. Enter the appropriate four-digit designation of the year (e.g., 2018).

5. Formatting your dissertation or thesis

The Graduate School requires standardized formatting for the dissertation and thesis documents. Students will follow a style guide (APA, MLA, etc.) to prepare their document; however, the document must comply with University formatting requirements listed below.

Margins and spacing

• Left margin: 1.5” from the left edge of the page.
• Right margin: 1.0” from the right edge of the page.
• Top margin: 1.0” from the top edge of the page.
• Bottom margin: 1.25” from the bottom edge of the page.
• All text should be double-spaced with the exception of captions, footnotes, long quotations, bibliographic entries of more than one line, and materials in tables and appendices.

Recommended fonts

Fonts should be easy to read. Times New Roman, Arial, or a similarly clear font is preferred; type size must be 10, 11, or 12 points. Script and italic typefaces are not acceptable except where absolutely necessary i.e. in Latin designations of species, etc.

In preparing your dissertation or thesis for electronic submission, you must embed all fonts. In Microsoft Word 2013, this is done by accessing the FILE menu; selecting OPTIONS, select SAVE. From the SAVE menu check the box labeled, ”Embed fonts in the file.” If the file size is a concern, check the box next to “Do NOT embed common system fonts."

Large tables, charts, etc., may be reduced to conform to page size, but the print must remain clear enough to be readable. You can also attach a PDF for electronic submissions.

Page numbering

Every page, with the exception of the title page, the copyright page, and the committee approval page is numbered in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top of the page and one inch from the right edge of the page. Do not underline or place a period after the number. Do not use a running header.

• The prefatory materials (abstract, acknowledgments, table of contents, etc.) are numbered in lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv…). Insert a section break after the Roman numerals to create different page numbering styles.
• The first page of the main text and all subsequent pages are continuously numbered in Arabic numerals beginning with one until the final page number (1, 2, 3, 4…)
• Do NOT number appendices or pages of additional material with numbers such as 4a or A-1.

Tables and appendices

Tables and appendices are part of the document and must conform to the same margin and page numbering requirements.

Format and sequence of pages

Assemble pages in the following order:

• Title page *no page number* (create according to the example provided)
• Copyright Notice *no page number* (optional - see example)
• Committee Approval Page *no page number* (use the online template available on our   forms page – NO SIGNATURES on this page)
• Abstract (begins lowercase Roman numerals i, ii, iii…)
• Dedication (optional)
• Acknowledgments (optional)
• Table of Contents
• List of Tables
• List of Figures
• Body of Manuscript (begins Arabic numbering 1, 2, 3…)
• Back Matter (appendices, notes, bibliography, etc.)
• Do not number the title page
• Center each line of type
• Use BOLD text type for the manuscript title
• The date listed is the month and year in which you will graduate. The only acceptable months are May, August, and December (graduation cycles).

Copyright page

No page number on this page. Although not required, we strongly recommend you insert a copyright notice in your manuscript following the title page. Essential components of the copyright notice include the copyright symbol, full legal name of the author, and year of first publication. Follow the format of the sample provided below.

Committee approval page

• No page number on this page
• Use the electronic PDF template provided below. This page will list the advisory committee members and graduate dean but will NOT include committee signatures.   Combine the PDF into your manuscript to form a single PDF file.  To do this in Adobe Pro, select "Organize pages," "Insert," and "From file."   
• A window will open and you can drag your separate PDF files into this window to combine them into a single file.
• Choose the PDF documents in order of page sequencing (title page, committee page, main manuscript) and then combine files into a single PDF.

(Lower case Roman numeral “i” page number)

Abstracts are required for all theses and dissertations. ProQuest no longer has a word limit on the abstract, “as this constrains your ability to describe your research in a section that is accessible to search engines, and therefore would constrain potential exposure of your work.” ProQuest does publish print indices that include citations and abstracts of all dissertations and theses published by ProQuest/UMI. These print indices require word limits of 350 words for doctoral dissertations and 150 words for master’s theses (only text will be included in the abstract). You may wish to limit the length of your abstract if this concerns you. The abstracts as you submit them will NOT be altered in your published manuscript.

Processing note

Each copy of your thesis or dissertation will be checked for margins, clarity of copy, and pagination. The Graduate School will run the manuscript through the Turn It In plagiarism tool.

Electronically submitted theses/dissertations are available in electronic format only; no hard copies will be produced. Students are responsible for binding any copies for personal use or for distribution to their advisor, department, or committee members.

Dissertation & Thesis Processing Fee

Mandatory processing fees are required for all theses ($85.00) and all dissertations ($95.00). Log into your Student Center in MyNEVADA. Under the Finances section, click on the link “Purchase Miscellaneous Items.” Select the applicable processing fee to pay (Dissertation or Thesis) and complete the transaction. You will receive a receipt that generates overnight.  Please keep this item as proof of payment for your records. Our office will automatically check for payment posted.

Using copyrighted materials

You must certify in ProQuest that any copyrighted material used in your work, beyond brief excerpts, is with the written permission of the copyright owner. Attach copies of permission letters to the agreement form.

Copyright registration (optional)

Students have the opportunity to register a copyright on their graduate work with the U.S. Copyright Office. It is strictly optional, and there is a $75.00 fee associated with the service. Students submitting electronically pay online. Paying for the claim to copyright is a voluntary action, which allows a court of law to award monetary damages if the copyright is infringed. You may file a Registration of Copyright yourself by sending a properly completed application form, a nonrefundable filing fee of $45.00 and a nonreturnable copy of your thesis or dissertation to the United States Copyright Office. Application materials and instructions are available from:

Register of Copyrights Copyright Office Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20559-6000 Information is also available at the Copyright Office’s website:   lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

ScholarWorks repository

ScholarWorks - the University's institutional repository - assists in collecting, preserving, and distributing the university's intellectual output accessible to end-users on local and global levels with few if any barriers. The repository will provide long-term access to the items deposited and can accept works from all the University faculty/staff/students. A wide variety of items including Articles, Datasets, Presentations, Technical Reports, Thesis and Dissertations, Posters, Conference Papers, etc. in all file formats can be deposited into the repository. The repository supports creative commons licensing and open-access publishing without any cost.

