Online art and design degrees

Online degrees in art and design transform your artistic talent into an applied skill set. Map your destiny as a creative professional with a college design degree. You may train for a career in up-and-coming digital design fields like interactive media design, apply your vision to a commercial design field like interior design, or develop your fine arts practice.

A creative education

Formal training in art and design helps you develop your talent in a commercial or fine arts discipline. Formal training programs offer a mix of expert instruction and supervised studio practice. You'll develop an understanding of the history and theory of your chosen discipline, build technical skills and apply your new knowledge in hands-on art and design projects. Most art and design programs combine instruction in artistic fundamentals (color, form, perspective) with technical training in specific media, including digital design technology.

Art and design degree programs

Online education in art and design is available in the following disciplines:

• Digital design: Graphic design, visual communications, game design, interactive media design, animation, web design and development
• Commercial design: Interior design, industrial design, fashion design, floral design
• Fine arts: Painting, sculpture, photography, theater arts, music, creative writing

Degree options in these disciplines range from the Associate of Applied Arts, a career-focused two-year undergraduate degree, to the Master of Fine Arts, a graduate-level studio program. Generally speaking, the Bachelor and Master of Arts (B.A. and M.A.) emphasize theory and history of the discipline, while the Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts (B.F.A. and M.F.A.) prioritize technical instruction and supervised studio practice.

An online education in art and design

Online degrees allow mid-career professionals to develop their creative talent without putting work or family obligations on hold. The online learning format is especially well suited for digital design students, who learn to use the same multimedia technology and graphic design elements they encounter in the virtual classroom.

Digital and multimedia job growth will drive opportunity in the 2008 to 2018 decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An art or design degree prepares you for tomorrow's creative careers.