- Featured Online School
The Art Institutes offers real-world education programs in design, the culinary arts, media arts, and fashion. Here you'll get the competitive edge to succeed as a creative professional - in your field of interest! Online programs also satisfy a need for budding creative professionals.
- Featured Online School
Earn your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication degree with a concentration in
WEB DESIGN!
Click here to learn more.
For almost 70 years, Harrington has focused on preparing leaders in today's interior design industry. You can be one of those people. Click here to learn how!
Explore your artistic creativity with all that technology has to offer. Click here to learn more.
NYFA offers workshops in Filmmaking, Digital Filmmaking, Acting, Producing, Editing, Music Video, Screenwriting, 3D Animation, and Movie Camps as well as Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking. Click here to find a location near you!
Want to earn an art degree or enhance your skills, but a traditional classroom isn’t for you? Distance education may be your answer.
Online education is the most popular form of distance education and offers the most opportunities for students interested in pursuing an art education via correspondence.
According to Sharon McGuire, Program Director for The Art Institute Online, pursuing an art education online offers many advantages, with flexibility topping the list. “The primary advantage is working on your own schedule. Online you can post work or participate in assignments at two in the morning, if that is when you have the time,” notes McGuire.
Online art students will face deadlines, but unlike traditional programs, online art programs do not revolve around set class times. Although some programs do require limited on-campus time, the primary components of most programs are asynchronous, or “not live.”
Students in most online art programs will access course information, submit work, and get feedback through an online discussion area similar to a message board. Most programs also utilize e-mail for direct communication needs.
Equipment requirements vary, but a reliable computer and Internet connection are a must. Some programs will also require additional software or equipment.
Programs Offered
Students interested in art can earn a degree or certificate online or just complete a class in their field of interest. From film to fashion design to photography, courses in almost every field are available.
Some schools focus on conventional programs such as painting, graphic design, and interior design while others specialize in cutting-edge programs such as game design, interactive media, and web design.
Below is a partial listing of schools offering online art programs:
Students wanting to brush up on their skills or give drawing a try can find online classes starting under $100. Earning a bachelor’s degree online costs significantly more.
Students at American Intercontinental University Online can earn a bachelor’s in Visual Communication for $31,080. Students pursuing a bachelor’s in Digital Media Communication from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods will pay at least $42,750 to complete the 125 required hours. This is, however, significantly less than the four-year, on-campus tuition bill of $74,640.
Financial aid is available for online students, but the options are not as numerous as for most traditional programs. Most schools offering online degrees meet federal requirements for grants and loans, but many will not meet state requirements. Scholarships may be available, but most online schools don’t have as much scholarship funding as traditional universities.
School financial aid offices are usually the best place for online students to start their aid search. These offices can direct students to available government aid and provide information on school and private scholarship and loan opportunities.
Employed students may also be able to get their tuition costs paid for by their employers. Not all businesses offer tuition assistance, so students should check with their employers.
A burning question for online students is whether they will be able to compete for jobs. “Yes, definitely,” says McGuire of The Art Institute Online. “Online degrees are rapidly gaining acceptance. People don’t look down on them as they once did.”
A recent survey conducted by Vault, Inc., a career information site, supports McGuire’s claim with 86% of employers surveyed saying they would be open to hiring someone with an online degree.
Although an online student may still face some degree validity questions, McGuire points out that a student’s portfolio can help address employer concerns. “In the arts, a student’s portfolio is usually more important than where and how that student earned his or her degree.”
Written by Jennifer Croley, ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer.
Find Art Schools!
Search the
ArtSchools.com Directory
for schools listed by
Location, Subject, or Degree.
Related Schools & Programs
Design Schools | Fashion Schools | Film Schools | Online Schools | Directory of All Degree Programs
|
MonsterLearning |
|
