Academics

Empowering Creative Careers

CIA prepares students to have successful careers designing products, working on film and animation pipelines, maintaining studio-art practices, and becoming leaders in their fields.

From the start, you will be encouraged to think of your work in a professional context. As you build technical and problem-solving skills in your major, you'll be encouraged to explore across disciplines. You’ll establish and refine standards of quality for your artwork, and learn to communicate effectively about your ideas and projects.

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Students begin their career in our Foundation program, designed to introduce students to all of our majors while building the skills necessary to be successful in any discipline. This ensures that you’re learning the skills that will be most beneficial to your development as an artist and positions you for success for your major. 

In your major, you’ll learn from world-class faculty who are leaders in their fields. You’ll gain real-world experience working on real-world projects. You’ll learn to think critically about the work you’re making. And you’ll learn to communicate your ideas so that you can collaborate with others to create work that makes a difference in the world.

Programs of Study

Animation
Craft + Design
   Ceramics
   Glass
   Jewelry + Metals
Drawing
Game Design
Graphic Design
Illustration
Industrial Design
   Transportation Design
Interior Architecture
Life Sciences Illustration
Painting
Photography
   Video
Printmaking
Sculpture + Expanded Media

Preparing for success

The Foundation curriculum, a yearlong intensive exploration of color, form, design, and creative problem solving prepares students for success in their major. Liberal Arts classes weave throughout all four years, providing essential communications skills and a solid grounding in art history. 

Liberal Arts
Foundation Year