Academics
Want to transform the world? Start with yourself.
In AAD, transformation isn’t a buzzword — it’s the glue on your hands, the sparks in the makerspace, the “what ifs” in your sketchbook that turn into “watch this.” Join our college and you won’t just study — you’ll do the work and build it, perform it, prototype it, collaborate on it, and sometimes try things that don’t work…yet.
Through this hands-on, deeply personal learning, your ideas take shape, your skills sharpen, and you become the kind of creative professional the world needs — bold, thoughtful, and ready to make change happen.
Find the major and minor that let you do you
We have the academic options that open doors to professional achievement and personal fulfillment. Take the first step and start exploring. Questions? Contact Susanna Rinehart, associate dean for academic and faculty affairs, if you’re a prospective student or an academic advisor if you’re a current Hokie.
The studio: the heart of the creative process
In the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, the studio is where everything comes together — ideas, materials, collaboration, and critique. It’s not just a workspace; it’s a mindset.
Studio spaces look different across disciplines. But whether you’re composing a score, finishing a painting, designing a new product, or building an architectural model, studio is where your ideas take shape.
This is where creativity gets real.
Get out of the classroom and get into experiential learning
For a college filled with makers, “hands on” isn’t a metaphor — it’s a requirement. Learning doesn’t stop at the studio or classroom door; it kicks into high gear when you take it off campus, to the city, or around the world.
Taught by experts. Treated like a colleague.
Our faculty are more than educators — they’re working artists, designers, architects, performers, and scholars at the top of their fields. But what truly sets them apart is how they treat students: like emerging professionals. You’ll be challenged, supported, and invited into the creative process as a valued contributor — someone whose ideas matter and whose growth is taken seriously.
Your future is your final project
Everything you do at AAD — the making, the mentoring, the hands-on projects — builds toward something bigger: a future that fits who you are. More than anything, we want you to feel confident, creative, purposeful, and genuinely happy in your career. Whether you know exactly what you want to do or you're still figuring it out, we’ll help you connect the dots between your passions and your profession through:
- Annual career fair
- Internships
- Visits to offices, studios, and worksites
- Networking events with alumni and employers
- One-on-one career advising