Art Institute Sunnyvale, Design, Media Arts, Culinary Arts, and Fashion Programs
Programs
We offer comprehensive degree plans designed for creative and career-oriented students. Our classes are innovative, and offered year-round, enabling students to graduate in as little as twenty-one months. Our curriculum encompasses the industry trends in rapidly expanding industries, affording students hands-on practice in a dynamic and visionary environment.
We offer the following subject-specific degree programs:
- Culinary Arts (AS)
- Culinary Management (BS)
- Digital Filmmaking & Video Production (BS)
- Fashion Marketing & Management (BS)
- Game Art & Design (BS)
- Graphic Design (AS)
- Graphic Design (BS)
- Interior Design (BS)
- Media Arts & Animation (BS)
- Web Design & Interactive Media (AS)
- Web Design & Interactive Media (BS)
AS = Associate of Science
BS = Bachelor of Science
BFA = Bachelor of Fine Arts
Culinary Arts (AS)
The Culinary Arts associate's degree program consists of providing courses covering basic skills and advanced techniques including international cuisine, Ã la carte, sauces, American regional cuisine, charcuterie, classical cuisine, baking, pastry, and culinary skills. Instruction in kitchen management, purchasing, and cost control, menu design, and dining room operation provides students with a solid business background. Students gain hands-on experience operating the school restaurant, and working in the kitchen and the front of the house. Students can gain experience in settings such as entertainment establishments, resorts, hotels, clubs, restaurants, hospitals and other healthcare institutions, convention centers, and even cruise ships.
Total Credit Hours: 112
NOTE: All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Culinary Arts Associate of Science degree program is seven quarters in length. Completion of the program in seven quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Culinary Management (BS)
The bachelor's degree program in Culinary Management prepares graduates for entry-level food service-related management and supervisory trainee programs. The program provides an opportunity for students to become competent in the identified priorities for the food service industry: communication, training, leadership, motivation, management, human resources, technology, accounting marketing, and customer relations.. Managers are involved in teaching, training, and motivating staff and handling all forms of human resource issues. They possess excellent interpersonal and communication skills, function as team leaders, and supervise a culturally diverse staff. Computer proficiency in food service operations is an integral part of a manager's daily function. Above all, knowledge of the customer and customer relations skills empower the food service managers to render better service, and to cater to the demands of knowledgeable consumers and employees. Our curriculum is driven by the industry and changes with its trends. It begins with courses that give students a foundation of basic concepts such as the History and Evolution of Food, Hospitality Technology, Managerial Accounting, Marketing Applications, and the Capstone Business Plan. Students will develop critical thinking and interpersonal skills while learning the business realities of the food service industry, such as Business Communications, Human Resource Management, and Business Law.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Culinary Management Bachelor of Science degree program is twelve quarters in length. Completion of the program in twelve quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Digital Filmmaking & Video Production (BS)
The Digital Filmmaking & Video Production program prepares students for the next generation of digital production and delivery and enables them to meet the needs of corporate communication, television, e-business, and other media outlets for their existing markets. It provides students with the skills to create compelling, effective, and aesthetical content to be delivered on CD, DVD, videotape, broadband Internet, and/or other emerging means of technology, and prepares them for successful entry-level employment in the field. The curriculum for this program focuses upon three main categories of the production cycle: preproduction, production and postproduction. In preproduction courses students learn the elements of storytelling and scriptwriting, color theory, history of digital filmmaking, and video production. Production courses include audio and video production, photography and cinematography, animation, color theory, directing, and producing. Postproduction skills are attained through coursework in editing, compositing, motion graphics, and studio courses that simulate a production cycle.
