The Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) is a non-profit consortium of thirty-six of the leading degree-granting art colleges in the United States. All AICAD member institutions have a curriculum with full liberal arts and sciences requirements complimenting studio work, and are accredited to grant the BFA and/or MFA degrees. To qualify for AICAD membership, an art school must satisfy three threshold requirements: specialization in art or design; grant the BFA and/or MFA degree; and have dual accreditation of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the academic accrediting organization in their region. Member colleges must be private, nonprofit and free-standing--that is, not a department of a larger college or university.
AICAD was founded in 1991 by a group 25 presidents of art colleges for the purpose of developing and strengthening their schools and programs. The mission is to help strengthen the member colleges individually and collectively, and to inform the public about these colleges and the value of studying art and design. An essay on this topic is available on the organization's website [1].
The organization distributes information about AICAD and its members, and about art and design education and careers, to potential students, parents, teachers, and others, conducts regular conferences and symposia on contemporary academic and administrative subjects, operates an independent studio and internship program in New York City (The New York Studio Program), oversees student exchanges and mobility among the member schools, gathers and analyzes institutional data to assist in future planning efforts. It also provides members with information about current art and design education issues as well as information on relevant legislation and government policies.
[edit] Members
International Affiliates:
[edit] New York Studio Program
The New York Studio Program (NYSP), a project of AICAD, is a one-semester program in New York City for undergraduate art students enrolled at AICAD colleges. The program emphasizes independent, self-directed study in the context of its location in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn. The 15 to 20 students enrolled each fall and spring semester come from all over the US and Canada.
[edit] References
- ^ AICAD - Career Information
[edit] External links
Regional accrediting agencies:
| Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design | | | | |
