Ringling College of Art and Design

For nearly 75 years, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in art and design students from around the globe . . . transforming our visual world. Founded in 1931 by noted art collector, real estate magnate, and circus impresario John Ringling, the private, not-for-profit college is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD; http://nasad.arts-accredit.org) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS; http://www.sacscoc.org).

Located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, the picturesque 35-acre campus today includes ninety buildings and enrolls more than 1,100 students from forty-three states and twenty-eight other countries—more than half of whom reside on the pedestrian-friendly residential campus. The College’s 130 faculty members are all professional artists, designers, and scholars who actively pursue their own work outside the classroom.

The College’s rigorous curriculum engages innovation and tradition through a strong, well-rounded first-year Core Studio Program and a deep focus on the liberal arts. Students pursue one of fourteen majors leading to their B.F.A. degrees: advertising design, broadcast design/motion graphics, business of art and design, computer animation, digital film, fine arts, game art and design, graphic and interactive communication, illustration, interior design, painting, photography and digital imaging, printmaking, or sculpture.

The academic emphasis on professional portfolio development and career preparation provides students with a well-rounded education. This is backed up by the extensive career-related services available during a student’s time at the College and throughout their professional life.

The Center for Career Services lists nearly 1,000 employment opportunities and internships each year, available 24 hours a day at http://www.collegecentral.com/ringling. The center offers workshops and seminars on professional skills, such as portfolio preparation, resume writing, and interviewing, and can assist students in researching opportunities for additional training and graduate education. Nearly four dozen nationally recognized recruiters visit Ringling College’s campus each year to interview students and to make employment and internship offers. Among the most outstanding organizations recruiting at Ringling College are Hallmark Cards, CNN, Target, Headline News, Sony Pictures ImageWorks, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Disney, Electronic Arts (EA), American Greetings, and even the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The College believes passionately in the development and support of the whole student by preparing each graduate to be successful in their chosen careers as well as socially responsible artist-citizens. As a testament to the educational principles instilled in them, students donate hours upon hours of their personal time to volunteering on myriad local community public service projects and participating in student organizations. Clubs on campus provide a well-balanced calendar of cocurricular events, leadership opportunities, and social activities. Organizations include the Student Government Association and many diverse clubs focusing on artistic development, recreation, special interests, theater and dance, social and community service, Greek and spiritual life, and more. Students are recognized for their contributions through awards and honors and a comprehensive cocurricular transcript reflecting their participation in these areas.

Ringling College traditions include Family Weekend, Latino Heritage Month, National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week, National Coming Out Day, Black History Month, and Women’s History Month. Other celebrations include beach parties, holiday parties, and a President’s reception for graduates and their families.

More than half of Ringling College students live on campus in one of ten different, modern, and well-equipped residence halls and apartments. In addition to the convenience of campus living, residents benefit from a variety of programs, residence hall support staff, and campus food service. To enhance the campus experience and create a hub for student activities, a dynamic, 80,000-square-foot five-story Student Center opened in fall 2006. The building includes a fitness center and exercise studio, student activity center and meeting spaces, Outtakes Café, classrooms, an exhibition hall, and two floors of student residences.

To begin the school year, a New Student Orientation program is held for all new students and their parents during the week prior to the start of the fall semester. Orientation includes opportunities to meet other students, hear from key faculty members and administrators, attend presentations on academic expectations and campus resources, and to enjoy a number of relaxing, social activities with family members and classmates.

Ringling College of Art and Design welcomes applications from students with a serious commitment to the visual arts. Admission is based on a review of the student’s portfolio, academic record, essay, and teacher recommendations. All applicants are reviewed individually, with special consideration given to creative ability and potential for success in college-level studies.

Program/Academic Facilities

At Ringling College, facilities include the Verman Kimbrough Memorial Library, with 55,000 volumes, including more than 6,100 videos, CDs, and DVDs, 350 periodical subscriptions, hand-made artist’s books, and a separate collection of more than 127,000 slides; Selby Gallery, with international and nationally recognized shows, annual juried student and faculty exhibitions; specialized studios for painting, printmaking, sculpture, wood, graphic design, computer animation, illustration, figure drawing, interior design, and CAD; and the Deborah M. Cooley Photography Center, with studios, darkrooms, and digital labs.

The computer-student ratio is greater than 1:2. Computer facilities include four high-end visual 3-D workstation laboratories, twelve high-end Macintosh workstation laboratories, three Intel-Xeon-based class workstation laboratories, three audio and video editing laboratories, and several digital photography labs. Labs are equipped with high-end workstations, peripherals (scanners, printers, etc.), and numerous general-purpose software packages and tools, including desktop publishing, editors, file-transfer tools, spreadsheets, Web tools, imaging tools, utility applications, and graphics-generation equipment. All personal computers, workstations, and printers are connected to the campus network.

A rich collection of discipline-specific software packages is also available in the computer labs, including Alias Maya; 2d3 Boujou; Shake; Pixar Rendering Tools; Apple Computer: Compressor, Cinema Tools, FinalCut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, iDVD, iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes, LiveType, Safari, Soundtrack, Pro Kit, and Ableton; Crater: CTP; Reel Smart: Motion Blur and Stop Motion Pro; Maxon: Body Paint 3D, Auto*des*sys, and FormZ; AutoDesk: Architectural Desktop, AutoCAD, and Autodesk VIZ; Adobe Creative Suite; Acrobat Pro; After Effects; Audition; GoLive; Encore; ImageReady; FontFolio; Premiere; Dreamweaver and Flash; Microsoft: Office, Front Page, Access, Project, and Implementation Tools; and Corel: Painter, BareBones, and BBEdit.

All on-campus residence halls allow students direct access to on-campus computing resources and the Internet with a blazing DS3 speed from the comfort and convenience of their own rooms.

Application Procedures

Deadline--freshmen and transfers: continuous. Notification date--freshmen and transfers: continuous. Required: essay, high school transcript, college transcript(s) for transfer students, minimum 2.0 high school GPA, 2 letters of recommendation, portfolio. Recommended: interview, SAT or ACT test scores. Auditions held 1 time. Portfolio reviews held continuously on campus and off campus in National Portfolio Days; the submission of slides may be substituted for portfolios.

Ringling College of Art and Design

Program/Academic Facilities

Application Procedures

Undergraduate Contact