Welcome to College for Creative Studies

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Welcome to CCS

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Welcome to the College for Creative Studies, a top art and design college located in Midtown Detroit! As part of a creative community, our students and alumni use their art and design to change the world by applying the skills they’ve learned to the most pressing problems of our times. Let’s start the tour at the Walter and Josephine Ford Campus, one of two campuses at CCS. The second campus, the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education is located just one mile away and is accessible via free shuttle. Here are some tips to help you get started: -To jump to the next destination, select the "Next" button on the right side of your screen. -Or, if you already know where you want to go, select that location from the list on the sidebar OR directly on the map below. -And remember to explore each destination in more detail by clicking the interactive icons included throughout each location.

Foundation and Art Education

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No matter which major students choose at CCS, they’ll grow from the roots developed through the Foundation program. Focused studies introduce essentials in drawing, design concepts, digital fundamentals, and materials and processes. In short, it’s the core skills students build on as they progress in their college and professional career. The Art Education program at CCS is a studio-based Visual Arts Teacher Certification program connected with the BFA degree. While students master their craft, they’ll complete rigorous education and core liberal arts courses combined with hands-on teaching experience that prepares them to teach in Michigan and across the United States.

Animation, Concept Design and Game Design

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Located on the Ford Campus, the Entertainment Arts program at CCS prepares students to join the next generation of storytellers. Students can choose from the animation, concept design or game design paths and customize the curriculum to suit their individual talents and goals. Learning from Hollywood insiders, students use industry-grade software and equipment. CCS’s Entertainment Arts alumni have touched every major industry giant and startup, both nationally and internationally.

Illustration

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Located on the Ford Campus, the CCS Illustration program integrates the fundamentals of visual development, figure drawing, color, composition and perspective with industry-relevant coursework. Students have access to all of the tools needed to form a solid knowledge of the traditional methods of illustration and the newest digital trends. Our different pathways help students create a focused portfolio for freelance or studio-based careers in illustration, and include Visual Development, Publishing, Fashion Lifestyle and Licensing, Comics and Sequential, or Gallery Art.

Green Screen Stage

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Located on the Ford Campus in the W.B. Ford II Building, CCS has its own green screen. But don’t be fooled by its simplicity, this little screen packs a big punch. Our Green Screen Stage allows students to add anything they want to a shot with CGI in post-production. As a CCS student, you have access to several state-of-the-art studios and facilities around campus including: video and editing suites, professional sound-mixing rooms, and stop-motion, gaming and VR labs — all free of charge.

The Stage and Photography Studios

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Located on the Ford Campus in the W.B. Ford II Building, “The Stage” offers students access to shooting and production studios for both film and photography purposes. This unique space also houses CCS’s Audio/Visual Center which has some of the best digital cameras, drawing tablets and lighting equipment available for student use — free of charge. In addition, students can work on projects in the daylight studio, large darkroom, and fully-equipped photography studios while taking advantage of the printing labs, film and flatbed scanners.

Glass Studio

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The only degree-granting program of its kind in Michigan, the CCS Glass Studio is a state-of-the-art workshop with both hot and cold shops. Here, students learn the technical aspects of blowing, casting and coldworking while also learning to solve problems, innovate their own techniques, and develop conceptual ideas. As part of the Studio Art & Craft program, glass is just one avenue available to students. Other paths in theStudio Art & Craft program include Ceramics, Metalsmithing & Jewelry and Fiber & Textiles. Students also have access to the latest in 3D modeling and digital fabrication tools to bring new technologies to traditional craft.

Sculpture and Printmaking Studios

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Located on the Ford Campus, the Sculpture Studio enhances students’ ability to make 3D work using the most sophisticated equipment, including a plaster room, rubber room, carving room, outdoor working area, and clay stations. Additionally, we have state-of-the-art wood and metal shops with free tool rental and a fully functioning foundry. The 4,000-square-foot printmaking area and letterpress studio gives students the opportunity to work on developing a signature body of work as a professional artist while experimenting with screen printing, intaglio and lithography processes.

Interior Design

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Located in the Taubman Center, the CCS Interior Design program emphasizes concept development, research and current trends with sustainability and creative thinking in the curriculum. Students work collaboratively, developing their own personal aesthetic, as well as an understanding of client needs. Students also have the opportunity to experience real-world projects and are involved in the community redevelopment in Detroit while utilizing industry-standard resources, including 3D printers, large-format plotters, and an extensive color and materials library with more than 30,000 physical samples of materials for design to use in your work.

Fashion Design Studio

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Located in the Taubman Center, the CCS Fashion Design program integrates all aspects of fashion design education in the Foundation year. This includes both apparel and accessories design, from daywear and couture to footwear and handbags. Students learn what it takes to move from initial concepts to the full range of fabrication techniques, and on to supply chain management and distribution. Resources available to students include industrial sewing machines, 3D scanners, laser cutters, mannequins, leather and accessories and shoe last rooms. Developed in collaboration with globally recognized fashion brands, this program offers unparalleled opportunities for real-world experience with Sponsored Project studios and industry experts.

Communication Design and Strategy

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Located in the Taubman Center, the CCS Communication Design & Strategy program is designed to cultivate the next generation of design leaders who are equipped to create impactful messages, inspire brands, persuade audiences, engage and expand user experiences, and deliver thoughtful and creative communication strategies. Our holistic approach ensures that students develop a comprehensive skill set that encompasses both the creative and strategic aspects of communication design. Students collaborate with peers from diverse backgrounds, work on real-world experiential learning projects, and engage with industry professionals.

Graduate Studies

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Located in the Taubman Center, CCS Graduate Studies programs prepare you to enter a global economy in which creativity shapes better communities and societies. Here, creative minds can both explore and thrive. Students advance their creative practice and develop their critical thinking skills, while gaining expertise and knowledge to enhance career opportunities, all while taking advantage of our state-of-the-art facilities. All of our graduate programs are available in both full-time and part-time mode, allowing our curricula to fit around a busy life.

Virtual Reality Studio

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Located in the Taubman Center, all CCS programs from Game Design to Product Design, Interior Design to Transportation Design, have access to our Virtual Reality Studio. VR is being used by forward-thinking artists and designers who are working smarter in an immersive design collaboration to simulate 360-degree experiences. CCS keeps up to date with the most innovative VR technology available to students. And the best part — it's free for you to use!

Product Design, Transportation Design and Taubman Center Model Shop

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Located in the Taubman Center, the Model Shop has everything students need to fabricate their designs — a rapid prototyping studio with 3D printers, CNC five axis mills, laser cutters, and a car-sized ventilated spray booth. The Transportation Design program is one of the best in the world. Students secure internships, work with industry insiders on Sponsored Design Projects, and go on to swell the ranks of every major car design studio around the world. In CCS’s Product Design program, students use their skills as artists and problem solvers to make the things you use everyday. Anything from sneakers to kitchen appliances and electronics are all designed by product designers.

Student Services

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Located on the Ford Campus, the Yamasaki Building is the College's student services hub. Students can find assistance here in choosing classes, wellness, internship and career info, study abroad opportunities, financial assistance and student activities. The Yamasaki building houses the offices for Financial Aid, Advising & Registration, International Student Services, Student Affairs, Office of Partnerships (Career Development team), Wellness & Counseling Services and an on-site nurse’s office.

Careers and Experiential Learning

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At CCS, it’s important that we provide you with a holistic, well-rounded experience. The Office of Partnerships is located on the second floor of the Yamasaki Building on the Ford Campus. Their priority is your success. Through experiential learning such as internships, residencies, fellowships, sponsored projects, job placement and entrepreneurship courses, our students receive real-world, hands-on career opportunities before they even graduate.

Student Life

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In college, it’s just as important to be challenged educationally as it is to have fun and be social. Students can take part in on-campus activities like Welcome Week, Century Ball or Geek Week, and student-led activities like LGBTea+ Cookies and Black Creatives Club. And did we mention our cafeterias and other amenities? Both campuses have full dining options, two 24/7 markets for late-night snacks or in between classes, as well as lounges and quiet places to study if you wanted to catch up on work before class.

Art Centre Building Residences

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One of two dorm styles on CCS campuses, the ACB is located on the Ford Campus. These apartment-style accommodations for four and six people include a living room, dining room, and full kitchen. But, if cooking isn’t your strong suit, meal plans are available. Other amenities of the ACB include a fully equipped fitness center, community spaces, work spaces and coin-operated laundry. CCS also boasts an impressive security record. The ACB has a 24-hour front desk, staffed by security personnel to assist students and residents, and also requires a student ID to enter the building.

Taubman Center Housing

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The other dorm style is located at the Taubman Center. These are loft-style furnished rooms with a private bath that accommodates three to four people. The TC is built on the philosophy of community, so just outside students’ living quarters are workspaces, fitness rooms and lounge areas to interact. Each floor also houses a laundry room. Continuing with the theme of community, a full-service dining area is just a few floors below. Students living in the TC are required to have a meal plan. Also, just like the ACB, the TC has a 24-hour front desk staffed by security personnel, and a student ID is required to enter the dorms.

Explore Detroit

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Artists and designers, young professionals and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds are creating the next Detroit. Affordable living and studio spaces, a vibrant and socially minded culture, and the opportunity to collaborate with an international community of creatives are some of the reasons we love Detroit. CCS is in the heart of Midtown. You’ll find yourself steps away from iconic places like the Motown Museum, the Detroit Film Theatre and the Detroit Institute of Arts. We’re surrounded by artisanal coffee shops, design boutiques, art galleries, live music venues that belt out indie, garage, EDM, hip-hop, folk, jazz, blues, and so much more. See what makes our city unique.