Art Institute Online

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Nathan, Mar 7, 2003.

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  1. Nathan

    Nathan New Member

    Hey all,

    Does anyone know anything about the Art Institute Online? I've checked, and I can't find them in the RA or DETC directories, nor has a search of the DegreeInfo archives turned much up (esp. since you can't search three letter words like "art").

    There aren't a lot of online art programs, so it would be cool if they had something legitimate, but I just can't find any evidence of degree-granting authority.

    Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
     
  2. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    The Art Institutes International is a chain of art schools operating a couple of dozen branches in different cities.

    Each branch has its own accreditation, which varies. A few branches are RA (Houston, I think), but most aren't.

    I believe that the Art Institute Online is operated out of, and constitutes a branch of, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The AII-Pittsburgh in turn is PA-approved and is accredited by ACICS, a US Dept. of Education recognized accreditor of mostly small business colleges that's trying to branch out.

    You would be well advised to verify this information before enrolling.

    Another very interesting on-line art-school opportunity is the Academy of Art College in San Francisco.

    http://online.academyart.edu/degrees.html

    ACC is a huge art school with some 6,000 students and buildings all over San Francisco. (It seems like their distinctive logo is everywhere you look in the city.) They are not regionally accredited, but are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the US Dept. of Education recognized professional accreditor for studio arts (NASAD mostly accredits art departments within larger RA universities), and by the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research (FIDER).

    I notice that AAC-Online's BFA in Computer Arts/3-D Character Animation is supervised by Pixar Animation Studios, which isn't a bad thing.
     

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