A fully accredited college (National Association of Schools of Art and Design - NASAD), Ringling College of Art and Design is a private school offering a bachelor's degree in 14 areas of study including computer animation, fine arts, illustration, interior design, motion design, photography and painting, among others. Situated on the Gulf Coast of Florida, Ringling boasts a campus with a breathtaking view. The campus consists of 90 buildings and is located on a sprawling 35 acres. Ringling College of Art and Design is considered one of the best visual arts colleges in the nation. Not only does the college provide degree programs, it also features art exhibits, galleries and interactive tours of the campus.
Staff at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Florida have received many awards and honors including Guggenheim Fellowships, the Rome Prize, the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Award and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Grants, among numerous others. With three fully accredited art schools in the university, students looking to pursue a degree and a career in the arts have plenty of opportunities including the chance to study art, art history, music, and theatre and dance. Graduate and undergraduate programs include acting, art education, ceramics, conducting, creative photography, painting, scene design, sculpting and visual arts. Students can earn a bachelor's or master's degree at the College of Fine Arts.
Offering education in architecture, community design, art history, music, theatre and dance, the University of South Florida's College of the Arts offers degrees in architecture; a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a degree with a focus in performance, music studies and jazz studies; a Master of Fine Arts; a Master of Music, as well as a Ph.D. in Music Education. The University of South Florida's College of Arts also features a graphics studio and a contemporary art museum. Goals of the school are to prepare students for a career in the arts or in architecture and to allow them to examine perspectives of scholars and renowned artists and designers to generate new insights in the field of arts.
Located in an area of Fort Lauderdale known for its waterways and often referred to as the "Venice of America," The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale was founded in 1968. Originally starting with three basic fields of study, the institute has grown considerably since then and features programs including visual arts, applied arts, culinary arts, commercial art, interior design, fashion, business fields and technology fields. The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale offers both the Bachelor of Science and the Associate of Science, along with diplomas in some areas of study. In 2001, the institute was awarded the Career College of the Year Distinguished Performance Award from the National Alliance of Business. Opportunities are available for students to study abroad.