California College of the Arts

The MBA in Design Strategy program (known as the DMBA or Design MBA) launched at California College of the Arts in 2008, a time of economic crisis, when institutions, businesses, and accepted wisdom were all crumbling.

You like to draw and paint, but you also enjoy working with digital illustration software. You've even tried your hand at designing clothes. While it's wonderful to have an abundance of creativity that you can express through multiple mediums, if you want to attend art school, you'll eventually have to narrow your focus.

The starving artist: It’s the cliche that just won’t go away. Anyone who’s even toyed with the idea of pursuing a career in the arts has heard it — many, many times. Now fold in the notion of going to art school and you have a recipe for some serious skepticism. Attending college, no matter the type (liberal arts, research institution, art school, etc.) is an expensive proposition, full stop. The job market is tough for anyone these days, and expenses in the big cities where most artists live are unprecedented. But what most people don’t know, is that the old stereotype of a starving artist is an outdated way of thinking, thanks to a dramatic shift in our cultural values and ideals.  Here are three reasons why:

For most prospective art students, one of the hardest parts of applying to school is choosing portfolio selections. We've heard many applicants worry that they don't have enough samples because they didn't focus on art in high school, or they haven't decided on one specific field of art to study.

Making the decision to enter art school is only the beginning of a prospective student's journey. Deciding how you will pay for school is a critical next step, and securing art school scholarships can help offset some or all of the cost of pursuing an art degree. Here are 10 tips that will help you find scholarships for art school: