Page 48 - EW June 2023

Cover Story

College of Creative Studies

in Detroit city (pop.639,000) aka
Motown which hosts America’s
Sited legendary Big Three auto manu-
facturing corporations, General Motors, Ford Motors, and
Chrysler Motors, the College for Creative Studies (CCS,
estb.1906) is a top-ranked art and design college offering
innovative, experiential, industry-connected undergrad
and postgraduate programmes.
This low-profile, exclusive, design-focused 117-year-
old college has built an international reputation for
producing avant-garde, inventive artists and designers,
especially automobile designers, much sough-after by the
mobility and associated industries. CCS alumni include
Bob Boniface, director of design, General Motors; Harry Unsurprisingly, CCS has a history of deep and strong
Bertoia, sculptor and contemporary furniture designer; partnerships with industry. Much of its early success
Tim Flattery, Hollywood concept designer and Wendy was attributed to its close integration of rigorous courses
Froud, designer of YODA, the popular character in the with progression of the art and design movements and
Star Wars franchise. In 2014, the business networking world-class, contemporary exhibitions — a tradition that
platform LinkedIn.com ranked CCS the #3 design school continues. Industry professionals, practitioners, renowned
in the US based on alumni success. painters, sculptors and craftspeople from around the
In particular, its pioneering contribution to developing world are enlisted to teach courses. Moreover, students
automobile and transport design into a creative art form is work on real-time industry projects to acquire hands-on
acknowledged worldwide. Over the years, the college has learning experience.
expanded largely because of philanthropic support from For instance, the General Motors (GM)-CCS relation-
the Ford family. ship dates back several decades. According to Tuski, GM
Currently, CCS offers Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and has supported design projects and other activities of the
Master of Fine Arts programmes in advertising, design, college and recruited its graduates — currently over 200
animation, art education, ceramics, craft and material college alumni are employed in GM’s design departments.
studies, entertainment and fashion design, fibre and tex- Moreover its location in Detroit — the sole Unesco-
tiles, film, game design, glass, illustration, interior design, designated City of Design in the US — and specifically
metalsmithing and jewellery, motion design, photography, within its Innovation District ensures access to a diverse
product design, transportation design, and user experi- range of industry talent and resources. CCS is spread
ence design to 1,463 students including 24 from India. across two campuses — the Walter and Josephine Ford
They are mentored by 51 full-time and 261 part-time Campus and A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Educa-
faculty drawn from industry. tion. Both campuses provide state-of-the-art classrooms,
“CCS is distinguished by its rigorous curriculum taught by lecture halls, design studios and labs with newest equip-
world-class faculty in world-class facilities. Students ben- ment to facilitate hands-on learning.
efit greatly from small class sizes with individual attention.
We offer a wide range of excellent study programmes that QUICK FACTS
include our globally acclaimed transportation design de- Estb.1906
gree as well as courses in animation, game, entertainment Students: 1,463
arts, film, and concept design. CCS is acknowledged International students: 102
worldwide for transforming automobile design into an art from 16 countries (24 from
form. It also has a long history of support from a wide India)
range of industries. We are very interested in welcoming Faculty: 51 full-time and 261
more Indian students,” says Donald L. Tuski, president of part-time
CCS. An alumnus of Olivet College, Michigan, Tuski was Study programmes: 35
former president of Pacific Northwest College of Art in Tuition fees (annual): $36,000
Oregon and Maine College of Art, before being appointed Dr. Donald L. Tuski (R) (after scholarships)
President of CCS in 2019. Admission deadline: May 1

48 EDUCATIONWORLD JUNE 2023