Santa Barbara Architecture School
Approaching the Search for Santa Barbara Architecture Schools from a Different Perspective
While there may not be schools for architecture in the town of Santa Barbara, two institutions offer opportunities related to the discipline.
The picaresque coastal town of Santa Barbara, California, sometimes referred to as "the American Riviera," is home to several institutions of higher learning. But where are all the Santa Barbara architecture schools? The answer lies in an indirect approach to one's search. None of the schools in town offer a degree in architecture per se, there are opportunities to study this field as it relates to other areas of primary focus. For two Santa Barbara schools, art and architecture go hand in hand.
Academy of Art University is the nation's largest private art and design university with nearly 16,000 students. Established in 1929, the university offers accredited AA, BFA, BA, MFA, MA, and M.Arch programs in 15 areas of art and design emphasis...
Read More GET FREE INFOThe Art Institute of Pittsburgh - Online Division
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division is the leader in online creative arts education. Offering 16 academic online degree programs, were here to help you get the education you need to launch or enhance your creative career...
Read More GET FREE INFODigital Media Arts College offers accelerated Degrees in Animation or Graphic Design, incredible 24 hour facilities, first semester design on computers, and an intimate "Artist Designed" environment. An education with DMAC will prepare you for careers within video game design...
Read More GET FREE INFOCreativity. Imagination. Original ideas. The entertainment and creative industries thrive on fresh original stories, design, music and art. But no matter where your passion lies, one of the keys to a sustainable career in the future will be the ability to think creatively and have the skills to bring your ideas to life in a meaningful way...
Read More GET FREE INFOIf you have always had an appreciation for great works of art, then consider a degree in History of Art and Architecture offered through the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). The Department of History of Art and Architecture at UCSB is a division of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department and boasts an esteemed faculty holding doctorate degrees from some of the top universities in the world. It is one of the few art history departments with a faculty evenly-divided in the specialities of art and architecture.
At UCSB an extensive selection of courses are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, providing you with the opportunity to explore the correlation of art and architecture across the globe and along a timeline that spans the Classical Era to the present-day. Learn, too, how political, environmental and gender issues come into play at the intersection of these two disciplines.
To aid in your studies, the Department of Art History and Architecture offers an Arts Library collection of over 200,000 volumes, a Visual Resource Collection of over 380,000 slides and a Special Collections section of the Main Library that houses Chicano Art. It also boasts a unique Architecture and Design Collection in the University Art Museum that contains architectural records of every form, from original drawings to models. This museum collection is at the same level as that found in the Architecture, Design and Engineering Collection at the Library of Congress.
Graduate with a B.A. in this arena and you are on your way to working at an art gallery or auction house, while with an M.A. or Ph.D. you can launch your teaching career. If it is a curatorial position that you are after, then take advantage of the internships offered with some of California's top art museums.
Studying architecture as it relates to art history is just one avenue to explore when looking for Santa Barbara architecture schools. If you have a passion for combining architecture with art that you help bring to life, then you might consider an education in drafting, instead. While some colleges and universities do offer higher degrees in this field, in Santa Barbara drafting degrees are available at the Associate in Science and Certificate levels at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC). If time is of the essence, then a two-year-or-less commitment might prove a wiser pursuit when considering the possibilities offered regarding Santa Barbara architecture schools.
Through SBCC's program, you will learn computer-aided design (CAD), employing various software packages to aid you in the creation of 2-and-3 dimensional drawings. Your instructors are professionals in their field and the program puts great emphasis on hands-on experience with the latest equipment and technology. You will walk away from the program with a Certificate of Completion in Drafting/CAD. Complete the General Education course requirements, as well, and you will have a full A.S. degree in hand.
Demand for CAD is a growing one, and with a degree in drafting you can enter the workforce in a wide variety of areas that include not only architecture in its straight-forward form but as it pertains to landscaping, engineering and even archaeology.
While there may be a lack of Santa Barbara architecture schools with architecture as a central focus, the program offerings at UCSB and SBCC reveal that there is more than one way to approach this creative field.
Check out www.arthistory.ucsb.edu and www.sbcc.edu/drafting for more information.




