How To Study With Art Schools In Maryland
Art schools in Maryland can be found in some of the biggest colleges and universities in the state, and also at places such as the Maryland Institute College of Art, a higher learning institution which is devoted solely to the study of art. A quality art education on which to build a thriving career is certainly available at either type of campus, each offers unique advantages and disadvantages to the prospective student.
Because undertaking a degree program is a substantial investment of not only time and energy as well as financial resources, it is important that students exercise the utmost care in researching their career options and finding the best educational program to suit their needs. A gold standard of art education is considered to be a four year Bachelors Degree—with a BA in fine arts often being looked upon as the best key to success. Nothing is guaranteed, especially in our modern age and these competitive and harsh economic times, but art schools in Maryland carry with them reputations that can open a few doors that might otherwise remain closed.
The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is unique in being an art school in Maryland which is solely dedicated to art education This special art school in Maryland was founded in 1826—the oldest continuously degree-granting college of art in the nation.
MICA is considered a leader in the field of art education and offers an innovative curriculum, a well equipped campus and world class faculty. MICA is an art school in Maryland which is firmly committed to prepare artists and designers to lead their fields in the 21st Century.
MICA is rated in the top 4 of over 220 graduate programs in the visual arts as published yearly by the magazine U.S. News and World Report. Of all art schools in Maryland MICA has consistently been listed as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars among specialty schools and was ranked at the top of the list in the 2008 and 2009 calendar years by the prestigious publication The Chronicle of Higher Education. MICA enrolled 100% of Presidential Scholars in visual art and photography, and consistently enrolls the most Presidential Scholars in the visual arts, year after year.
There are several other well regarded art schools in Maryland, including the Schuler School of Fine arts, in Baltimore, which offers training to students in the methods and techniques of the Old Masters. If a classical art education is your heart’s desire, the Schuler School of Fine Arts may be the perfect placement for you. One drawback to his school is that it is none accredited, but the grounding in the traditional methods of art can be utilized to enhance an already existing or ongoing art education.
The School of Art and Design at Montgomery College offers an innovative transfer program which includes rigorous, highly structured, portfolio-intensive “art school” experience for college students majoring in studio art or graphic design and noncredit students seeking new or improved skills in fine and digital arts. Montgomery college offers a comprehensive Associate’s degree program or prepares the transfer student to move on to complete a four year degree at other art schools in Maryland such as MICA with its transfer curriculum.
You Can Also Study Online If You Can’t Get To Maryland
Art Schools In Maryland
MICA offers several options to online learning for the student with life commitments that make full time attendance at a physical college campus problematic. Combining an online curriculum with summer residency programs, MICA offers a Low-residency/online MA program which prepares experienced K-12 artist-educators to pursue advancement in their field through the development of their practice as both studio artists and art educators at an art college. Additionally MICA offers online options in photography, printmaking and portfolio preparation.
There are many other online opportunities through many of the public colleges and universities in Maryland, as well as the Art Institutes of America. Other well established online schools are available as options to the student needing to maximize their educational prospects with online coursework. As with any action taken on the internet it is very important that a prospective student be diligent in researching not only the available online course options, but the requirements of the field of art they wish to enter. Some jobs in graphic arts may be available to the graduate of a program like that found at Montgomery College; other career opportunities will require more advanced degrees, particularly those in education. Many “hybrid” programs are being established as the need for distance learning and its profitability are more widely recognized, and a dedicated student should be able to find the right combination of online courses, studio work, and campus attendance to find the art schools in Maryland that suit them best.