Cranbrook Academy of Art

In many ways, the program at the Academy is simple: 150 graduate students work together and are mentored by 10 Artists-in-Residence for a full-time two-year studio-based study. But because Cranbrook Academy of Art is like no other program in the United States, it bears some explaining. At Cranbrook, we believe that graduate school is not separate from life, but is the foundation for life-long practice in art and design. Like real life, graduate study at the Academy is self-directed and relatively unscripted. And yet, students are guided, supported, and challenged by the Academy community. The Academy offers graduate study for a Master’s Degree in one of 10 departments: 2D Design, 3D Design, Architecture, Ceramics, Fiber, Metalsmithing, Painting, Photography, Print Media and Sculpture. At Cranbrook, we do not have fixed courses or a set curriculum. Instead, the structure of the program develops from each department outward – not from the top down. Departmental activities provide the central structure for students. Each department follows its own rotation of critiques, reading and discussion groups, student presentations, travel, and visits with guest artists and critics.