The discovery services and search engine optimizations ensure that major search engines easily discover the uploaded content. This increases the visibility, citations, and overall impact of the research. All items deposited in the repository receive a persistent URL that can be used for citations. Various statistics are collected with the built-in statistics module and Google Analytics modules. Information on monthly/yearly views, number of downloads, demographic information, etc. is available for each deposited item upon request.

All the ETDs uploaded into ProQuest are automatically deposited into the University's ScholarWorks repository. The embargo period set in ProQuest during deposit is carried over to the ScholarWorks repository. Any changes to the embargo period after deposit can be made by contacting ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 as well as the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Scholarworks FAQ

Do I need to upload my ETD into the ScholarWorks repository?

• No, ProQuest will automatically upload the ETD into ScholarWorks on approval from the Graduate School.

Can I extend the embargo period on my Thesis/Dissertation after uploading it to ProQuest?

• Yes, to change or extend the embargo period of your ETD you need to contact ProQuest at 1-800-521-0600 and the ScholarWorks administrator at [email protected] .

Can I make my ETD open access in the ScholarWorks repository?

• Yes, ScholarWorks supports open access with creative commons licensing. It is available as a free service to all the faculty/staff/students.

Alternative formatting for thesis or dissertation

These guidelines apply to those theses or dissertations which consist of a number of papers either previously published or being published concurrently with the submission of the thesis or dissertation. Acceptance and publication of the articles are not criteria for this alternative. Each of the papers should constitute a separate chapter of the overall work. Preceding the papers should be an introductory section. This section may be one or more chapters but should include:

• an overall introduction to the thesis/dissertation,
• a review of the appropriate literature, and
• a description of the methodology used in the study.

The student’s advisory committee should determine the format and specific content of this introductory section.

The number of individual papers constituting chapters of the thesis/dissertation is determined by the student’s advisory committee. These chapters may be formatted in the same style required by the journals to which they are to be submitted. However, the margins must conform to those of the overall thesis, i.e. left margin = 1.5"; right margin = 1"; top margin = 1"; bottom margin = 1.25". In addition, each page must be numbered consistent with the rest of the thesis/dissertation, that is, the first page of text is numbered 1 with each subsequent page numbered consecutively until the end, to include all appendices, indexes, etc.

Following the chapters consisting of individual papers, there must follow a summary, conclusions and recommendations section. This section may be formatted as one or more chapters.

Work reported in the articles should represent a major contribution by the student that is the review of the literature, the conceptual framework and/or research design for the reported work. The statistical analyses, summaries, conclusions, and recommendations should represent the student’s own work.

For publication purposes, other researchers may be named as additional authors. This would be especially appropriate when publication is dependent upon extensive revision of the initial manuscript submitted and the faculty involved assumes responsibility for the revisions, or when the student is using an existing database.

When a student chooses this option, the articles will be submitted to the journals agreed upon by the concerned academic unit. Responsibility for follow-up, revisions, etc., should be identified in a written document and agreed upon by the student and faculty member(s) involved.

6. Templates, samples and forms

Please be sure to read the above instructions before proceeding with documents.

Forms for filing a master's thesis   Forms for filing a doctoral dissertation

Thesis filing templates and samples

• Committee Approval page for 3-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 3-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 4-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page for 4-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)

Sample pages

• Thesis Title page (SAMPLE)
• Thesis Copyright page (SAMPLE)
• Thesis Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Dissertation filing templates, samples and Survey of Earned Doctorates

• Committee Approval page  for 5-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for  5-member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for 6-member committee (TEMPLATE)
• Committee Approval page  for 6 -member committee with co-advisor (TEMPLATE)
• Dissertation Title page (SAMPLE)
• Dissertation Copyright page (SAMPLE)
• Dissertation Committee approval page (SAMPLE)

Survey of Earned Doctorates

• Survey of Earned Doctorates  - The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) is an annual census conducted since 1957 of all individuals receiving a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution in a given academic year. The SED is sponsored by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and by three other federal agencies: the National Institutes of Health, Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Humanities. The SED collects information on the doctoral recipient's educational history, demographic characteristics, and postgraduation plans. Results are used to assess characteristics of the doctoral population and trends in doctoral education and degrees. Read more about the purpose and methods of the SED .

The development of statistical reasoning in primary school students

While formal statistical practices are not generally accessible to students in the primary years of schooling, the principles underpinning statistical thinking and reasoning—such as posing questions, collecting data, comparing groups, and representing and inferring from data—are relevant in primary mathematics (Watson et al., 2018). Recent Australian studies by English (2012, 2013, 2018), Fielding-Wells (2014, 2018 a,b), Kinnear (2013, 2018), Makar (2014, 2016, 2018), Mulligan (2015) and Watson (2018) have focused on primary school students’ capacities to engage in data modelling and on statistical reasoning more broadly. An early years’ approach to the teaching of statistics involves including students’ personal experiences, encourages self-collected data sets, and emphasises the reasoning process rather than outcomes or conclusions (Doerr, et al., 2017). How young students’ develop and apply the modelling and refinement process is not clearly understood however, especially when working with an abstract or complex data set. This thesis aimed to gain a more coherent understanding of the developmental aspects of Grade 1 through 4 students’ statistical reasoning and metarepresentational competence with explicit emphasis upon predictive reasoning.

