Undergraduate Programs

KCAD's specialized undergraduate degree programs in design, fine art, and art history transform your creative passion into a marketable skill set, and from there, a career.

Art History

Art History

Investigate creativity as a cultural and social force and influence global dialogues with your critical insights.  
Two people working at a table

Collaborative Design

Transform your curiosity into a powerfully versatile skill set for problem solving and innovation.
Illustration of a magical dragon

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.
Woman sitting on the ground wearing a gown

Fashion Studies

Spark your career in the fashion industry while developing your own voice as a designer.
A hand holding three small booklets

Graphic Design

Evolve traditional design fundamentals 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

Become a creative problem solver who shapes spaces through human-centered design with focus on function, aesthetics, sustainability, and user-experience.
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.
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.
Drawing of a woman in a bathtub

Studio Arts

Take bold risks and broadly explore the full spectrum of 2D, 3D, and time-based media as you grow into a versatile, confident, and communicative working artist. 
Pink background

Associate Degrees

Explore creative career paths while building a strong foundation for your future. 


YOUR EDUCATION: EXPANDED

KCAD seeks to graduate curious, driven, and versatile leaders who can contribute to and shape the future. That’s why, in addition to their major coursework, all students take a wide range of immersive courses that broaden their skills, enlarge their perspective, and help them connect their individual creativity to the world around them.

Foundations: The First Year Experience

The Foundations program unites first-year students in a shared experience that strengthens their core creative skills, expands their sense of professional opportunity, and fosters community on campus.

Pathways: General Education at KCAD

KCAD’s Pathways model is general education tailored specifically for designers and artists, giving you the freedom to pursue an education that sparks your curiosity and stimulates your creativity.

Undergraduate Minors

Expand your creativity and enlarge your perspective through an abridged course of study, generally totaling 15 semester credit hours, in a discipline outside of your major.

Supportive Art History Courses

KCAD students in all majors take Art History courses that foster a deep understanding of visual creativity and invite exploration of the historical, political, social, and personal forces that influence artists and designers.



EXPLORE MORE

metal sculpture

Student Work

KCAD students pursue creative possibility across the spectrum of design and fine art media. Explore current and past work from all of our academic programs. 

VIEW STUDENT WORK GALLERY

Drawing of a man and a horse floating in space

Faculty Work

KCAD faculty are also expert artists, designers, and scholars who leverage their deep professional experience to help you make the most of your education.

VIEW FACULTY WORK GALLERY

Professor teaching a student in front of a dress model

Faculty Directory

More than just teachers, KCAD faculty are mentors and role models, motivating you to reach your potential in a safe, supportive, and personalized learning environment.

VIEW FACULTY DIRECTORY


 
CONNECT TO KCAD

panoramic view of the Kendall campus

Visit KCAD

Curious what life in our close-knit creative community is like? Come expore our dynamic urban campus in the heart of Grand Rapids, MI and see for yourself!

Ways to Visit

Man giving a young artist feedback on his work

Interested in More Info?

We'd love to stay in touch as your creative journey unfolds! Join our mailing list to recive more information and stay connected to what's happening at KCAD.

REQUEST A VIEWBOOK

group of young women smiling

Contact Admissions

P: 616.259.1118
E: [email protected]
Office Hours: Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm

SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL APPOINTMENT