Accreditation & Memberships

Watkins College of Art & Design is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Information regarding NASAD standards may be obtained from the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, 11250 Roger Bacon Drive, Suite 21, Reston Virginia 20190-5248; by telephone at (703) 437-0700; or online at http://nasad.arts-accredit.org.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), formerly known as the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research (FIDER). Information regarding CIDA standards may be obtained from the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, 146 Monroe Center NW, Suite 13118, Grand Rapids Michigan 49503; by telephone at 616.458.0400; or online at http://www.accredit-id.org.

Watkins College of Art & Design has been designated as a major cultural institution by local and state arts agencies and receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Tennessee Arts Commission (TAC), and the Metro Nashville Arts Commission (MNAC).  Watkins College is authorized to offer undergraduate college degrees by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). Held in trust by the State of Tennessee, Watkins College is also the recipient of direct state funding through periodic acts of the General Assembly of Tennessee.

Watkins College of Art & Design is a candidate for accreditation with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Associate of Fine Arts (AFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees.  Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-40897 or call 404-679-4501 for questions about the status of Watkins College of Art & Design.

WCAD has established 2+2 articulation agreements for Film, Graphic Design, and Fine Arts with Columbia State Community College, and a 2+2 agreement for Graphic Design with Pelissippi State Technical Community College. The College also has an academic partnership with Fisk University that allows Fisk art majors to earn a concentration in Graphic Design, and allows any Fisk student to earn a minor in Film Studies or Interior Design.

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