School Profile:
The Art Institute of Atlanta

The Art Institute of Atlanta offers city sophistication, suburban convenience, and natural beauty, as well as a creative environment where you’ll find the education to develop your talent into a wonderful career.

At a Glance
Since 1949, The Art Institute of Atlanta has been committed to educating students for career success. From typing to media arts and animation, from speedwriting to designing for the Web, from fashion merchandising to the culinary arts, The Art Institute has long been on the forefront of providing educational opportunities in leading-edge career skills. Excellence in both education and job placement has distinguished the college over its 50-year history, reflecting The Art Institute’s market-responsiveness, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to student success.

Location and Environment
The Art Institute of Atlanta is located in the Sandy Springs area of Atlanta, about 15 minutes from downtown. The college is walking distance from public transportation (MARTA train) and has easy access to the GA 400 highway. Surrounded by beautiful landscaping, The Art Institute occupies two buildings that were designed by well-known Atlanta interior designer Stan Topol.

The many design firms, audio studios, restaurants, ad agencies, photography studios, and other arts-related business create an exciting environment in which to live and study. Students at The Art Institute of Atlanta become a part of this dynamic city while working to make their own dreams a reality.

Majors and Degrees Offered
The Art Institute of Atlanta offers bachelor of science degrees in culinary arts management and food & beverage management; bachelor of arts degrees in advertising, audio production, fashion & retail management, and visual & game programming; bachelor of fine arts degrees in digital filmmaking & video production, game art & design, graphic design, interior design, illustration, media arts & animation, visual effects & motion graphics, photographic imaging, and associate in arts degrees in graphic design, photographic imaging, video production culinary arts, Web design & interactive media, and wine, spirits & beverage management. Programs and courses are periodically revised to keep pace with changing industry needs, standards, equipment, supplies, and resource materials.

The Gallery
The Art Institute of Atlanta Gallery offers a variety of frequently changing exhibitions. These often focus on student, alumni, or faculty work. Locally curated or travelling exhibitions related to the programs of study offered at each campus are also a regular part of the schedule. These may focus on a single artist, such as Vincent Dixon, whose photographs were exhibited in 2007 as part of Atlanta Celebrates Photography, or animation artist Will Vinton, creator of the California Raisins. Some focus on a group of artists, such as Mongolian painter Sarantsatsralt Ser-Od and calligrapher Batbayar Dovdon, whose work was exhibited in Atlanta and Washington as part of Mongolia’s 800th anniversary of statehood; or a thematic exhibit, such as posters from Hatch Show Print in Nashville or award-winning design from The New York Art Directors Club.

The Library
The library at each location serves the study and research needs of the students, faculty, and staff at The Art Institute of Atlanta and its satellite or branch campuses (The Art Institute of Atlanta–Decatur, The Art Institute of Charleston, The Art Institute of Tennessee–Nashville, and The Art Institute of Washington).

At The Art Institute of Atlanta, the Library collection includes more than 40,000 items, including books, DVDs, video tapes, and CD-ROMs, providing resources for all programs of study. Periodical resources include more than 100 paper subscriptions to professional journals and electronic resources include more than 40 full-text databases, most accessible through the GALILEO portal.

Internships
Many upper-quarter students qualify academically and professionally to work for academic credit as interns with cooperating employers. Internships provide an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience.

Career Services
The Art Institute of Atlanta focuses on education for creative careers and offers many different career services to students and graduates. As students near the completion of their program of study, they meet individually with a career services advisor who is a specialist in their field of study to review career goals, job-search strategies, interview techniques, and résumé development. In addition to the one-on-one counseling provided by career services advisors, career development courses, which are required of every student, provide extensive career preparation training. The career services department coordinates portfolio shows and internship fairs for all programs, as well as career days for the culinary arts program. These special events bring together industry professionals and soon-to-be graduates. In addition, the staff assists students in finding part-time jobs while they are in college, through part-time job fairs and job listings.