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VCUarts Qatar: Turn your passion into a profession
Over the last two and a half decades, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) has demonstrated what it means to embrace change in a rapidly evolving world, helping elevate Qatar’s creative economy to global standards.
VCUarts Qatar has built a reputation as a place where new ideas take root and students learn to turn their passions into careers. This is why the University typically attracts aspiring artists, designers and researchers driven by originality, experimentation and the fundamental truth that creativity knows no limits.
VCUarts Qatar was set up in 1998 through a partnership between Qatar Foundation and the highly-ranked (according to the U.S. News & World Report.) Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts, in Richmond, Virginia.
VCUarts Qatar currently offers undergraduate degrees in kinetic imaging, graphic design, interior design, painting and printmaking, and art history and a graduate degree in design.

Facts:
 The University’s Library has the broadest range of art and design books in Doha, with around 40,000 titles.
 VCUarts Qatar boasts the region’s first Materials Library housed in an academic institution, with an impressive collection of more than 10,000 materials from across the world.
 All students have access to the state-of-the-art facilities in VCUarts Qatar’s Digital Design + Fabrication shops and Innovative Media Studios.
 In addition to international and local field trips, education at VCUarts Qatar involves participation in internationally-renowned art and design events such as Ars Electronica, London Design Week, Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, the Venice Biennale of Architecture, and so on.
 Major on-campus events include the annual BFA + MFA exhibition showcasing the graduating class’s work, the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, and the Tasmeem Doha art and design conference.
 Numerous VCUarts Qatar-led exhibitions, workshops and panel discussions that take place each semester, where topics touch on every facet of our societies – technology, sustainability, product development, current affairs, entrepreneurship, architecture, health, history, identity, culture….you name it.

Such exposure – and experience – ensure our students are future-proof and career-ready the moment they graduate.
For instance, graduates from all VCUarts Qatar programs were significantly involved in the creative production of FIFA World Cup 2022 – a result of studying at a University that automatically enhances creativity, capabilities and confidence.
Bouthayna Al Muftah, a VCUarts Qatar Graphic Design alumna, designed the eight official posters for the tournament.
Aisha Al-Ziani, a Painting + Printmaking alumna, was part of the trio that sang the first official soundtrack, "Hayya Hayya", celebrating the universality of football.
Dimitri Yuri, an Art History graduate, helped script and direct the official country profile videos for the World Cup.
If you want to join us, learn more about our programs or simply tour our world-class facilities, please contact our Admissions team.

Study at VCUarts Qatar
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art History (undergraduate degree)
The Art History program at VCUarts Qatar offers a distinctive concentration in Islamic art within a global perspective. Students on this pathway learn from academics and other practitioners in the field of art, art history, museums and cultural heritage within Qatar, the Middle East and internationally.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Kinetic Imaging (newly launched!)
The Kinetic Imaging program is designed for those interested in taking a creative approach to technology and emerging media. The modules in this program allow students to shape their own education by selecting courses from areas of study such as game design, sound design, 3D animation, video, coding and interaction design.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Graphic Design (undergraduate degree)
Graphic designers work with multiple mediums, including print, web, interactive design, video, and various forms of three-dimensional experiential design, to deliver precise and targeted communication. Our graduates apply strategic thinking skills to a number of professional careers where visual communication is required.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Painting + Printmaking (undergraduate degree)
Students on this pathway experiment with a wide range of traditional and contemporary media, including drawing, painting, 3D art, new media, sculpture, installation, photography, film, sound, performance, animation, and printmaking, gaining the skills and knowledge to become versatile artists with a broad range of expertise.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Interior Design (undergraduate degree)
VCUarts Qatar’s BFA Interior Design pathway is fully accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) in the US. Students on this pathway study the theoretical and practical elements of interior design alongside environmental and behavioral sciences, including sustainability, communication, codes and regulations, and business practices.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design (graduate degree)
VCUarts Qatar’s full-time, two-year graduate program supports each student’s unique interests, providing a custom education tailored to each individual. The program combines aspects of fine art studio practice, digital craft, architecture, and graphic, fashion and product design, thereby providing a hybridized education.