Universities or Art schools?

<p>I'm going to apply soon.</p>

<p>I'm an international student,so the fees of art schools will be a big problem for me.I'm heavily relying on a scholarship.</p>

<p>I checked out a few universities like the Virginia Common Wealth Uni,the fees seemed really less compared to an art school.</p>

<p>I want to know if studying in an art school and studying in a respected university are the same?
I want to know how they differ and etc.</p>

<p>Thanks,
Suddu
Sudarshan</a> Ashok Digital Showcase</p>

<p>Art schools spend much more time on art. Sure, you can still get a great, more balanced education at a university, but if your true focus is art, art schools might be better for you. Look into private schools and try them despite the sticker price, since I believe some provide support based on talent. Also try schools with lower sticker prices. You never know what can happen!</p>

<p>I stongly disagree with artsylover. Many universities offer a BFA and in terms of time in the studio, this degree may have the same or even more art time requirements than a BFA from a private art school. Some art departments within universities are much larger than the private art schools and may have more resources and access, sometimes, to state funding. </p>

<p>I am not sure why someone with a true focus on art should only consider private art schools. Many, many artists get their BFAs (not BAs) at universities, private and public. Look at the program to see how much emphasis there is on art. Some schools have a lot of general education requirements (Yale, WUSTL) but others basically have an art school inside of the university and the curriculum is similar to a private art school with a foundation year and tough requirements to specialize i a particular art area. </p>

<p>The BFA at VCU has almost the same requirements as at MICA or other private art schools but the general studies requirements are broader. MICA will let you complete your general studies requirements with a lot of humanities while VCU will require you to take a math/science etc or place out of it (for example). My S would have placed out of every general study requirement with IB and AP credits and could have completed his BFA in 3.5 years so the general ed requirements are basically just one semester overall. </p>

<p>My son decided to go to university but intends to get a BFA. He decided to go to university not because they required courses for general studies (like I note above, there is not much difference with an art school). However, if you want to take classes or minor or major outside of the art school it is easier if you are embedded in a university rather than an art school with a partnership with a university. Also, he wanted to be surrounded by all sorts of students and faculty rather than only artists. His interests are a bit broader and he liked the synergies of people working across academic subjects that he saw at some universities. However, there are classmates in his art school within the university that are solely focused on art and are not very interested in the benefits of being at a university…they just found the art department the best fit for their goals as artists. </p>

<p>In terms of scholarships for foreign students you are going to be very, very limited. Some private art schools do offer a limited number to foreign students (MICA, RISD) but they are very rare. Public universities often will offer NO merit aid to foreign students while some private universities do have merit scholarships available. Read online or contact the financial aid office. If aid is crucial for attendance do not waste your time applying to schools that offer no aid to foreign students.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>I like your work. I think you should look into the communication arts major at vcu.</p>

<p>I think it depends on what you plan on doing with the degree. If you’re looking for the raw materials to build a career in the commercial arts (or even as a fine artist, frankly), it doesn’t matter where you get those tools so long as you’ve established it’s a good fit for you. Many universities will give you these tools and give you the option to explore other minors - I know my (art) schools were not terribly well developed in terms of their non-art offerings, and I found myself looking to other schools for non-art electives when possible.</p>

<p>If you plan on trying your hand at a career as a fine artist with gallery representation in one of the major art markets, like NYC, snobby elitist people in galleries will likely want you to come from a “name” school. Lame. But we’re all hoping that changes soon, because it’s really, really silly.</p>

<p>If you want the most bang for your buck, you should consider anything BUT an art school. Massive money suck. Scholarships are limited, especially for international students. Though I disagree with the whole “go to an art school and you’ll ONLY be surrounded by artists” thing, as odd as that sounds - I’ve gone to two, and both have been rather diverse in terms of faculty and student body. Urban planning, architecture, art education, library sciences, historic preservation, and creative writing all get tossed in the mix, too. Just saying.</p>