Three interconnected design studies on model-based reasoning and predictive reasoning were conducted with 46 Australian students drawn from one cohort of a single, independent, metropolitan primary school. In the first design study, nine high-ability Grade 1 students created a word-based model for categorisation of self-portraits drawn by students in other grades, and assessed the model using three reasoning tasks. Of interest were the features of the modelling process observed in Grade 1 students, and how students’ used test data collected from the model to inform judgements regarding its efficacy and limitations. The second design study focused on predictive reasoning. How Grade 2 students used the variability of the temperature table to inform their predictions, how they justified predictions and their use of probabilistic language was the focus. Ten high-ability Grade 2 students, including seven students retained from the previous study, predicted maximum monthly temperatures from a temperature table then plotted their predictions against background temperature readings using TinkerPlots TM .

For both design studies, student predictions, representations and explanations were coded using three levels of statistical reasoning: idiosyncratic, transitional and quantitative (Leavy, 2008). Seven of the Grade 1 students were observed using data-based reasoning when justifying and revising their decisions. Six of the Grade 2 students made predictions similar to other monthly values in the data table, increasing to nine students after plotting the predictions with TinkerPlots TM . All ten students used probabilistic language when describing the data set, including terms such as outliers, clusters and range.

Following this pilot work, the main study employed 46 students from Grade 3, and 44 of the same students from Grade 4 in a longitudinal teaching experiment. Students predicted maximum monthly temperatures for the current year using a data table containing past maximum temperatures, represented the data table using informal freehand inscriptions or graphing and described their predictive strategies in verbal and written form. Data were collected at the beginning of Grade 3 and the beginning and end of Grade 4 using the same tasks. Data were coded using a data lenses framework (Konold et al., 2015) in Grade 3 and a framework for analysis of structural features (Awareness of Mathematical Pattern and Structure [AMPS]) (Mulligan & Mitchelmore, 2009) in Grades 3 and 4. Most Grade 4 students (87%) made predictions within the historical range, relative to half in Grade 3 (54%). Representations included co-ordinate graphing including column, line and dot plots and were more sophisticated in Grade 4, with 57% demonstrating data transnumeration, while in Grade 3 they were predominately idiosyncratic or copies of the data table. Grade 4 students were more likely (79%) than Grade 3 (51%) to use and describe predictions based on extraction, clustering, aggregation, noticing seasonal trends and range, identifying causal and random variation, and observing measures of central tendency. Large individual differences emerged: three developmental pathways are illustrated through case studies of high, average, and low ability students. This range suggests that pathways for predictive reasoning are somewhat flexible or idiosyncratic.

The design studies in this thesis demonstrated the advanced potential of some young students to reason statistically: Grade 1 students developed a viable word-based model using a complex data set, and Grade 2 students employed TinkerPlots TM to critique their data predictions. Levels of statistical reasoning in these students was higher than previously reported in studies of students in first and second grade such those by Makar (2016) and Lehrer and Schauble (2000b), as demonstrated through their use of data when justifying their reasoning.

The longitudinal study on student predictive reasoning and meta-representational competence contributes to a more in-depth or fine grained analysis of the possible developmental sequence of these capacities across Grades 3 and 4. Primary school students used contextual cues and data content when they make predictions, and appear to make realistic predictions from data tables prior to being able to describe viable prediction strategies, or to select data for representational purposes. However, other skills appear to develop unevenly— some students developing meta-representational competence and formal graphing prior to reasoning about their strategies, while other students developing reasoning strategies prior to meta-representational competence. Intermediate stages of transnumeration of data tables to formal graphs were described, providing a comprehensive longitudinal set of student representations from a single data set. The studies contribute to a growing body of research that investigates the predictive and data-modelling capacities of young students, and makes a distinct contribution by reporting on the use of TinkerPlots TM as a visualisation tool with second graders. The research supports the inclusion and extension of curriculum reform highlighting data-driven learning, and the development of statistical concepts that are integral to statistical literacy and mathematics learning. Research implications include arguments for more explicit outcomes in the Statistics and Probability strand of the mathematics curriculum on informal statistical inference and data exploration in the early years. This needs to be accompanied by newly developed professional development programs, resources and support for teachers’ acquisition of pedagogical content knowledge in statistical reasoning, and for primary school students to have extended opportunities for informal data representation prior to the introduction of formal graphing instruction.

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What research says about preventing school shootings

Cory Turner

Jeffrey Pierre

Students and residents mourn those who lost their lives near the scene of the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Ga. Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images hide caption

Wednesday's violence at a Georgia high school and the arrest of a 14-year-old suspect follow a familiar pattern of previous school shootings. After every one, there's been a tendency to ask, "How do we prevent the next one?"

For years, school safety experts, and even the U.S. Secret Service, have rallied around some very clear answers. Here's what they say.

It's not a good idea to arm teachers

There's broad consensus that arming teachers is not  a good policy. That's according to Matthew Mayer, a professor at Rutgers Graduate School of Education. He's been studying school violence since before Columbine, and he's part of a group of researchers who have published several position papers about why school shootings happen.

Law enforcement had prior warning about suspect in fatal Georgia high school shooting

Mayer says arming teachers is a bad idea "because it invites numerous disasters and problems, and the chances of it actually helping are so minuscule."

In 2018, a Gallup poll  also found that most teachers do not want to carry guns in school, and overwhelmingly favor gun control measures over security steps meant to "harden" schools. When asked which specific measures would be "most effective" at preventing school shootings, 57% of teachers favored universal background checks, and the same number, 57%, also favored banning the sale of semiautomatic weapons such as the one used in the Parkland attack.

Raise age limits for gun ownership

School safety researchers support tightening age limits for gun ownership, from 18 to 21. They say 18 years old is too young to be able to buy a gun; the teenage brain is just too impulsive. And they point out that the school shooters in Parkland, Santa Fe, Newtown, Columbine and Uvalde were all under 21.

School safety researchers also support universal background checks and banning assault-style weapons . But it's not just about how shooters legally acquire firearms. A 2019 report  from the Secret Service found that in half the school shootings they studied, the gun used was either readily accessible at home or not meaningfully secured.

