Academy of Art University Reviews of Master's in Fine Arts

"This school is a scam they accept 100% of the enrollment and only about 15% graduate. Let's start off with the cost of the school, if you are anything like most of the people that I met from this school you're not rich and you will come out of the school in debt. As far as the teaching I'm not gonna say that I didn't learn anything , there were definitely things I learned from this but it's not anything you can learn from a YouTube video or a nice anatomy book. The instructor's there paid more attention to students who were already good at their craft And ignored the people that needed the most help. The school loved the students they didn't have to teach they love the fact that some students enrolled were alredy very good at painting. They can pretend like they taught them how to do that. I was one of the students that were struggling and I got very little help. I saw a lot of students struggling with very little help given to them. If you were going to enroll people that are not qualified you better be ready to teach them, Academy of art! The only reason why i some of the painters ended up graduating was because they opened up an abstract department. I'm not kidding that's the only way some of these painters were able to graduate was to become abstract painters. Save your money and learn from YouTube painters or go to a credible school, Just stay far away from AAU!!!!"

"I felt like my teachers and program directors were incredibly helpful and supportive in helping me to grow in my field. The frustrating part was the overall bureaucracy of the university itself. Everything costs an arm and a leg, they don't always have things available that were available at my undergrad where I was paying far less, there are no scholarships for art students, only athletes, and they make us take several courses that have nothing to do with my major but only allow us to take so many courses so I have to choose between 2 interesting classes because I have to take a "required" class that has no pertinence to the rest of my career. This all aside, the program head and all of my professors have been so supportive and followed my growth the entire 3 years. I have truly grown in my field and have comes miles from where I was when I first arrived."

"The Fashion Merchandising program at the AAU is excellent--there are knowledgeable instructors, the lessons are relatable to the real world, and the projects are challenging! There are a few drawbacks, however. In most of MY classes, I was the only American, and consequently, one of few English-speaking student. This sometimes made class discussions somewhat bland. It also makes it hard to connect with other students. Overall, though, the instructors, guest speakers, and inside access to the industry is worth it! I would recommend the program to anyone seeking to have a serious career in the fashion industry."

"Great school. In terms of education, I am challenged to always become better which pushes me to work harder. Skills have improved in the span of a few months. But the school has a big work load to focus on. In terms of price, this school has no scholarships to give and it is way to expensive to continue my education on campus. Therefore, I must resort to online in my next semesters. But, again the education is mind blowing."

"As this was the first year that the program was getting on its feet, there are still a few bugs to work out. I found GLA's (Graduate Liberal Arts - basically gen eds) very pointless for a grad program. However, most of my core classes and professors and the heads of the school of acting are phenomenal and so supportive."

"Pros: Gaining knowledge from Instructors that are currently in the industry I am seeking to pursue, endless exposure for networking opportunities with cutting edge brands and companies in my area of study. Cons: Tuition is expensive and Financial aid is limited."

"I like all of the technical instruction and the intensity of the program and teachers. I think there needs to be more focus on how to market yourself as an artist and what it takes to get a job in the "real world"."

"I feel that the cons of enrollment within the Academy of Art University's Graduate Program would be that living directly within the city and it not being a gates in university we are subject to some of the dangers of the cities environment. The pros within the graduate degree's program are endless. As a student you definitely obtain the education you deserve and work hard for. I have learned more than I ever thought I would. I love the transportation that the school offers for us as faculty and students to get from location to location. Another pro is the availability of resources that we can obtain within the school No matter what your major is there are a lot of extracurricular programs and opportunities to advance your skill set and build towards your career."

"Pros Professors are on top of you and push you everywhere they can to ensure your assignment completed in perfection. Each class programmes are well planed and easy for student understand. Assistants and faculties are always around you. Have questions, they answered right away."

"The Academy of Art I feel is a very strong school with a wide array to offer students. The MFA program I am in is always willing to go above and beyond to help its students and it is a very personable relationship. The biggest con to the program though is price. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities to live in and housing fees and lab fees and other miscellaneous expenditures do seem to rack up quickly."

"The great thing about the animation and vfx program is that it is good both for people who are interested and want to get into the field and those who have a background. Additionally, for the master thesis, students are will create both a demo reel and a short film. The short film is the most important part as it shows studios both the technical and artistic aspect of your work in addition to knowledge of the pipeline and interaction ability."