Graduates of this program will attain a well-rounded network of skills for entry-level employment in the motion picture and video industries in a variety of delivery mechanisms, such as the Internet, DVDs, and television. Possible positions graduates of the bachelor's degree program can seek include cinematographer, lighting technician, screenwriter, production assistant, Web broadcaster, video editor, or effects designer.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Graphic Design Associate of Science degree program is seven quarters in length. Completion of the program in seven quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Fashion Marketing & Management (BS)
The Bachelor of Science in Fashion Marketing & Management degree program is rich in theory and practice. The focus on theory and the history of this industry at the beginning of the program articulate the guiding principles which provide the foundation for the hands-on application of design concepts. Students will develop abilities in the foundation aspects of the fashion design process. They will quickly move to the founding principles of marketing, advertising, merchandising, and management. They will learn how the profession interfaces with others and how to manage the business of their profession. They will develop aesthetic and ethical sensitivities over the course of the program.
Upon graduation, students are prepared for entry-level positions in the industry such as management trainee, assistant manager, visual merchandiser, manufacturer's representative and assistant merchandise buyer. After gaining professional experience, graduates may qualify for more advanced positions in management and merchandise buying. Some graduates eventually work independently as consultants or open their own businesses.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Bachelor of Science in Fashion Marketing & Management degree program is twelve quarters in length. Completion of the program in twelve quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Game & Art Design (BS)
The bachelor's degree program in Game Art & Design offers a broad range of work-ready design and technology competencies focused on career paths in the specialty of game art and design.
Students will begin with a substantial foundation in drawing, color, design, and computer applications. From this foundation, they develop advanced skills in various aspects of computer graphics and animation. Students learn to use tools of the computer animation profession, ranging from modeling to animation to game engines. In addition to software applications, students will use scanners, printers, and classroom presentation equipment. These tools enhance the student's flexibility and creativity, and enable them to produce an individualized portfolio that demonstrates their practical and technical abilities to potential employers.
Graphic Design (AS)
Some of today's most dynamic industries are based on graphic design. The fields of publishing, television, and graphic design offer great opportunities for trained visual communicators, especially designers and artists. Design studios require the talents of many professionals. Art directors work with writers to develop original concepts, supervising a creative process that relies on the expertise of layout artists, productions artists, illustrators, photographers, and printers. In the field of publishing, art directors and designers work with editors and journalists to design and produce magazines, books, and newspapers. Graphic designers create a vast range of visual communications including corporate identity programs, consumer package designs, annual reports, exhibit materials, direct mail, brochures, and multimedia presentations. The television industry now employs hundreds of trained visual artists who use conventional and computer technology to create television commercials, sophisticated titling, and graphics. The Art Institute of California - Sunnyvale is the first step toward a career in commercial graphics. Initially, students develop the basic skills in design, and are trained in creative problem solving and the ability to offer client solutions. Students learn the skills and techniques of computer graphics, electronic imaging, and production while focusing on color and composition, visual expression, print production, and basic art direction skills. Tools include scanners, digital cameras, and computer-based hardware and software.
Total Credit Hours: 112
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Graphic Design Associate of Science degree program is seven quarters in length. Completion of the program in seven quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Graphic Design (BS)
Corporate identity programs, collateral materials, product packaging, video graphics, signs, and exhibits - all of these are created by graphic designers to communicate effectively with consumers. Graphic designers are visual communicators who combine color, composition, typography, and illustration in creative, innovative ways to inform, motivate, sell, educate, or entertain. All Graphic Design students begin with foundation classes in color, design, drawing, and computer skills. The Bachelor of Science degree program builds on program competencies and skills learned in the Associate of Applied Science degree program and provides additional training in conceptual thinking, creativity, problem solving, market research, digital production, project management, art direction, business practices, and supervisory skills. Students learn to work on both MAC and PC computer platforms with industry-related software for print and digital design and production. Most of the Graphic Design faculty has experience in the industry. Guest designers, artists, and industry leaders host classroom workshops and provide lectures and critiques to demonstrate an inside view of industry trends and philosophies.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Graphic Design Bachelor of Science degree program is twelve quarters in length. Completion of the program in twelve quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Interior Design (BS)
