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International School of Art & Design
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International School of Art & Design B.F.A.

Finlandia University's International School of Art & Design (ISAD) is a learning community of creative individuals who see art and design as socially significant activities.  Its sound international network supports its cooperative relationships with business and industry.  ISAD provides a learning environment, through updated teaching methods and facilities in which learning how to learn is the primary goal.  The development of each student's unique combination of skills enables them to succeed in an ever-changing work life.

       The Economic Impact of the
        U.S. Art & Design Industry

  • 1.25 million Americans work in the visual arts.
  • One in 111 jobs is in art and design.
  • The economic impact of art and design exceeds that of sports worldwide.
  • Jobs in design have increased 43% in the past ten years.
  • The computer animation industry generates $33 billion annually.
  • Jobs in many creative industries are growing faster than the labor force as a whole and make up 30% of the work force by some estimates.
  • America's nonprofit arts industry generates $134 million in economic activity every year.
  • By 2016, jobs for artists and designers are predicted to increase by 42%.
  • Employment growth by arts-centric businesses since 2007 was 12%, more than four times the rise in the total number of U.S. employees.
  • Wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow 11% by 2016.
  • Jobs for photographers have increased 38% in the past four years.

Source: Americans for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the Entertainment Software Association

The purpose of the Art & Design program at Finlandia University is to provide a balanced curriculum in visual arts and 2D/3D design, with a liberal studies core, that reinforces the artistic experiences of students.  The program prepares graduates for careers in a steadily changing world by providing foundations on entrepreneurship, sustainability, and business practices related to art and design.

Our four year Bachelor of Fine Arts program is patterned after the Finnish education model practiced by our partner institutions in Europe.  We believe in a cross-disciplinary approach that engages students in real-life design problems requiring creative, innovative, and thoughtful solutions.  Our students are immersed in a professional setting with exposure to the daily operations of a wide array of businesses housed in the Portage Campus building.  Some of these companies provide valuable experience offering real-world projects that require real-world solutions

We feel this business-oriented, global direction best prepares our students for their future careers in design or art.

Our vision statement defines us not only as artists and educators, but as vital contributing members of our communities, local and global.  We focus on providing our students with the best education possible to prepare them for careers as artists and designers.  Our faculty challenges our students, but we are caring, and are all professional practitioners of our chosen field.  Our natural setting is as stunning and infinitely inspirational as our faculty is motivating and professional.  Our low student-to-teacher ratio guarantees an incredible amount of individual attention, adding greatly to the overall quality of instruction.  Our students often cite this as the basis for future personal achievment and professional success.

Our unique blend of studio work and business courses prepares our students for their future careers as artists and business people in a way that few other programs can.  We understand that in this world of changing business dynamics, a strong foundation in business operations and entrepreneurialism is absolutely critical to gaining a competitive edge.

Finlandia University is truly the place to feed your mind, body, and soul.  Our Finnish heritage and student exchange programs, particularly with Kuopio Academy of Crafts and Design in Kuopio, Finland, reinforces the ideals of nature-insprired design that is both exquisite and functional.

We're looking for students to share our vision-students with a passion for art and life-self motivated and dedicated students who understand that anything worth having is worth working for.  We're looking for students with a desire to become more than they think is possible.

We're looking for you.

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