Interdisciplinary Programs and Minors

Designmatters

ArtCenter recognizes the power of design to change the world. Through research, advocacy and action, the College’s social innovation department, Designmatters, engages, empowers and leads an ongoing exploration of art and design as a positive force in society. Designmatters courses vary from term to term, but include academic, discipline-specific and studio-based offerings that engage students across all majors, taught with a dynamic, entrepreneurial and experiential approach to design education.

Through Designmatters’ programming, students tackle local, national and global issues head-on, from preventing homelessness and youth gun violence in the U.S., to empowering adolescent girls living in poverty and developing clean water solutions internationally.

The values of sustainable development, global health, public policy and social entrepreneurship are core to the curriculum, programs and projects, with the outcomes of students’ work widely disseminated beyond the studio’s walls.

Minor in Social Innovation

The College offers a minor in social innovation through Designmatters, providing a specialization for undergraduate students who want to master a toolkit of design skills and strategies to navigate the complex dynamics of working with communities and designing for social impact. Offered in six disciplines, the minor is comprised of 18-21 units of study and can be completed concurrently with a student’s major degree program. Additionally, Designmatters is a key partner of ArtCenter’s Media Design Practices, offering graduate students the chance to design for social innovation in a real-world context where social issues, media infrastructure and communication technology intersect.

Humanities and Sciences

All ArtCenter students take courses in the Humanities and Sciences (H&S) Department, covering academic subjects often referred to as liberal arts and sciences. H&S courses work in conjunction with the studio programs to foster thoughtful and rigorous inquiry across the College, traversing cultural, historical, literary, philosophical and scientific perspectives. In this way, we ensure you receive a diverse education and that you will graduate with the knowledge you need to map an informed individual path. 

Undergraduate students must complete 45 units of Humanities & Sciences classes to graduate. Each student must complete the foundation academic courses applicable to his or her program of study (i.e., Writing Studio, Art of Research, Critical Practice 1 and Introduction to Modernism) by the end of their fifth term.

Students who do not fulfill these requirements will be given the opportunity to do so in one ArtCenter Lite term.

Minors

Students can make an ArtCenter degree do more by enrolling in one of three new minors: Creative Writing, Business and Material Science. A minor allows students to focus their Humanities and Sciences credits and requirements to customize their educational experience and support their own individual path.

Integrated Studies

Classes in the Integrated Studies Department cover material common across disciplines, such as basic visual vocabulary, craftsmanship and technical skills. Students from multiple majors study together in these classes, which are automatically included in your department’s curriculum. In addition to providing a thorough grounding in essential subject matter, Integrated Studies cultivates the transdisciplinary culture that distinguishes an ArtCenter education. 

Exchange and Study Away

As the world’s ideas, languages and cultures become more interconnected, ArtCenter’s curriculum offers students the means to address design challenges and explore artistic opportunities wherever and however they occur—in our own backyard or across the globe. And we have the resources to help you plan your next adventure.

Some of our signature programs include partnerships with Tama Art University in Japan, ArtCenter Berlin in Germany, and PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy in Portland, Oregon. Our London Ancient/Modern program has run for over ten years and our partnership with COANIQUEM in Chile is continually supported by Designmatters.

ArtCenter also facilitates applications to the prestigious Fulbright Program for students and recent alumni, awarding U.S. citizens scholarships to study, conduct research or exercise their creative talents abroad.