Of course, schools don't have control over age limits and gun storage. But there's a lot they can still do.

Schools can support the social and emotional needs of students

A lot of the conversation around making schools safer has centered on hardening schools by adding police officers and metal detectors. But experts say schools should actually focus on softening  to support the social and emotional needs of students .

"Our first preventative strategy should be to make sure kids are respected, that they feel connected and belong in schools," says Odis Johnson Jr., of Johns Hopkins University's Center for Safe and Healthy Schools.

That means building kids' skills around conflict resolution, stress management and empathy for their fellow classmates — skills that can help reduce all sorts of unwanted behaviors, including fighting and bullying.

In its report, the Secret Service found most of the school attackers they studied had been bullied.

The School Shootings That Weren't

Jackie Nowicki has led multiple school safety investigations at the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She and her team have identified some of things schools can do to make their classrooms and hallways feel safer, including "anti-bullying training for staff and teachers, adult supervision, things like hall monitors, and mechanisms to anonymously report hostile behaviors."

The Secret Service recommends schools implement what they call a threat assessment model, where trained staff — including an administrator, a school counselor or psychologist, as well as a law enforcement representative — work together to identify and support students in crisis before they hurt others.

Earlier this year, the National Association of Secondary School Principals released new guidance for preventing school violence.

It noted that ensuring that educators, parents and students have access to mental health services is a "critical component" in preventing violence and increasing school safety. And the organization called for congressional action to provide support for those services.

This story has been updated from an earlier version published on May 26, 2022.

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• mass shootings

WCU Stories

Faculty, students from school of art and design travel to beijing.

 WCU Stories      September 5, 2024

From left to right: John Seefeldt, Tom Ashcraft, YuWen Renjie and WCU MFA student visit the Great Wall in China.

By Julia Duvall

Last year, Tom Ashcraft, director of Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design, got a phone call from the WCU Global Office about a student from Beijing, China, wanting to be an exchange student in the Master of Fine Arts program.

Ashcraft was unsure if the student would follow through, but YuWen Renjie, who was working on her bachelor’s degree at Beijing University of Technology, was serious about coming to WCU.

WCU and BJUT have an exchange agreement in place that allows students from both institutions to study abroad.

“We’ve had phone calls before about international students wanting to come study art at WCU as part of an exchange program, but typically for one reason or another, it just doesn’t work out,” Ashcraft said. “This time however, it did work out and YuWen joined us for a semester-long exchange in the MFA program during the fall of 2023.”

Renjie enjoyed her time at WCU so much that she decided she wanted to come back for the fall 2024 semester and earn her MFA.

“I really enjoyed being on WCU’s campus and learning about an American university,” Renjie said. “I also really love the weather and the environment in North Carolina. Everyone has been so friendly, especially the MFA team, so I knew I wanted to come back as a full-time MFA student at WCU.”

Ashcraft spoke to his equivalent at BJUT, to make sure there were no issues with Renjie enrolling at WCU to complete her MFA.

There were none. In fact, Renjie helped organize a WCU trip to Beijing in collaboration with Zhong Sheng, professor and director of the Department of Arts and Crafts in the College of Art and Design at BJUT.

Renjie along with Ashcraft, John Seefeldt, associate professor of design at WCU and MFA graduate student Daniel Schwendinger, traveled to Beijing from June 4-16, spending 10 of those days on the ground in China.

The team experienced a robust cultural exchange that included presenting multiple lectures, delivering engaged and active creative practice workshops as well as an exhibition that included WCU graduate students and leading Beijing artists.

“YuWen put together this amazing itinerary for us,” Ashcraft said. “We were given unprecedented access, seldom afforded to visitors, to Beijing’s cultural landscape where we met with practicing contemporary artists and designers in their studios. We also toured museums and important historical sites. This was such an amazing and intense research trip.”

Renjie was excited to be able to show Beijing to her professors and classmate.

“This trip was a great way to share my culture with my WCU colleagues and let them experience it for themselves,” Renjie said. “Chinese students are very interested in American university life and vice versa, so this has allowed us to create a new connection.”

Ashcraft, who has been involved with cultural diplomacy for nearly three decades, is excited about the future collaboration opportunities between WCU and BJUT.

“The Beijing trip was a truly extraordinary experience that included deep research, international fellowship and cultural diplomacy,” Ashcraft said. “We hope that our travel will help create a bridge between our two institutions.”

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TSD24: 3-Minute Thesis Presentations

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 10:30am to 12:00pm

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255 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester NY 14642

Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic competition that challenges doctoral students to describe their research to a general audience—within three minutes.

In this session, trainees in the UR CTSI’s Translational Biomedical Science PhD program will present their research. Student posters will also be on display in the auditorium vestibule.

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The best film schools in the u.s..

These 25-plus institutions are providing the next generation of filmmakers with tools (hint: it’s AI) to shape cinema’s future.

By Mia Galuppo

Mia Galuppo

Film Writer

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“On day three, I sat next to Darren Aronofsky. Talk about right time, right place,” recalls Matthew Libatique of his time at the American Film Institute. (The cinematographer went on to partner with the director on movies including Pi and Black Swan .) It shows that anyone attending a THR top film program could find themselves sharing a classroom with the next Shonda Rhimes, Ari Aster or Barry Jenkins — or become the next name themselves. But film schools, like Hollywood at large, are faced with an increasingly paramount question: “What’s next?”

While Hollywood is preoccupied with concerns over artificial intelligence, many schools on this year’s list are already incorporating emerging technology into their curriculums with classes like Critical and Creative Approaches to AI (USC) and Producing and Screenwriting With AI (Loyola Marymount). Film programs whose emphasis has long been on the “big two” — directing and screenwriting — are now offering minors in virtual production stage operations (DePaul) and classes in live sports production (UT Austin).

The nation’s film programs are tasked with the difficult job of training for an industry with an uncertain future. Here is a glance at how the top 26 are ranked and rising to the task.

