About Us
Welcome to the College of the Arts!
We are makers, doers and trailblazers – the work of our students, faculty and guest artists encompasses a broad range of visual, performing and arts. Our accredited* degree programs in music, art, theatre, dance and fashion offer students immersive, hands-on coursework throughout their time in the program.
Students experience a curriculum of specialized arts courses within a liberal arts foundation that place emphasis on professional practice and career preparedness. Learning takes place not only in the traditional classroom, but also on stage and backstage, in numerous design labs and shops, in studios, galleries, and beyond. Experts in their fields, our faculty and staff are professional artists, actors, designers, educators, managers, merchandisers, musicians, researchers, and technicians whose work is recognized nationally and internationally. These real-world experiences prepare students to be career ready upon graduation.
To transform lives through excellence in the arts by engaging our collective experiences across diverse and inclusive communities.
The College of the Arts will be an inclusive, relevant, and accessible community whose collective commitment to learning and creativity nurtures transformative thinking, innovative voices, and sustainable outcomes to elevate the world through the arts.
Transforming Lives Through the Arts
The college aspires to use its distinctive and innovative resources to engage local and global communities to imagine, create and transform through the arts. Our passion is "transforming lives through the arts!"
*Accreditations by NASM, NAST, NASD, NASAD, American Alliance of Museums
Past, Present and Future
The study and celebration of the arts has been central to Kent State University. Long before art, dance, music, fashion, and theatre were ever housed within the same College, the arts were a significant part of Kent State University’s identity and history. Coursework and extracurricular activities in art, dance, music, and theatre were present at Kent State soon after its founding in 1910 and, rounded out by the later addition of fashion studies, have grown into a powerhouse fixture of the university.
The College of the Arts, previously known as the College of Fine and Professional Arts, was founded in 2006. Now, with more than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students, and more than 15,000 alumni, the College of the Arts is a center of professional and artistic excellence.