DCAD's mission is to educate talented and dedicated students to become art makers, idea generators, problem solvers, and visual communicators who can redefine the way we perceive and experience the world around us.
The Associate of Fine Arts Degree Program at Delaware College of Art and Design combines studio courses in art and design with liberal arts courses, allowing students to develop basic skills, concepts, and values in their respective areas of study. DCAD maintains a concise, comprehensive and demanding curriculum that provides the training and information necessary to compete successfully in today's art and design markets. In the first semester, each student is introduced to DCAD's six majors (Animation, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, and Photography) through the Foundation Seminar. Students may then choose their major.
Student life at DCAD maintains a very busy calendar of activities throughout the year. On campus, activities range from major events such as Spirit Week, Woodstock, and Commencement festivities, to the smaller events such as karaoke nights, game nights, and pot-luck dinners. Museum trips to New York City or Washington, D.C., occur each semester and faculty members have been known to arrange trips to area galleries and attractions in Wilmington, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
Every year, nationally-known artists, designers, and scholars - from each area of concentration and academic studies - are invited to lecture and work with students in studio settings. These lectures are open to the public and held during the common hour in the Copeland Room at the Delaware History Center.