This story first appeared in the August 14 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe .

LOS ANGELES

Additions at the Robert Zemeckis Center, including a new LED wall and virtual environment lighting, have led to a massive overhauled curriculum that allows students to take advantage of the space. Classes include Realtime CG Filmmaking and the hybrid theory-practice class Critical and Creative Approaches to AI, while the school has installed generative AI software for in-class instruction and launched a virtual production senior thesis course. Habib Zargarpour, who worked on the virtual productions of The Jungle Book and Ant-Man and the Wasp , is a visiting professor. Elsewhere, a new class this fall taught by veteran producers Gail Katz and Susan Cartsonis will examine the making and success of Barbie . A new $5 million endowment to create the John H. Mitchell Program in Episodic Television will offer courses on docuseries and single-camera comedies. Director Sean Wang, who took Sundance by storm with Didi , cites Candice Dragonas’ Music Video & Commercial Production class as a favorite: “She made me believe I could one day be a filmmaker working at that level, too.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $69,904; GRADUATE $39,533-$58,621

ALUMNI Ryan Coogler, Shonda Rhimes, Hiro Murai

American Film Institute

AFI’s hefty tuition is the cost of admittance to the best alumni network in Hollywood, with graduates working on six of the 10 best picture nominees at this year’s Oscars. Recently, there was a new multimillion-dollar donation from AFI vice chair and former Disney Studios president Rich Frank, which will go toward financial assistance for fellows, while alum Brad Falchuk, along with other AFI grads working on the Netflix series The Brothers Sun , announced an annual $20,000 screenwriting scholarship. AFI offers a tuition-free Cinematography Intensive for Women course as well as its long- heralded Directing Workshop for Women, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. To help set up the next 50 years, the school established an advisory committee that includes Ava DuVernay, Chloé Zhao and alum Lesli Linka Glatter, who was recently re-elected president of the DGA. Elsewhere, more than $1 million has been invested in improvements to the school’s software, with an additional $1 million going toward hardware, like five new Arri cameras and light kits. Remembers Libatique of his time at the conservatory: “The late great [cinematographer] John Alonzo taught me the power of ambient light and graced us with an in-person audio commentary of Chinatown .”

TUITION $70,487

ALUMNI Andrea Arnold, Ari Aster

New York University

NYU’s new Promise Program, introduced last year, means undergraduate students from families earning less than $100,000 annually will pay no tuition, removing a major barrier to one of the most prestigious film educations in the world. Recent upgrades to the film program, which boasts a majority female student body for undergrads and grads, include two new multicamera television studios and improvements to the production center’s entire pool of lighting gear, as well as new LED tech at the just opened Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center in Brooklyn’s Industry City. Another Martin Scorsese-backed endeavor is the Internship Fund, which provides stipends to Tisch students with internships focused on film preservation. At the 2023 Student Academy Awards, NYU won two of the three prizes in the best documentary category, and alum Sean Baker received the 2024 Palme d’Or at Cannes for Anora .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $68,978; GRADUATE $76,646

ALUMNI Spike Lee, Jon Watts

Chapman University

ORANGE, CALIFORNIA

Like many of the nation’s top film schools, Chapman is a private college that comes with a hefty price tag, but the average awarded aid for fall 2023 was a generous $31,000 per undergrad. Speaking of aid, student productions receive $20,000 for every graduate thesis film and $15,000 for every undergrad film. Chapman also offers tech still far out of reach for most aspiring filmmakers, including a new $1 million, 40-foot LED wall. And it brings Hollywood to Orange with its Master Class series, which saw everyone from Alexander Payne to Ari Emanuel join for its latest school year. Alum Payton Koch — the Emmy-nominated editor behind Only Murders in the Building — recalls a Horror Film Studies class at Chapman as one of his favorites: “We watched and dissected various horror films and then wrote, directed and edited our own short films. The experience was so great because it gave us the opportunity to be the ones in charge, hands on.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $64,580; GRADUATE $63,946

ALUMNI Parker Finn, Duffer Brothers

Loyola Marymount University

LMU does not shy away from teaching the emerging tech that has dominated industry conversations. The school is introducing Producing and Screenwriting With AI, while another course, in partnership with Loyola Law School, will focus on the laws surrounding AI and entertainment. Incoming students can look forward to $500,000 in new digital imaging equipment ready for fall classes. The film program in the university, which was recently named a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, has a student body that’s 50 percent nonwhite, rare for a private school. Hunger Games director and alum Francis Lawrence says the rigorous LMU curriculum still “reminds me to focus on narrative, theme and character development.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $61,867; GRADUATE $1,626 PER UNIT

ALUMNI James Wong, The Bear writer Karen Joseph Adcock

SANTA CLARITA, CALIFORNIA

As it has been since its founding in the ’60s by Walt and Roy Disney, there is no better school in the U.S. for aspiring animators. While other animation programs have caught up to CalArts in facilities and curriculum, the storied institution still claims the most powerful alumni network in Hollywood, from Pixar’s Pete Docter to Peter Sohn (director of Elemental, a best animated feature nominee in 2024).

