Parsons the New School for Design, nestled in the cosmopolitan borough of Manhattan, offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in fashion design, interior design, product design, urban design and integrated design. Grounded in the liberal arts, all of the programs incorporate a thorough curriculum integrating history, theory and criticism in addition to the studio work involved with learning design skills. Additionally, the New School provides students with the option of earning both a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts simultaneously through its BA/BFA degree program.
The Pratt Institute's undergraduate art and design programs offer degrees in communications design, fashion design, industrial design and interior design. The school is located in the diverse borough of Brooklyn. Modeled on the studio experience, the design program uses a foundation in technical skills as a springboard for investigating design theoretically and stresses skills in communicating visual concepts. The curriculum is designed for students to choose two fields of expertise within their major and provides for educational certification.
Columbia College Chicago's art and design department provides the whole gamut of design curricula, including graphic design, product design, fashion design and interior design. It uses multiple buildings throughout the inner loop of downtown Chicago. Design students work with instructors who are active professionals in their fields to learn both the craft and theory of their trade. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design program at Columbia focuses training in design, while the Bachelor of Arts program allows students cross-disciplinary training and the opportunity to inquire into a wider range of interests.
San Francisco's Academy of Art University offers degrees in fashion design, game design, graphic design, industrial design, interior design and web design. It is one of the oldest art and design schools in the country, founded primarily as an institution for preparing students for the professional world. The Academy of Art University emphasizes technical abilities over liberal education but does require the completion of a set of courses in the sciences and humanities. Learning with working professionals, students at the Academy are provided the opportunity to work as paid and unpaid interns throughout the community.