Academic Art Schools
For those interested in art, design or other creative disciplines, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree is a great choice. The former is a degree that includes more theoretical lecture-hall academic courses, while the latter is a studio-based arts degree, with more hands-on courses. Most art colleges primarily offer the BFA degree and some offer programs that focus on the business of art. An academic art college is different than a vocational school in that its students take liberal arts courses in addition to technical courses in order to complete a degree.
An arts graduate can choose to make his career in a wide range of fields, depending on his major, such as computer animation, graphic design, photography, art therapy, and teaching. The colleges mentioned in the article are among the best in the U.S. All of these schools are accredited by National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), as well as by regional accrediting agencies.
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Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland
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Art history, painting, photography, illustration, interactive design and general fine arts are among the offerings at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Founded in 1826, MICA is one of the oldest arts colleges in the nation. It has been named the "Best northeastern college" by the Princeton Review in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and as one of the top two studio arts programs in the country by Parade magazine. The annual tuition, as of 2011, is about $35,000 per year.
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island
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Located between Boston and New York and founded in 1877, Rhode Island School of Design was built by artists and for artists. More than 2,300 students from around the world study within its state-of-the-art campus every year. RISD has a sister bond with the Brown University and students at either institution can cross-register for classes at no extra cost. The school offers majors in furniture design, landscape architecture, industrial design, life sciences and textiles among others. There are 143 full-time faculty at a ratio of one faculty per 9.7 students, and an average class size of less than 10 students. The cost of tuition to full-time students is $38,000 per year as of 2011.
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The Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
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Programs in liberal arts, game design, sculpture, enamelling, industrial design and printmaking are only a small part of the huge list of courses offered by The Cleveland Institute of Art, which was founded in 1882. The institute has 50 full-time and 40 adjunct faculty, all of which are professional artists and scholars, for its 500 students, which is one faculty member for every 9 students. The tuition, as of 2011, is about $31,000 per year.
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri
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Founded in 1885, Kansas City Art Institute offers programs in 13 majors including animation, creative writing, digital filmmaking, sculpture and ceramics. All the faculty at KCAI are practicing artists and designers themselves. Studio buildings and the freshman residence hall encircle a tree-shaded campus green. As of 2011, the tuition for a full-time student is about $30,000 per year.
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- Photo Credit art pencils image by Horticulture from Fotolia.com