TUITION $58,318 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE

ALUMNI Tim Burton, Brad Bird

Columbia University

As with any longstanding film program, especially one housed inside a prestigious university in a major city, Columbia’s massive alumni network could be worth the price of admission. Alumni were represented at all the major film festivals, from Cannes to Sundance, and well represented among awards contenders, like Shogun director Jonathan van Tulleken, who says, “a lot of my thinking on set comes directly from the foundation I got in those Columbia classrooms.” The average MFA student at Columbia is awarded $30,000 in educational funding, and several new endowments and scholarships, including a fund for queer filmmakers, have been added to offset costs.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $71,170; GRADUATE $74,846

ALUMNI Anna Boden, Simon Kinberg, James Mangold

UNC School of the Arts

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

The rare example of a public arts university, UNCSA has produced top-tier Hollywood talent without the hefty tuition. The school has built a curriculum that keeps up with Hollywood’s ebbs and flows thanks to a newly established advisory council that includes alum David Gordon Green. VFX veteran Bob Keen ( Alien ) has been brought in as the director of Visual Effects and Immersive Media, while a new three-year concentration — Story Art Studio — has been established for students who want to explore everything from puppetry to AI. Says alum Jeff Nichols, who employed UNCSA grads on his recent film The Bikeriders : “My biggest takeaway was my relationships with classmates; I still work and collaborate with a lot of people from UNCSA and have throughout my career.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $6,497 RESIDENT, $24,231 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $9,696 RESIDENT, $24,399 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Brett Haley, Craig Zobel

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Leaning into Texas’ athletic program, the media school is developing classes surrounding sports production that will see students get hands-on game-day training, which can lead to jobs on college sports broadcasts while they are still in school. As for the digital sports area, the school launched its first E-Sports Symposium as it continues to grow its gaming program. New curriculum offerings include Business of Unscripted TV and Writer’s Room Workshop, while remodels have been completed on the school’s 23,200 square feet of studio space.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $11,752 IN-STATE, $40,996 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $11,767 IN-STATE, $21,786 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Shondaland’s Alison Eakle, Glen Powell, Shogun co-creator Rachel Kondo

The UC Regents recently approved a multiyear tuition stability plan, meaning cost will be more predictable at UCLA, which offers industry-adjacent geography with a top-tier public school education. While it may not have the facilities of other Los Angeles programs, the school has added a course on AI to its curriculum and is doubling down on researching emerging tech with its Center for Research in Engineering, Media and Performance that will run across disciplines. As for new faculty, recent Guggenheim fellow and Mexican filmmaker Juan Pablo González (2022 Sundance winner Dos Estaciones ) was hired for the film department.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $15,154 IN-STATE, $49,354 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE $18,137 IN STATE, $33,238 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Gina Prince-Bythewood, Garrett Bradley

DePaul University

DePaul punches above its weight when it comes to keeping facilities and curriculum current. After acquiring an LED wall, the school expanded its visual effects capabilities, adding a stage and two new minors in Virtual Production Stage Operations and Virtual Production Environment Design that focus on the physical on-set components of virtual productions and the design of digital environments. As for hometown pride, many alumni serve on the crew of the Chicago-set series The Bear, including Emmy-nominated cinematographer Andrew Wehde. “I needed the infrastructure, support and the community,” says television director Daniel Willis (Chicago Fire) of what he experienced at the school.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $45,195; GRADUATE $22,920-$34,380

ALUMNI Ghostlight director Alex Thompson, John C. Reilly

Emerson College

With a summer program in Prague, a screenwriting lab in Greece and a three-year BFA program in film arts in partnership with the Paris College of Art, Emerson offers plenty of opportunities outside of New England. The school even offers a low-residency MFA in screenwriting, which allows students to complete the majority of the curriculum online with weeklong residencies in Boston and Los Angeles, where working screenwriters, including Cord Jefferson (2024 Oscar winner for American Fiction ), conduct master classes. As for what it does offer on its Boston campus, there is a new Virtual Production teaching studio that opened in March and five new Arri Alexa cameras.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $56,032; GRADUATE $1,444 PER CREDIT

ALUMNI Adele Lim, Daniels, Pamela Abdy

Wesleyan University

MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

As is to be expected from a selective liberal arts college, Wesleyan’s alumni network is packed with overachievers, including The White Lotus creator Mike White and Star Trek impresario Alex Kurtzman. Also to be expected from a selective liberal arts college: a hefty price tag. But beginning this fall, the school will no longer offer loans as a part of university financial aid packages, instead extending aid without any borrowing. The school stands out in its commitment to celluloid and covers all film stock and processing for 16mm production courses. Alum Liz Garcia, who recently debuted her latest movie, Space Cadet , cites the film program for teaching her that “storytelling is as much about the flow of information as anything else.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $69,652

ALUMNI Oppenheimer film editor Jennifer Lame, Julius Onah

Columbia College Chicago

New courses in virtual production and cinematography have been created in conjunction with Columbia College Chicago installing a Volume virtual production wall. The school offers a variety of B.A.s and BFAs in film, television, writing, immersive media and gaming. Columbia is known for graduating below-the-line talent like cinematographers Carl Herse (an Emmy nominee for Barry ) and Christian Sprenger (an Emmy winner for Atlanta ).

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $34,088; GRADUATE $42,506

ALUMNI Lena Waithe, Chris McKay

Ithaca College

ITHACA, NEW YORK

Through the recently launched Special Opportunities for Students program, Ithaca students can receive funds for off-campus opportunities, which have included trips to the Bentonville Film Festival and the Merced Queer Film Festival to pick up honors for student projects. Ithaca, which places an emphasis on independent production and is equipped for both digital and celluloid filmmaking, recently completed work on an immersive stage that features LED panels on the ceiling and three walls, allowing for 3D visual effects running through the Unreal Engine used by many Hollywood productions. A robotic jib camera crane soon will be added to the mix.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $53,540

ALUMNI Bob Iger, Liz Tigelaar

Savannah College of Art & Design

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

The Georgia school continues to invest in a backlot, soundstages and equipment that rival some studio setups. An expansion, set for completion in 2025, will include a town square, city hall and a single-family home that can be used in student productions. While many film programs focus on writing and directing, SCAD offers students other on-set possibilities, graduating a technically adept workforce. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , nominated for an Oscar for best visual effects, had 39 SCAD alumni listed in its VFX credits.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $41,130; GRADUATE $42,120

ALUMNI Barbie CG artist Austin Bonang

Florida State University

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA

The lowest tuition for in-state students on this list (and that includes all equipment fees) is Florida State’s film program, which boasts a diverse population, with more than two-thirds of its students being POC. Emmy-winning editor Alessandro Soares has joined the faculty as its editor in residence, while alum Barry Jenkins is gearing up to release Disney’s Lion King prequel Mufasa .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $6,466 IN-STATE, $14,430 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE PRODUCTION $21,569 IN-STATE, $49,982 NONRESIDENT; GRADUATE WRITING $20,792 IN-STATE, $45,418 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI Wes Ball

Boston University

Producer Craig H. Shepherd ( Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown ) is taking over the film and television department at B.U., coming in after the completion of $500,000 worth of upgrades to the primary studio space. The school also recently launched a $100,000 annual production fund to help students with the costs associated with student films. Alum Stephen Kijak recently directed the documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed .

