California College of the Arts Reviews

"Graduate Programs Foundation Scholarship California College of the Arts offers a range of different artistic fields that serve as the backbone to all of its program. Beginning with the first year, all undergraduates are required to take core curriculum in (1) Drawing, (2) 2-D/ composition, (3) 3-D/ sculpture, and (4) 4-D/ film and web design. Second through fifth year (architecture) consist of core architectural studios as well as advanced studios (with different focus topics, such as tower, robotics, material). The advanced studios are intermixed between undergraduate and graduate students to allow more cross-pollination between the groups. The school is relatively small which was a nice contrast from my high school (hence why I had chosen to attend CCA), which allows each student to get to know a large number of the professors quite well. Upon graduating, the connections through the faculty (most of whom are also practicing professionals in their fields) helped opened doors for both employment and further academic studies."

"I am doing three year Master of Architecture program at California College of the Arts. So far, this first year has been heavy but I do not regret it. I been learning a lot from my professors and the courses. The school has been very supported with everything is going on in politics today. At school I feel safe and welcome. The facilities are excellent, they have a wide variety of tools to work with."

"There is a good range of faculty but the fine art facilities are not state of the art or very accessible. Housing in the Bay Area makes it tough to commute to school, and transportation is not great. Almost too diverse a program in discipline."

"I've had two jobs since graduating from college, both of which I obtained from connections made while in school. The experience I gained while in college was invaluable, not only for my career but for my personal growth. Go to school kids."

"A small and select group of students are admitted to the program each year fostering an environment where student are working very closely (and often) with faculty. The alumni network is strong and internship and work opportunities abound for disciplined and self-directed students. The school is located in San Francisco, the most expensive city in the U.S. presently. It would be better if students had even more access to funding. The financial-aid packages, though generous, still require that students take out large student loans, or have rich parents."

"California College of the Arts (CCA) is a great place for people in various design related fields. Their Architecture program satisfies NAAB requirements and paid internship is one of the requirements for the graduation. Thus, offering students complete skill-set required to face industry once they graduate. The faculty members at CCA are exceptionally good and have active design- research practices. CCA has open minded altitude towards design process and along with prestigious faculty members they have been training students to be architects that are sensible towards social, economic, technological and ecological changes. World class faculty is CCA’s greatest gift and a resource for students ‘academic projects and career goals. Living in the city may seem expensive, but CCA has many on and off campus job opportunities that can help with the living expenses. The administrative staff is always willing to guide students with finances and is very approachable. In addition to great academic life, CCA is a great platform to socialize and build professional network at the same time!"

"The area is very expensive, but the program is top notch, with a great faculty, loads of support from industry professionals and workplaces, plus a great network of alumni and whatnot."

"The graduate MFA program is a transdisciplinary program in graphic, industrial and interaction design which allows for versatility in the field. CCA as a school and particularly the MFA Design department do an incredible job of connecting students with their impressive professional alumni network."

"CCA is located in San Francisco, home to many companies working at the intersection of art and technology. I love that all of our professors are practicing professionals in their respective fields, and their experiences have been invaluable to my education thus far. I feel fortunate to be a part of such a supportive and innovative design community. Although the MFA Design program is described as an interdisciplinary program, there is more emphasis on graphic design and industrial design than interaction design, due to it being more of an emerging field. I hope that the school will expand its interaction design faculty so that CCA can better accommodate the changing interests and needs of their students. Also, it is difficult to get appointments to use various facilities such as the laser cutter or 3d printer."

"By attaining a master's degree I will be able to structure my writing and be exposed to that community that is so supportive of it. The staff wants to see you succeed and puts in that effort to help. The only cons are I can't afford to go, I need some help and student loan debt is likely to be in my future."

"The CCA DMBA Program is outstanding on all fronts - acedemics, faculty support and community engagement. The only drawback would be location. Although transportation to and from school are frequent and straightforward, the area is not very safe at night. CCA accomodates for this by keeping a number of security staff on hand to escort students to their destination."

"Great school. Lots of hard work, but a great architecture program."

"The MBA in Design Strategy program is an incredible opportunity to delve into innovation, business, and sustainability through the iterative design process. Students work together in teams throughout to create imagine and develop real scenarios in business, including products, services, and relationships. They consult with existing companies to help with business model innovation, experience-based market research, and operations planning. The culminating project requires formation of a startup company that many students carry forward into a functioning business. The DMBA inspires creativity and values collaboration."