Degrees, Requirements and Honors

Degree Requirements

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The College reserves the right to make changes in degree requirements, including total units needed for graduation, programs and classes offered and faculty assignments at any time without notice.  ArtCenter reserves the right to institute such changes, and will provide students and applicants with the appropriate information about specific changes in the study programs as soon as they are available.

Major

A major is the subject that is the main focus of the degree or the primary area of study. The major is note on the ArtCenter academic transcript after completion of the degree requirements.

Minor

A minor is a secondary subject that complements the major and must be combined with a major/degree program.  The minor is noted on the ArtCenter academic transcript and adds another layer of professional knowledge to the degree.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation from ArtCenter is based upon successful completion of the curriculum of the department to which the student was admitted. For undergraduate students, this is estimated to take a minimum of eight terms, depending on availability of classes and amount of transfer credit. The estimated time to graduation for graduate students depends on the course selected, but generally takes a minimum of four terms.

Students may not enroll in a subsequent term and defer graduation.

Students are expected to assume responsibility for their progress toward graduation. All course work must be completed prior to the date of graduation.

Degrees Offered

The College currently offers programs leading to the following degrees:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts—BFA
  • Bachelor of Science—BS
  • Master of Design—MDes
  • Master of Fine Arts—MFA
  • Master of Science—MS
  • Joint Master of Science/Master of Business Administration—MS/MBA  (in conjunction with Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker School of Management)

Minors are offered in the following subjects

  • Designmatters
  • Creative Writing
  • Business
  • Material Science

ArtCenter offers programs of undergraduate study leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Direction, Film, Fine Art, Graphic Design, Illustration and Photography and Imaging and a Bachelor of Science in Entertainment Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, Spatial Experience Design and Transportation Design.

ArtCenter offers programs of graduate study leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree in Art, Film, Graphic Design, and Media Design Practices. A Master of Science degree is offered in Furniture, Lighting and Fixtures, Industrial Design, Spatial Experience Design, and Transportation Systems and Design, and a Master of Design degree is offered in Interaction Design and Brand Design and Strategy.

A dual-degree program with the Drucker School of Management results in an MS in Industrial Design from ArtCenter and the MBA from Drucker; this is the Innovation Systems Design program. Students can apply for the ISD program after enrollment in the ArtCenter Industrial Design program.

Change of major

Once enrolled, a student can apply for a change of major through a portfolio review process. Changes of major are not guaranteed, and students who change majors must meet all the requirements for their new major. This may entail additional terms of study.

Undergraduate Programs

Undergraduate students entering Spring 2002 to Summer 2014:

  • BFA programs must complete 135 total units (90 studio units and 45 Humanities & Sciences units).
  • BS programs must complete 144 total units (99 studio units and 45 Humanities & Sciences units).

Undergraduate students entering Fall 2014 to Summer 2020

  • BFA programs must complete 120–132 total units (75–87 studio units and 45 Humanities & Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.
  • BS programs must complete 144 total units (99 studio units and 45 Humanities & Sciences units).
  • Minor in Designmatters must complete 18-21 units (beginning Summer 2017).
  • Minor in Business or Creative Writing must complete a minimum of 15 units as part of the Humanities and Sciences requirements (beginning Spring 2020).

Undergraduate students entering Fall 2020 or later

  • BFA programs must complete 120–132 total units (75–87 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.
  • BS programs must complete 132-144 total units (87-99 studio units and 45 Humanities and Sciences units). See individual program requirements for details.
  • Minor in Designmatters must complete a minimum of 15 units.
  • Minors in Business, Creative Writing or Material Science must complete a minimum of 15 units as part of the Humanities and Sciences requirements.

Undergraduate Residency Requirement

Undergraduate students must complete a minimum residency of four terms at ArtCenter to be eligible to receive their initial Bachelor of Fine Art (BFA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from ArtCenter.

Undergraduate Course Requirements

To graduate, students must complete all studio and Humanities & Sciences (academic) course requirements within their department, including a minimum number of units by subject area.

Current course requirements for each program are listed online at Inside ArtCenter (inside.artcenter.edu) under “Degree Audit.”

Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. Students are expected to assume responsibility for their progress toward graduation. All course work must be completed prior to the date of graduation.

Students must graduate in the term in which they complete their Humanities and Sciences course requirements, all required studio courses, and any needed studio electives, and in which they have a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher. Students may not enroll in a subsequent term and defer graduation.

Students are ineligible for graduation until all requirements are complete.

English as a Second Language (ESL)

If a student with third-term standing has enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) but not passed the course, they will be placed on ESL Probation. A student who fails ESL twice will be placed on ESL Suspension. In order to return to ArtCenter after an ESL suspension, students must pass an oral and written exam, administered by the Director of Writing, and submit official transcripts from a regionally accredited college showing a grade of C or better.

Transcripts must demonstrate that students have been enrolled in a full-time, multi- skills English language course of study for at least one term.

Cumulative GPA

Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50.

Graduate Programs

Unit requirements vary by graduate program. Refer to program requirements under Course of Study on our website.

Graduate Course and GPA Requirements

Graduate students must complete all course work required by their individual program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00.

Thesis Requirement

In addition to completing the coursework for the program, students in Master of Fine Art (MFA), Master of Science (MS) and Master of Design Studies (MDes) programs must complete a thesis in order to be eligible for graduation.

Residency Requirement

Students must be enrolled at ArtCenter during the term in which they graduate.

All course work, including thesis, must be completed prior to the date of graduation. Students are ineligible for graduation until all course work requirements are complete, all account restrictions are cleared and all money due for tuition, fees, fines or supplies is paid. Students must be enrolled at ArtCenter during the term in which they graduate.

Graduation

All students must submit an Application for Graduation form to Enrollment Services by Friday of Week 11 of the term prior to the term in which they intend to graduate.