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $66,670

ALUMNI Josh and Benny Safdie

Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

With two-time best picture nominee Richard Gladstein as the executive director, Feirstein has received a lot of institutional Hollywood support, including a recent donation of film cameras and lenses from Steven Soderbergh. Additions to faculty have included acclaimed producer Anne Carey ( Can You Ever Forgive Me? ) and editor Veronica Rutledge ( Ramy , Emily in Paris ). The newest film program on the list — it was established in 2015 — offers students a New York-based education without the price tag of other universities in the area (see: NYU and Columbia).

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $21,134 IN-STATE, $30,564 NONRESIDENT

ALUMNI 20 Days in Mariupol composer Jordan Dykstra, Nyad editor Fay Gartenberg

Ringling College of Art & Design

SARASOTA, FLORIDA

While the school’s focus has long been animation, for the 2024-25 school year, two new LED walls are joining Ringling’s fleet of equipment that includes five soundstages, two color-grading suites and a Foley stage. The film program offers dual tracks — narrative or branded entertainment — with students excelling in advertising, last year landing 11 Addy awards. Ringling delivers hands-on experience, with the average student working on 60 short films. “Ringling is a college rooted in animation,” says alum Jason Letkiewicz, a creative director at Disney ABC Television Group. “You get to absorb the culture that comes from being at a world-class art school.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $50,500

ALUMNI Sonic the Hedgehog director Jeff Fowler

Syracuse University

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK

Thanks to a large donation from the estate of alum Dick Clark, Syracuse is expanding its L.A. presence with more classroom space and course offerings at its North Hollywood campus. Back in New York, the school is finishing up new postproduction suites and has launched courses like Screenwriting With Gen AI, which is meant to help students find ethical applications of AI in the creative process.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $63,710; GRADUATE $35,010

ALUMNI Dan Silver, Pixar’s Jim Morris

Rhode Island School of Design

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

A New England liberal arts education meets experimental arts conservatory, RISD offers students classes in animation and video as well as access to a visiting puppeteer (last year’s was Andrew Murdock). While famous alumni like Seth MacFarlane have found mainstream Hollywood success, students are offered a film education through a fine arts lens. Professor Sheri Willis’ work in video and performance installations earned her a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $61,564

ALUMNI Gus Van Sant

Cal State University, Northridge

NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA

The average scholarship awarded to students in the Cinema & Television Arts department for 2023 was $2,287, a sizable portion of the school’s yearly $7,500 tuition. The program does not have the bells and whistles of others on this list, but it offers the lowest cost for a school in the L.A. area, and was recently awarded a $1 million federal grant and launched two new scholarships. Says VFX producer Brooke Noska ( The Santa Clauses ) of her time at CSUN: “Classes with William Stratford, where we received real-world treatment and feedback, or with Quinn Saunders, who opened the door to meeting and engaging with industry professionals, were access points that carried me into the real world.”

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $7,458; MFA SCREENWRITING $8,982; M.A. MANAGEMENT $15,030

ALUMNI 20 Days in Mariupol producer Michelle Mizner

ArtCenter College of Design

The film program at ArtCenter is housed inside the larger arts conservatory that spans majors like fine art, illustration and photography, allowing for a more holistic arts education. While many film schools focus on narrative filmmaking, the Pasadena school has graduated prominent commercial directors. ArtCenter alum Michael Bay got his start in commercials, including one of those famous “Got Milk?” ads, and, recently, students have received Addy awards for spots for Tinder, Zillow and Levi’s.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $53,086; GRADUATE $56,104

ALUMNI Zack Snyder

(TIE) Hofstra University; Rochester Institute of Technology

HEMPSTEAD, NEW YORK

At the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, thesis films are shot on Arri Alexas with three soundstages available to students. Hofstra recently added a Sports Media bachelor of science with coursework conducted in partnership with the athletic program that spans live broadcast, podcasts and media strategy. Herbert’s specific scholarships include the Joel Oliansky Annual Scholarship, which is supported by alum Francis Ford Coppola and given to a student with interest in playwriting or screenwriting.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $56,544

ALUMNI CAA’s Bryan Diperstein

ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

Rochester places an emphasis on the intersection of Hollywood and STEM and has gained a reputation for graduating tech-savvy below-the-line talent. The school uniquely offers a B.S. in motion picture science, where students can dive into imaging and color sciences, with recent grads landing jobs at Apple, DreamWorks and Marvel. Last year, the school struck a new partnership with Dolby Laboratories that provides students and faculty with access to tools used in creating industry-standard audiovisuals.

TUITION UNDERGRADUATE $58,324

ALUMNI Frame.io founder John Traver

Other L.A., NYC Area Film Schools

The best local and community college programs in or near entertainment hubs .

Azusa Pacific University

This year, the Southern California institution added a soundstage and a new Foley stage and revamped its postproduction lab thanks to a $300,000 gift to the school, which is based in Azusa.

Biola University

Longtime veteran AMC Networks executive Tom Halleen, who worked on The Walking Dead and Mad Men , is the dean of the Christian university’s film program. In 2026, the school, located in La Mirada, will open a new massive complex that will feature a 3,000-foot soundstage, color-grading suites and a game-design lab.

