Business of Art & Design BA Degree
The Business of Art and Design major at Ringling College bridges the disciplines of design and business management. Our project-based design curriculum provides an integrated focus on the role of art, design, and creative leadership in business. The program emphasizes entrepreneurship, the business of design, project planning and management, and leadership for creative industries. As a Business of Art and Design student at Ringling College, you will master business management essentials, explore the principles of design, and learn to collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams. Whether you are looking to start your own business, pursue a career on the business side of creative organizations, or become a great leader, you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to bring your ideas from concept to market. With a Business of Art and Design degree, you will enter the job market equipped with a multifaceted skill set that allows you to apply for a variety of positions. You will have the option to pursue multiple career paths, from marketing to film production to creative project management. 
Business of Art and Design
Creativity meets business management in this BA program.
Business of Art and Design: Awards & Accolades
Business of Art and Design: Student Work
Business of Art and Design Senior Thesis Exhibition Reel 2018
Behind the scenes story of the Wet Dog Corp. Brand Activation at South by Southwest
Business of Art and Design Best of Ringling Show Reel 2018
Entrepreneurship Project: Wanderlust Startup Story
Entrepreneurship Project: Empire of The Arts Startup Story
Entrepreneurship Project: CareBag Startup Story
Student Work: Samples
Senior Thesis Overview Presentation
Senior Thesis Overview produced by Business of Art and Design Seniors Devin Houston and Emad Almaqtary, '18. Thesis Deliverables Included: Project Proposal, Field Research at SXSW, Documentary Film, and Research Report of Findings.
Creative Project Management "The Desirable Pet Initiative"
This project was produced in second year Business of Art and Design Class, Project Management. The client was Bishop Animation Shelter, a local non-profit organization. Students developed a creative strategy and corresponding project management plan.
Art Ovation Creative Strategy Research Book
Client-project produced in third year Business of Art and Design class. The findings presented here by the design research team ultimately informed the creative strategies behind three campaigns that were pitched to hotel ownership at the end of the spring 2019 semester.
Production Management for Animation
Want to know everything a production manager does behind the scenes? Thesis Book produced by Yu Ting Lin, Business of Art and Design '18
Kloutmate Startup Pitch Deck
Startup Pitch Deck produced by Nada Khan, Business of Art and Design '18
Turning Passion Into Profession
Business of Art and Design Alumni: Where are they now?
Graduates of this BA degree program find success across industries as production coordinators, new product managers, marketing managers, brand strategists, backstage managers, and creative entrepreneurs. You will find them anywhere business and creativity intersect!
Sarah Kambara '14
Production Coordinator
Pixar
“This program offers many opportunities to discover and advance your career. And it’s different from other business schools—you learn the hard skills and become business minded, but you learn in way that is molded toward the creative mind.”Sarah transferred to the Business of Art and Design program to work with artists. Here, she fell in love with animation, and her internship and thesis experience only deepened her desire to work in the industry. Knowing that creative giants such as Walt Disney Animation Studios also need business-minded managers, she applied for a position and was accepted. Now with Pixar, Sarah is excited to take her career to the next level.
Keith Nielsen '15
Creative Freelancer
Film & TV
“More and more I see the need for business thinkers in the creative world. We serve as connectors because we know the creative language and workflow, as well as what is needed to run a department.”Since graduating in 2015, Keith has worked in the costume department on two seasons of Mozart in the Jungle and costume designed actor Justin Long’s web series. The Business of Art and Design program taught him how to work as a creative thinker and manager, concepting ideas, presenting them, and supporting them with research and analysis.
These valuable skills empower Keith to work in many different creative fields—which he continues to do as a Creative Freelancer.
Wendy Oliva '15
Marketing Coordinator
Juki America, Inc.
“The Business of Art and Design program taught me how the worlds of business and design create symphony. Now everything is coming together—my passion for sewing, my shop on Etsy, and my marketing experience and education.”Wendy has run an Etsy shop since 2010, even dedicating her senior thesis project to building a business plan for her hand-sewn craft business. At Ringling, Wendy used her business and design acumen to successfully brand and build her company, which led her into the field of marketing and opened up the door to a dream job offer—working with international sewing giant, Juki America, Inc.
