Frequently Asked Questions
Occupying nearly 14 acres, CCS is the perfect place to explore your creativity and passion. With our seven award-winning facilities and location in the heart of the University Cultural Center, you'll be in the center of Detroit's artistic community. Our campus also includes two galleries, a bookstore, a library, a cafeteria, liberal arts classrooms and a lecture auditorium.
Although we are located in a large metropolitan area, CCS has one of the safest college campuses in Michigan. You'll be able to work and play in an environment where you feel safe and secure. Security officers patrol campus regularly and are also posted inside our residence hall and parking structure. Campus statistics are readily available.
While our residence hall is very popular, you are not required to live on campus as a freshman. Located in the residential Art Centre Building (ACB) housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis and offers 2–3 or 4–5 person suites. With a kitchen and a full size refrigerator, and furnished bedrooms and living areas, you'll be able to prepare your own meals, study, and hang out in an area that is unique to you and your roommates. Approximately 260 spaces are available in the ACB. Currently about 23 percent of CCS students live on-campus and 77 percent commute. Located within five-blocks of CCS are grocery, convenience and art supply stores, so a car is not a necessity. If you do choose to bring a vehicle, however, a secure parking structure is available.
While having a personal computer can be helpful, you are not required to have one. CCS has state-of-the-art digital equipment for you to use: Macintosh G5s and Dell Pentium 4 and Dual Xeon machines are some of the primary computers used in labs. If you are interested in bringing your own, information is provided upon request for the numerous digital programs used in the Photography, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Industrial Design, Animation and Digital Media, Illustration and Crafts Departments. Should you choose to purchase a computer, check with the advisors of your department first; some departments primarily use Macintosh, some use primarily Windows, and some use both.
CCS has the best facilities and equipment. Even if you're full of good ideas, you need the right tools to bring them to life. At CCS we're happy to say you'll have what you need to make your ideas materialize. Take technology, for instance. CCS provides 415 student computers, featuring the most up-to-date equipment and software available for two-and three-dimensional design, animation, and audio and video editing. The wood shop, metal shop and foundry are open to students in every department. CCS is the only school in Michigan that regularly pours iron and has a hot glass studio. The art library is also a superb resource you will return to again and again. When completed, student work is often exhibited around campus and in the annual Student Exhibition, as well as in U245, the student-managed gallery.
Sure, the day you graduate with your BFA degree in-hand seems a long way off. Even if life after college is barely in the back of your mind, it's in the front of ours. Every faculty member — as well as each equipment improvement made and every internship secured — is focused on your future. CCS students are among the most sought after by employers after graduation because of their technical expertise and creative skills. Graduates are recruited by large worldwide corporations, small local businesses, and everything in between.
On-campus recruitment events, workshops, and Career Day sessions are available to students. In addition, the online Job Book allows students to search job postings and available internships, as well as upload their resume and sample work for employers to review. The CCS Career Services Office prepares students for life after graduation by offering guidance on resume, CV, and cover letter preparation, interview skills, job search techniques and provides students with information about various career paths open to artists and designers.
In addition to the online Job Book and internship listings, Career Services maintains a list of local and national teaching positions at both the K–12 and college levels and a resource center devoted to professional publications, including ART Deadlines List. This monthly newsletter provides information on art contests and competitions, art scholarships and grants, juried exhibitions, art jobs and internships, calls for entries/proposals/papers, writing and photo contests, residencies, design and architecture competitions, auditions, casting calls, fellowships, festivals, funding and other opportunities for artists, art educators and art students of all ages.
Before you know it, your chosen career will present you with problems to solve, putting your skills to work. What kinds of constraints will you be up against? How will you respond to bumps in the road, or even roadblocks? By working in partnership with the business community, CCS is able to provide students with opportunities to face challenges they will encounter after graduation. Internships are available to students with a junior or senior ranking — although it is never too early to begin researching opportunities. Internship listings are available in the Career Services online Job Book.
In addition to internships, an array of companies and organizations sponsor various projects, giving CCS students exposure to real art and design problems and a feel for deadline pressures, client meetings, and budgets. While exploring solutions and interacting in the business world, students learn to become professionals. This close working relationship reaps many benefits for both students and businesses.
Students are required to pay a $100 commitment fee upon registration. The balance of tuition, fees and housing (if applicable), is due in two equal payments during the sixth or tenth week of classes. Personal checks, money orders, MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover Card are all acceptable methods of payment. You can pay at the cashier's office Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm.
Studying abroad allows you to experience another culture. From normal day-to-day activities to attending classes, and in some cases learning another language, you'll return to the U.S. with a greater understanding of art and design in other countries. Study abroad opportunities are currently available in Ireland, England, Italy, The Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia and France, and we are collaborating with other universities and organizations to develop additional programs. Students typically participate during their junior or senior year and must have transfer credit approved by their department chair. The International Student Services office in the Administration and Admissions Building can provide you with more information.