California State University, Long Beach

The school offers a newly introduced bachelor of arts in cinematic arts, where students can select an industry focus after two years in the program. The Long Beach-based school also introduced a travel class titled Film & Festival & World Cinema, in which students journey to Italy to immerse themselves in international cinema.

California State University, Los Angeles

This school offers undergraduate and graduate options through the television, film and media studies department at a lower price tag than many other L.A.-area schools. Its student-run filmmaking club, Golden Eagle Productions, offers its young filmmakers project funding, equipment rentals, production experience, guest speakers and more.

City College New York

CCNY’s film program, established in 1941, offers a BFA. Undergraduate students can enter a fiction or documentary filmmaking track, where tuition for in-state students now runs less than $4,000 a semester. The curriculum includes classes in journalism and film studies.

Purchase College, State University of New York

The school features a list of notable alumni, including Abel Ferrara and Azazel Jacobs, whose latest film, His Three Daughters, arrives this fall via Netflix. In-state residents only pay $7,070 per year in undergraduate tuition fees, while out-of-state students pay just $17,320.

Rutgers University

The Rutgers Filmmaking Center offers a BFA in filmmaking. Students can immerse themselves in individualized fiction and documentary production courses, though the New Jersey school is known for its Documentary Film Lab headed by Oscar winner Thomas Lennon.

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Stony Brook offers an MFA in television writing and an MFA film program, providing students with a hands-on, project-driven learning environment. The film program includes directing, writing, producing and independent tracks and features a faculty of industry experts including Past Lives producers Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon (the latter also serves as artistic director).

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Plug-In Pastoral: Polinature Delivers Instant Urban Greening

Polinature by Belinda Tato and Ecosistema Urbano: Jose Luis Vallejo, Marco Rizzetto, Lily Liebes, Vicky Vlachodimou, Jorge Izquierdo, Elena Castillo, Julia Casado, Nadyeli Quiroz. All photos by Emilio P. Doiztua unless otherwise noted.

A vertical garden in the backyard of 40 Kirkland Street on the campus of the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) promises sanctuary to insects, relief from the late-summer heat, and new insights for how cities around the world can mitigate the effects of climate change. More than 1400 local plants hang in grow bags from a cylindrical scaffolding tower that rises nearly as high as the surrounding buildings. Titled Polinature , the project is spearheaded by Belinda Tato , associate professor in practice of landscape architecture at the GSD. “Polinature has been designed as a low-cost, low-tech temporary solution to bring climatic comfort to urban areas that currently lack it,” Tato explains in a text about the work.

Polinature is a machine for producing climate relief. Solar panels that cap the tower are capable of providing the project with its own source of off-the-grid electricity. In addition to powering digital displays with information about the project aims and data about Polinature’s climatic performance, the solar panels are adequate to support a set of twelve inflatable pods that ring the tower. Six of these pods are permanently inflated and embedded with LEDs to provide illumination. Another six are what Tato calls “climatic bubbles.” Apart from providing shade, these pods inflate and deflate in response to environmental conditions. Nozzles in the undersides of the climatic bubbles produce a cooling breeze for anyone below to enjoy.

For the past two decades, Tato has investigated how designers can address the deadly effects of heat in urban areas. Climate scientists have warned that cities are becoming hotter more quickly than rural areas, a divergence that is even more pronounced in megacities with populations over 10 million. “Urban greening” can play a role in mitigating these effects, though tree canopies dense enough to have a significant cooling function are often distributed unevenly, making excessive city heat a tangible index of social inequality.

Tato stresses that no single architectural intervention can compensate for the structural factors driving climate change. Still, Polinature has the potential to address acute dangers immediately while permanent solutions come to fruition. As a prototype, Polinature offers an opportunity to study “how the structure is creating a better climatic comfort in the space compared to the outside,” Tato says. Sensors placed inside and outside the structure provide comparative data, allowing Tato and her team to assess the project’s performance quantitatively and optimize it in future iterations. Polinature is the result of years of careful study, not only of the nature of the plants that are most suited to such a growing arrangement, but also of mechanisms that can modulate the airflow from the climatic bubbles, producing the perfect breeze.

Tato stresses that the Cambridge location, which was already verdant, is far from the end point for the project. “In an ideal world, this should have been placed on a parking lot,” she says. Polinature has the potential to provide instant urban greening and convert disused, asphalt-heavy areas into climatically comfortable public spaces. The designs for the project are open-source, shareable with urban planners, architects, and builders as well as policymakers and communities around the world. To Tato, the iteration of Polinature at the GSD represents a “kit of parts” that could be quickly and inexpensively mass produced.

Polinature extends Tato’s longstanding work investigating how landscape architecture can support efforts toward climate justice. With Jose Luis Vallejo, Tato is a founding member of Ecosistema Urbano , a group of architects and urban designers with offices in Madrid, Florida, and Massachusetts. Polinature refines and develops concepts at the heart of their Eco-Boulevard project for Madrid (2004–2008), described as an “urban recycling operation.” Tiers of trees arranged on a cylindrical tower provide both cooling through evapotranspiration and an inviting social space.  While Eco-Boulevard became a permanent fixture in Madrid, Polinature is about providing immediate impact with zero waste. Tato designed it as what she calls a “plug-in” structure, easy to erect and dismantle in any context. That terminology evokes the work of avant-garde collective Archigram, whose members envisioned cities comprising flexible, mobile, high-tech structures that could respond to inhabitants’ changing needs.

While Archigram’s work channels the consumerist tendencies of postwar mass culture, Polinature is wholly sustainable and community oriented. When the tower comes down in mid-September, Tato and her team will give away all the plants that ring the structure to people in Cambridge. In that way, this temporary garden could have a long-term effect on the city’s urban ecology. Polinature will live on in other ways as well, especially as a learning and teaching opportunity about how we must contend with a changing climate. “The goal is that we pollinate Cambridge with the idea of the project,” says Tato.