Academy of Art University: Art and Design School - AAU (reviews)

My review title may seem a bit harsh, but I promise I actually do recommend my school for certain types of students with certain goals, with a caveat or two.

I’ve attended AAU on and off parttime for a number of years. I started going AAU online to get my bachelor’s. What started out as a robust online program with many, many fine art course options has dwindled over the years. I was looking at an old 2017 course cataloged and was impressed by the niche specializations you could get into that are no longer available. AAU has gone mainstream. They’ve also cut professors’ hours that they are allowed to spend with students, so you dont really get as good of a mentorship as you used to.

Despite my issues with the direction the school is going in, I probably would not have graduated while going to another art school that’s less lenient with disabled students taking semesters off at a time. Online classes were pretty accessible, the school let me replace innacxessibke classes with others to complete requirements, and most of the teachers were understanding about my accomodations and needs.

As a part of the Master’s program in Industrial Design, I had a great experience in the practical understanding of my course. It is expensive, but I like the culture and feel of the University. The buildings and campus, sports rooms are at different locations, so it is tough to go for activities from one building to another.

AAU can be a great stepping stone to further your photo skills and career. The one downside is the cost and lack of resources for job placement once graduated. But it is located in one of the most beautiful cities in America, filled with so much diverse culture. I learned great lighting techniques and still stay in contact with a few photo teachers who evaluate my work.