Studying abroad: how to choose the right architecture, art or design course?
If you’re planning to study architecture, art or design abroad, the first step is to select your destination country.
Studying architecture
If you’re planning to study architecture abroad, the first step is to select your destination country.
The UK remains a leading destination for students seeking an excellent architectural education. The Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL) tops many international rankings. The universities of Bath, Cambridge, Manchester, Sheffield and Westminster, as well as the AA School in London, are also highly reputed in this field.
Canada also boasts some excellent architecture schools, including the University of British Columbia (UBC), the University of Toronto and McGill University. At Université de Montréal (UdeM) and Université de Laval, you can also study architecture in French. Ideal, then, for those of you who want to go far away, but still keep your bearings.
According to FrancEspagne, Spain, and in particular Madrid’s private universities, are finally offering great opportunities in architecture. The diploma is recognized by the American Order of Architects, and the private universities UEM and CEU San Pablo in Madrid offer courses in English, both with good reputations. However, you’ll need to pay €13,650 for UEM and €14,620 for CEU per year. What’s more, architecture in Spain has a very strong engineering and technical dimension, and is therefore aimed at students with a more scientific profile.
Studying art or design
Art and design schools offer a range of courses enabling students to become true specialists in one of their chosen fields (styling, design, photography, painting, etc.), offering a wide variety of career possibilities: interior architect, draughtsman, photographer, art director or stylist.
Here’s a non-exhaustive overview of the different artistic training courses on offer abroad.
In the United States and Canada
The Parsons School of Design (3rd place), the Rhode Island School of design (4th place), the School of the Art Institute in Chicago – SAIC – (9th place) and the Pratt Institute, are top-ranked art schools whose reputation has spread far beyond American borders.
In Quebec, some art and design universities stand out from their counterparts, such as Concordia University, which offers several Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in the fields of design, theater design, intermedia (video, performance and electronic arts), painting and drawing, performance creation, photography, print media and studio art. You’ll be spoilt for choice.
At Université de Laval, you can also choose between a bachelor’s degree in visual and media arts or a bachelor’s degree in visual arts education.
In Europe
The UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium are all home to excellent courses in art and design.
UK schools include the Royal College of Art, the University of the Arts London (UAL), which includes six colleges specializing in art, design, fashion and media (Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion, and Wimbledon College of Art), the Glasgow School of Arts (GSA), and Goldsmiths in London.
The Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands and the Haute École d’art et de design de Genève (HEAD) in Switzerland are also well known.
Finally, Belgium also boasts renowned art schools such as La Cambre in Brussels, the higher art schools (ESA Brussels, Liège, Tournai) and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. At ESA Saint-Luc in Brussels, where 30% of students are French, around three-quarters of students are admitted after a three-day selection process. This school offers bachelor’s degrees in several artistic disciplines: digital arts, illustration, comics, publishing, advertising, graphic design, drawing and technology in architecture, interior architecture and interior design. Graphic design and comics are particularly popular with French students.
Find all the answers to your questions about studying abroad. our book “Etudier à l’étranger après le Bac” (Studyrama Editions).
Would you like more personalized support to make your plans to study abroad a reality? Don’t hesitate to contact the Your Dream School team!