College for Creative Studies

Located in Detroit, Michigan, the College for Creative Studies provides specialized, industry-focused education in art and design. Originally established in 1906 as the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, the institution developed deep roots in industrial design and craftsmanship that continue to influence its digital production curricula. In entertainment media, CCS connects hands-on, tactile fundamentals with contemporary digital production pipelines.

Entertainment Arts Curriculum

The central hub for animation, visual effects, and game production is the Entertainment Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Carrying an official STEM designation, the four-year, 120-to-122-credit degree integrates foundational fine arts, liberal arts studies, and intensive major-specific studio courses across three distinct tracks:

• Animation: Focuses on character performance, narrative pacing, and studio pipeline simulation. Students can tailor their trajectory toward 2D animation, 3D computer animation, visual development, storyboarding, or stop-motion fabrication. Courses such as Maquette Sculpture (DMA 310) ground digital modeling skills in physical sculpting and spatial awareness.
• Game Design: Covers real-time asset generation, level design, game mechanics, and immersive interactive media across mobile, AR, and VR platforms. Technical training is supported by official status as an Unreal Authorized Academic Partner and a Toon Boom Center of Excellence.
• Concept Design: Follows a curriculum developed by concept designer Tim Flattery, applying an industrial design methodology to visual world-building. Students are trained to design functional mechanics, vehicles, hardware, and environments that maintain structural and narrative logic.

Beyond undergraduate studies, CCS has expanded into graduate offerings with flexible formats, including a fully online Master of Professional Studies in User Experience Design.

Facilities and Campuses

Instruction is distributed across two historic Detroit campuses:

• Walter and Josephine Ford Campus: Located in Midtown near the Detroit Institute of Arts, this site houses the modular Kresge-Ford Building and the Manoogian Visual Resource Center.
• A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education: Situated one mile south in the historic Argonaut Building—formerly General Motors' first dedicated research and design facility—this center serves as the technical base for advanced design programs.

Entertainment Arts students work with industry-standard production equipment, including Rokoko motion capture suits, dedicated green screen compositing suites, and VR/AR labs featuring HTC Vive setups. The campus Imaging Center functions as a full-service print bureau equipped with wide-format plotters and laser printers for tactile design realization.

Industry Engagement and Exhibition

Studio coursework regularly incorporates sponsored projects with technology and entertainment companies, including Epic Games, Unity 3D, and Nickelodeon. These projects simulate production contracts, giving students direct critique and creative direction from active art directors and technical supervisors.

The academic year culminates in the annual Student Exhibition, a public campus showcase where graduating students exhibit their portfolios and offer original artwork for direct acquisition.