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Where can a KCAD degree take you?

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A wealth of creative resources, at your fingertips.

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Grand Rapids: a city driven by creativity

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7.5:1
Student-to-Faculty Ratio
81%
of students receive some form of institutional or Federal financial assistance

Programs

Art History

Art History

Develop a deep understanding of creativity as a cultural and social force and place art and design in a cross-cultural, global framework.
Two people working at a table

Collaborative Design

Become an invaluable change agent who can leverage the power of design to meet the evolving needs of businesses and nonprofit organizations.
Man wearing a virtual reality headset

Digital Art and Design

Create cutting-edge experiences with animation, video, 3D art, interaction design, visual development, and sound design delivered through web, VR, and AR as well as digital and physical games.
Drawing of a woman in a bathtub

Drawing

Sharpen your critical thinking and creative problem solving skills and develop a heightened awareness of the union of technical, formal, and conceptual components
Woman sitting on the ground wearing a gown

Fashion Studies

Pursue a career in the fashion industry through immersive experiences that cultivate critical thinking and design skills while broadening your understanding of fashion retailing, sustainability, and presentation.
A hand holding three small booklets

Graphic Design

Join an integrative learning environment where traditional design fundamentals evolve into powerful tools for communication, problem-solving, and creative strategizing.
Illustration of a peacock

Illustration

Become an aesthetically grounded and professionally versatile illustrator who is proficient in both traditional and emerging media.  
Design of an interior space

Interior Design

Be empowered to use design thinking and creative problem solving to explore the function, aesthetic appeal, sustainability, and user experience of interior environments.
Digital illustration of bacteria

Life Sciences and Pre-Medical Illustration

Get started on a unique pathway toward a high-demand career with the potential to change lives, improve health, and enhance medical education and health care.
Painting of a woman's face

Painting

Immerse yourself in the medium’s rich history and vast expressive possibilities to move beyond mastery of basic techniques and traditional genres into a style and voice that is uniquely yours.
Photograph of a twig and a flower

Photography

Blend fine art and commerical approaches to pursue expressive possibilities through a thoughtful balance of concept and technique, and emerge positioned to succeed in a wide variety of photography careers.   
Three brightly colored wrist watches on a white table

Product Design

Create objects that respond to human need, challenge convention, and elevate the lived experience.
Sculpture of a spider

Sculpture and Functional Art

Work with metal, wood, clay, plastic, and mixed and multi-media forms to investigate and express original ideas, becoming a versatile maker who discovers new ways of shaping space and engaging senses.
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Learn More About Our Undergraduate Programs

Discover where your creativity can take you. 
Scale model of an architectural design

Master of Architecture

Our unique curriculum blends studio and immersion, research, and praxis to engage you in a deep exploration of the discipline that considers innovation, sustainability, and context as equally as aesthetics.
Ideas jotted down on paper

Master of Arts in Design

Broaden your understanding of design’s impact on culture and community through collaborative online learning experiences and research-driven coursework.
Abstract painting

Master of Fine Arts Painting

The MFA Painting program fosters emergent research, innovation, civic awareness, and intellectual growth to encourage the pursuit of individual or collaborative creative goals and outcomes.
Woman writing notes

Advanced Studies in Design and Innovation Management Certificate

For business and creative professionals who want to get an edge in the marketplace.
Two women talking at a table

Certificate in Visual and Critical Studies  

Advance your research, your practice, and your career and help meet the growing need for critical analysis and cultural synthesis in today's highly visual world. 
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Learn More About Our Graduate Programs

Take your creativity to the next level. 
 

News

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Events

creative employment fair
Tuesday, Mar 28
Creative Employment Fair
KCAD is excited to host an in-person Creative Career Fair for current students, alumni, and employers who are seeking creative talent. This opportunity is scheduled for March 28, 2023 from 11:30 am...
image of woman with white hair, blue shirt, and blue glasses
Wednesday, Mar 29
Beyond KCAD: Dr. Elizabeth Zarur
Beyond KCAD is a virtual speaker series showcasing established practitioners and thinkers from various Art + Design fields. These makers and scholars offer perspectives on pertinent issues that both...
Wed, March 29 5:00 PM - 6:15 PM Boyer Hall  Woodbridge N. Ferris Building 17 Pearl St NW  Potential of Place: Justice, Architecture, and the Pursuit of Good  Matthew VanSweden (‘17, BFA Collaborative Design)  Managing Director Foresight Management  Matthe
Wednesday, Mar 29
Potential of Place: Justice, Architecture, and the Pursuit of Good
M.Arch Lecture by KCAD alum Matthew VanSweden ('17, BFA Collaborative Design), managing director at Foresight Management. The lecture will explore the power and “potential of place” to...
A painting of two people sitting on a boat immersed in the screens of their phones with a beautiful mountain landscape behind them
Thursday, Mar 30
Master's Thesis Exhibition - Laurel Dugan
The Master's Thesis Exhibitions feature the fully-developed work of those students who have completed their graduate studies. These students have spent their time at KCAD broadening both their technical...
A painting of an elderly woman in a bikini reading a book on a lounge chair outside on a sunny day
Thursday, Mar 30
Master's Thesis Exhibition Reception - Laurel Dugan
Join us to celebrate Laurel Dugan's Master's Thesis Exhibition.The Master's Thesis Exhibitions feature the fully-developed work of those students who have completed their graduate studies. These...
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