Art Degrees - Accreditation Agencies, Admission Requirements & Curriculum Info

Finding art degree programs can be easy if you know where to look. College directories such as Princetonreview.com are an excellent start or you can use Bing, Yahoo! or Google to search through hundreds of results. Once you have located several art programs, you must separate the weaker ones from the stronger ones. Weaker schools may lack accreditation; they may require little to apply; and the curriculum may stray too far away from the standard.

Let's start with accreditation. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and The Council for Interior Design are the top two accrediting agencies for art degree programs. Both agencies are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (www.ed.gov). They are also nationally recognized. This means the program is accredited in every corner of the U.S. Regional accrediting agencies are only valid in the regions they serve. Just a few regional accrediting agencies include:

-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
-Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Next, 99.9% of the world's top art schools have a rigorous application process. At the minimum, a top art degree program will require:

-Superior samples of your work
-Official transcripts from all schools attended (copies will not be accepted)
-Official test scores
-Several recommendation letters
-An outstanding application essay
-An interview

If you are applying to a top online art degree program, your interview will take place over the phone, or via chat if you do not live near the school's campus. It is important to keep in mind that "online school" doesn't mean the school exists entirely online. Most online schools have several to dozens of campuses located across the map.

Lastly, curriculum requirements for art degree programs will vary based on the program. The best way to make sure the curriculum for your school/program is up to par is to select several top art programs. Browse through listings at college directories to create a list of 2-3 top art degree programs. All school websites supply curriculum information, so this part should be east. Next, all you have to do is compare curriculums (your selection vs. top schools).

To learn more about art degree programs, including curriculum and program info for animation programs, visual communications programs and everything in between, visit Best Art Schools.