Florida State University College of Fine Arts

National rankings

U.S. News & World Report (2015 edition)

U.S. News & World Report (2016 edition)

Departments, schools, and programs

Each department within the college is home to a diversely talented student body and faculty who commit themselves to artistic studies and technique progression. The College of Fine Arts includes six programs on Florida State’s main Tallahassee campus:

In 2016, the Department of Art was ranked the top Master of Fine Arts program in the state of Florida by U.S. News & World Report. Faculty and alumni from the Department of Art have been honored with prestigious awards and grants, presented work internationally, and been featured in popular national publications.

The Department of Art Education has produced multiple art education scholars who have been nationally ranked as exceptional art educators.by the National Art Education Association. Florida State’s art educators help to enrich the community through promotion of visual information with programs focusing in art therapy, arts administration, and museum education. The Facilities for Arts Research (FAR) is a unique artistic unit of the College that focuses on rigorous investigation and inquiry across artistic disciplines and technological innovation in the arts. FAR experiments with technology such as 3D printing and creating artists books with the Small Craft Advisory Press.

The Department of Art History was the first program in the state to offer a doctoral degree in the field of art history. Faculty and staff in this department include scholars well-versed in art history spanning from Ancient Classics to Modern European and American work.

The Department of Interior Architecture and Design graduate program have consistently been named #1 “Most Admired in the Nation” by the industry journal, DesignIntelligence. The department has been accredited by The Council for Interior Design Accreditation since 1975 and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) since 1992. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs have been highly ranked by regional interior design and architectural firms.

Along with the four art and design departments, Florida State University’s College of Fine Arts also governs The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, and The Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA), which is housed on FSU’s main campus. The Ringling Museum houses an extensive collection of Asian art, theatre artifacts, European and American art, and modern art. Students from the art history and art education departments have the opportunity to study at The Ringling Museum. The Museum of Fine Arts hosts exhibitions from students and artists in the local community as well as nationally renowned individuals. The MoFA is also home to a rich permanent collection of over 6,000 donated works which include African sculpture, modern American paintings, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, and a wealth of other pieces.

U.S. News & World Report has consistently included FSU’s graduate theatre programs in the top-10, one of the few public university programs thus honored. The School of Theatre is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre and is a founding member of the University/Resident Theatre Association. Many students from the School of Theatre have gone on to appear on Broadway, namely in 2013, Playbill ranked FSU’s School of Theatre in their “Broadway Big 10”. The Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, the college's MFA Acting program, is in a separate campus in Sarasota. Students in the MFA Directing program often spend time training at that campus, and it has provided opportunities for MFA Design students as well.

The School of Dance is home to the internationally recognized dance research center, the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC). The dance programs promote creative collaboration among students, faculty and visiting artists. MANCC and the School of Dance have housed award-winning artists in their residency while at Florida State.

In 2015, the College changed its name to the Florida State University College of Fine Arts from the Florida State University College of Visual Arts, Theatre And Dance.[2]The college underwent a lengthy process to change the name, including meetings with faculty, chairs and directors, as well as votes from the faculty, council of deans, FSU Faculty and the Board of Trustees. This change was undertaken to better reflect the diverse departments within the College of Fine Arts and will help the college present itself in a more unified manner.