Meshing Practical Education & Liberal Arts

Be Job-Ready on Day One

Whether you are an artist, a surgeon, or even a business person, acquiring and then mastering basic skills are the first steps towards excellence. Whether you’re sewing a torn artery, negotiating a deal, or creating a 3D model of a new concept car, you’ve got to learn the fundamentals.

Practical skills are key to being successful and job ready. However, hard skills are only half of what you need to succeed as an artist, a designer, a creative professional. This is how Academy of Art University is transforming higher education.

An Accredited University That’s Transforming Higher Education

Academy of Art University is an accredited Arts University. Problem-solving, clear communication, and applying critical thinking are examples of what artists and designers are faced with every day. Our purpose is to prepare you with not only the practical skills but to also provide and build on the soft skills—things like vision, curiosity, boldness, and a hunger for knowledge that keeps you on the cutting edge of your creative calling.

Our required Liberal Arts Curriculum equips you with the tools to boldly compete in today’s gig economy, as artists have done since the dawn of time, and support yourself until your artistic career is firmly launched. Van Gogh was in sales, Gauguin was a stockbroker, Rothko was a schoolteacher.

A University like the Academy of Art is designed to encourage all areas of its students’ development. The Academy’s faculty of working professionals will nurture and help develop your innate vision while modeling the best skill-based practices. The seamless borders of our twenty-two schools representing a multitude of artistic endeavors will expand your creative mind.

Skills Development Begins on Day One

From Day One at Academy of Art, you’ll build the skills to drive you forward in your craft along with nurturing your vision, drive, and critical thinking. We’ll make sure you’ve got the hard skills necessary to earn a living and we’ll also give you the soft skills—creativity and insights required to be successful as an artist in the 21st century.

We’ve been doing it for over 90 years and our programs and methods are proven. That might be why Newsweek recently included Academy of Art in a list of 17 West Coast Private Colleges Whose Grads Earn the Most Money. The world is taking notice of how we are transforming higher education.

Our students and alumni have made an impact on the world. They are Oscar and GRAMMY winners, animators, illustrators, and photographers. They make award-winning Super Bowl commercials, help create top-grossing movies and video games, and design some of the hottest fashions in the world. They are game-changers, creative entrepreneurs who bring their skills, hunger, and work ethic to the world every day. Follow their example by gaining the skills—all of the skills—to leave a lasting impression in your future profession.