For nearly two decades, Academy of Art University has been offering accredited art and design degree programs. As an early pioneer in online learning, our online programs are designed to provide the same quality of education as what we offer on-campus students, but with greater flexibility. This is your chance to learn from expert instructors that will equip you with work-ready skills and help you succeed. Choose from 120+ undergraduate and graduate degrees offered 100% online by one of the nation’s top art and design schools.
Academy of Art University is ranked as one of the top art and design online programs in the world. Our accredited online courses utilize custom-built content taught by instructors who are top industry professionals to give you the flexibility to earn your degree on your own terms.
Academy of Art University provides our students with accredited art and design degrees in three ways: traditional online courses (synchronous learning), virtual onsite courses (asynchronous learning), and on-campus in San Francisco. No matter what type of learning works best for you, that we have the right courses for you.
Meet our alumni who earned their degrees from Academy of Art University’s online education program and who are thriving in the art and design field today. Many who choose Academy of Art for their online education are working professionals. Explore how they were able to update their skills and advance their careers through the Academy’s online education program while balancing their jobs and other day-to-day responsibilities.
Mark Cofer is a music composer who has created music for Broadway shows and TV spots for a number of films, including the 2015 Rocky Balboa spin-off, Creed, and, The Magnificent Seven. He took Academy of Art University’s online program from his home Nashville and was one of the first graduates of MFA Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media program. Studying online allowed him to balance spending time with his daughter while also cultivating his skills. Apart from composing music for TV, shows, and films, he is also teaching Music Editing for Visual Media courses at Academy of Art University.
Maria Aalto won the Rei Kawakubo / Comme des Garçons: Art of the In-Between Design Contest in the Graduate student category while she was taking the Online MFA Fashion Design program from her home town in Iowa. She showcased her work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and interned at the office of Comme des Garçons in New York. The capability of learning fashion from industry experts 100% online led her to the Academy’s MFA Fashion Design program.
Gregory Beams is a professional fine art photographer who creates staged large-scale photo-cinematic images of surreal urban scenes and isolated characters. He completed his MFA in Academy of Art University’s online program from his home in Seattle. His work was featured at the Sutter gallery in San Francisco. The Academy’s online program allowed him to find his voice, and with that, his photographs and his career changed for the better.
Online students can take advantage of Academy of Art’s rich resources and industry-standard tools to work on your projects. Here are some of the tools and resources that you can enjoy as an online student at the Academy:
Freely exchange thoughts, post work, and provide or receive constructive feedback—just like you would in a campus environment. You and your peers support and push each other, creating long-lasting connections that live beyond the course. You may not be on campus, but you’re not alone.