Students setting up lights and camera

The College of Art & Design: Creating Tomorrow’s Creative Leaders

At Lesley's College of Art & Design, students are multidisciplinary artists who shape cultural trends and spark change. And as future leaders in their fields, students understand that ideas and implementation are equally important, encompassing both artistic vision and business acumen.

From the minute students step on campus, they belong to a supportive group of classmates, faculty, and alumni who help them grow as an artist throughout their career. Faculty mentors guide students beyond graduation, reflecting our belief: “Once a Lynx, always linked.”

Our alumni are always welcomed back to our Alumni Studio co-working space, to create and collaborate on their own projects amongst other Art & Design alumni.

Our undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts programs span Studio Arts, Communication Arts, and Media Arts. We also offer low residency Master of Fine Arts programs in Visual Arts and Creative Writing. 

Learn more about our undergraduate and graduate programs:

Lunder Arts Center on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge

Lunder Arts Center

This is the home of the College of Art and Design, located on vibrant Massachusetts Avenue in Porter Square. The state-of-the-art facilities and its connecting arts library house classrooms, studios, digital labs, and flexible areas for collaborative work.

The Study of Art…and More

At the College of Art & Design, you’ll study more than the art itself. Our faculty teach everything ranging from how to manage an art studio to how to budget for a film shoot. Our students create animated films, use our 3D fabrication studio and learn how to create estimates for their work. Our distinctive model prioritizes career readiness. This might look like creating videos for Boston Children’s Hospital as part of a class to collaborating with innovative partners like the White Snake Opera Company to create animated stage sets. Additionally, professional experience at animation studios, creative firms, arts organizations and galleries give Lesley students a unique opportunity to receive the industry experience necessary to apply classroom learning and forge strong relationships for the future.

A Degree for a Successful Career

As a professional College of Art & Design, we don’t subscribe to the “starving artist” ideaology. Our distinctive model prioritizes career readiness through professional course requirements within each program—teaching industry best practices and business basics for each creative discipline. We offer on-site internship opportunities through our “community studios” that pair outside organizations to classroom assignments. Projects have included researching the redesign of the Massachusetts state seal and creating animated stage sets for the White Snake Opera Company. The experiences provide unique opportunities to connect classroom learning to industry practice.

Lastly, Lesley’s Art & Design program also empowers students to explore a diverse suite of classes to enhance their chosen focus. Students can take 12 credits in areas such as Business, to learn skills necessary to support the business of art or Anatomy, to make characters realistic, or Education as a foundation for teaching Art and Design.

Offering a robust, creative foundation coupled with the practical and necessary skills needed, Lesley Art & Design students graduate ready to thrive in a creative life. 

gallery wall with photographs
Exhibition Spaces
Accreditation