In the Interior Design bachelor's degree program students will learn foundation art and design skills that will improve their artistic sensitivity. They will also gain knowledge and skills in the areas of drafting, space planning, history of interior design, materials, lighting, and residential and contract/commercial design. Students will learn to analyze client needs and desires to create design solutions that are aesthetically pleasing, functional, and in accordance with building codes and standards. The Interior Design program also incorporates courses in 2-D and 3-D computer-aided design, computer rendering, 3-D modeling, and architectural detailing/working drawing methods of presenting design ideas and communicating with related professional services. Other important topics explored in the program include the areas of universal design, human factors, environmental and sustainable design, business aspects of the profession, and other issues related to the interior design field. The Interior Design Bachelor of Science program offers a well-rounded curriculum strengthened with numerous computer-based courses, preparing graduates to competently meet the current demands of the profession.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Interior Design Bachelor of Science degree program is twelve quarters in length. Completion of the program in twelve quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Media Arts & Animation (BS)
Television, both network and cable, major corporations, commercial postproduction facilities, and film production companies are among the industries that make use of skills developed by graduates of The Art Institute of Sacramento. Exciting opportunities such as animation artist, special effects artist, broadcast graphics designer, and video postproduction artist are at the forefront of an industry that repackages information in creative new ways. The computer animator is a highly skilled and specialized visual communicator who combines artistic talent with technological expertise to create impressions in a moving image format.
Students begin with a substantial foundation in drawing, color, design, and computer applications. From this foundation, students develop advanced skills in various aspects of computer graphics and animation. Students learn to use the tools of the computer animation profession, ranging from computer operating systems to 3-D modeling. These tools enhance students' flexibility and creativity, and enable them to produce an individualized digital portfolio that demonstrates their practical and technical abilities to potential employers.
Web Design & Interactive Media (AS)
The Associate of Science degree in Web Design & Interactive Media was created to prepare today's students for careers in this field. Web Design & Interactive Media is a professional discipline which integrates the elements of audio, video, graphics, animation, and information design for the delivery of interactive content through varied delivery systems. The Associate of Science degree career track merges the student's individual artistic abilities with complex technological skills so that the graduate is prepared to adapt once he or she enters this fast evolving field. Students can apply for entry-level career opportunities with corporations, organizations, educational institutions, government agencies, entertainment, and advertising industries. Coursework begins with drawing and design, digital image manipulation, interactive media design, scriptwriting, sound, video, and animation, then progresses to more complex studies such as interactive information design and Web development all under the guidance of faculty members, many of whom are recruited from this rapidly evolving industry. At graduation, students have an individualized digital portfolio to showcase for prospective employers the practical skills and technical expertise they have acquired.
Total Credit Hours: 112
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Web Design & Interactive Media Associate of Science degree program is seven quarters in length. Completion of the program in seven quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.
Web Design & Interactive Media (BS)
The Web Design & Interactive Media Bachelor of Science degree program assists students in gaining an advanced understanding in interactive media and Web design. The program provides both a theoretical and hands-on approach to education. Through this foundation and general education, students are aided in the development and maturation of their artistic abilities and are able to solidify their technical skills. The individual interested in this field is one who feels comfortable with and challenged by technology, and who has specialized skills as a designer or technician. Faculty members, many of whom are industry professionals, are committed to helping students combine their creative abilities with technical skills for entry into interactive design related professions including e-commerce, entertainment, publishing, education, and marketing.
By working in classrooms and computer labs, students develop a foundation in drawing and design, image manipulation, interface design, scripting, sound, video, and animation. More complex coursework involves employing authoring tools to integrate text, sound, graphics, animation, and video to complete interactive projects. Students also learn about the structure of online games, information design, interactive authoring, Web animation, and e-commerce applications. As an outcome of the program, each student uses all of the skills learned to create an individualized digital portfolio.
Total Credit Hours: 192
All courses are 11 weeks in length. The Web Design & Interactive Media Bachelor of Science degree program is twelve quarters in length. Completion of the program in twelve quarters is dependent upon whether the student successfully attempts 15-16 quarter credits per quarter.