Freshman Experience
Jump right into your major
Confidence and technique take time to master. So we don't waste a minute.
We know you’re eager to jump right in and start mastering your art and design skills, so we give you the tools to get started. Like all artists and designers at the start of their career, you’ll need to understand the basics of drawing, design, color and more. But at Ringling College, we tailor these freshman foundation courses to the specific needs of our different disciplines. An animator sketches differently than an illustrator, and a filmmaker uses light differently than a photographer, so we’ve designed informed, focused, and highly-specialized courses that let our freshmen jump immediately into meaningful projects that connect directly to the majors they want to pursue.
In addition to those specialized foundation courses, you’ll also begin taking classes within your disciplines during your first year, sometimes even working with actual clients. Every minute at Ringling College is dedicated to moving your toward your future as a professional creative.
First Year Communities
Our communities bring together students and concepts from related majors to break down silos and introduce the basic concepts of working alongside other disciplines.
Design Arts
The Design Arts community tailors student projects and coursework to the experiences, perspectives and interests of design-related majors. As a member of the Design Arts community, you will learn how to work on long-term projects with other types of designers—a skill that will enable you to collaborate successfully in a professional work environment. Graphic designers will work alongside motion designers and both will learn to question existing design norms as taught in Visual Studies. Don’t limit your design expertise to your discipline alone. Discover how your specialty fits into the larger solution.
Business of Art + Design
Graphic Design
Motion Design
Visual Studies
Visual Studies majors can choose between first-year courses within the Design Arts and Studio Arts communities.
Studio Arts
The Studio Arts community brings together students in Film, Fine Arts, Photography, and Visual Studies to broaden student exposure to other studio arts and deepen understanding of their own major. Photography students will learn how to apply their work to both commercial and fine arts settings, and Fine Arts students will push the boundaries of their work through collaboration with Visual Studies majors.
As part of the freshman Studio Arts community, you will meet students in related majors and learn how to collaborate and apply your work to larger, long-term projects.
Film
Fine Arts
Photography + Imaging
Visual Studies
Visual Studies majors can choose between first-year courses within the Design Arts and Studio Arts communities.
Media Arts
The freshman year Media Arts community will introduce majors from Illustration, Computer Animation, and Game Art to the realities of working as a media major at Ringling College and beyond. As a Media Arts student, you will work on countless projects that push your knowledge and technical proficiency of your major and related disciplines. Expand your understanding of the media industry by working alongside game artists, illustrators, and computer animators on projects that build in complexity and require understanding of newly acquired concepts.
You will collaborate on long-term media arts projects and learn how your piece fits into the overall equation.
Computer Animation
Game Art
Illustration
Virtual Reality Development
Creative Writing
Our Creative Writing program offers a unique, major-focused community for aspiring writers and storytellers. Creative writing majors will discover the countless applications for creative writing across industries and disciplines and work together on long-term, complex projects.