Nada Khan’18
Associate Strategist
Heat/Deloitte Digital
“I am a foreign citizen and I want people to understand why I chose to study business at an art school. At Ringling College, I put myself out there, made connections, got internships, and tried my best to work in teams. Fortunately, I found the right team that embraced my creative approach to business and appreciated my education greatly.”For Nada, making sure she has job opportunities has always been a priority. So, when it came time, she enrolled at Ringling College as a Business of Art and Design major where she learned to think creatively and strengthen her skills as a creative strategist. Upon graduation, Nada was offered a strategy internship at Deloitte Digital in New York. The internship turned into a full-time associate strategist position by the end of the summer. The culture of Heat/Deloitte Digital keeps Nada going because the team is incredibly invested in her personal development and she never feels alone. She always has someone to seek advice from, a mentor, and she is consistently cultivating friendships. “This incentivizes me beyond the challenging work we do. It feels as though I have a sense of belonging.”
Martha Patouris ‘18
Video Brewery | Operations Coordinator
Sarah McCauley '18
Game Developer's Conference (GDC) | Associate Marketing Manager
Devin Lee Ostertag ’12
Discover Space Organizing | Creative Entrepreneur
Taylor Reed ’12
SteelHouse | Account Manager
Aseel Kreishan ‘13
Panasonic | Marketing Specialist
Siouxsie Connor ’13
Sun Hydraulics | Marketing & Graphic Art
Keith Nielsen ‘15
Freelance (theatre) | Costume and Prop Designer
Agneta Ramoskaite ‘13
Feld Entertainment | Operations Coordinator
Lisa Szaraz ‘13
The Zebra | Office and Culture Manager
Sarah Kambara‘14
JibJab Bros. Studios | Producer
Ayu Saraswati ’14
Capital One | Product Owner
Alexandra Tibbe ‘14
Freelance (film)| Art Department, Prop Master, and Art Director Assistant
Wendy Oliva ‘15
Juki America | Marketing Coordinator
HappyCosmos | Creative Entrepreneur
Nikelle Mackey ’16
TCG Entertainment | Marketing and Booking Coordinator
Daisy Lora ‘16
Freelance (film) | Producer and Unit Production Manager
Ally Sage ‘16
DreamWorks Animation | Production Assistant
Andrés Bronnimann ‘18
BE Latinoamérica | Creative Entrepreneur
See more career opportunities on our career support page.
Opportunities for Business of Art and Design students
Business of Art and Design has invited high-level executives and creative professionals from top companies and nonprofit organizations to visit Ringling College and lead interactive presentations and discussions for Business of Art and Design students and students from all of the majors on campus. These professionals share their work experiences and current projects, as well as give advice and information about their industries. In addition, many of the Visiting Creative Leaders work hands-on with students on various projects. Past speakers include leaders from Disney, Cirque de Soleil, MTV, DreamWorks, and many more.
Join our official campus television network and learn to interview, shoot, produce, and broadcast meaningful content taking place on our campus and in our community. Support the arts community, spreading the word about both local talent and international artists and designers while gaining hands-on experience in TV production.
We are proud to say that every Ringling student, regardless of major, is guaranteed the opportunity to gain professional work experience. Our Collaboratory Commitment pairs teams of Ringling students with local businesses to give students a taste of real-world projects, expectations, and deadlines. Facilitated by Collaboratory staff, students will meet with clients looking for creative, unconventional solutions to their branding and design challenges and execute the entire creative process of concepting, presenting, and building campaigns that meet their demands.
Contact Us
We're happy to answer any questions you may have, just send us an email at the addresses below.
Admissions Questions (applying, portfolio, transfers, deadlines, events)
admissions@ringling.edu
General Questions
info@ringling.edu
Media Inquiries
(contact, releases, news)
Accessibility Inquiries
communications@ringling.edu