The Ivy Tech Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) program is a transfer degree program that gives you foundational knowledge and skills in the visual arts. You’ll study art, design, and history while putting your skills into practice through various projects.
As an AFA student, you will:
Hone your artistic voice and build a portfolio of work.
Network through art organizations, exhibitions, and volunteer opportunities.
Study the historical achievements, current major issues, processes, and directions of your field.
Exhibit work and participate in critiques and discussions of your work and the work of others.
Participate in local art festivals and exhibits.
Learn to analyze works of art/design perceptively and evaluate them critically.
Create and present work that demonstrates perceptual acuity, conceptual understanding, and technical facility at an entry level in your chosen field(s).
Gain skills in visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements in two and three dimensions, color theory and its applications, and drawing from observation.
Career Options
Visual artists help make the world a more beautiful place. They challenge us to consider new perspectives and to better understand the past, present, and future.
You can create the career of your dreams by starting at Ivy Tech and transferring to a four-year degree program. Graduates of the Associate of Fine Arts go on to study visual arts at some of the best schools in the country, including Savannah College of Art and Design, Herron School of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Others choose to begin working immediately in the field.
Fine Arts studies prepare you for the following roles:
Artist
Community Based Artist
Social Practice Artist
Teaching Artist
Painter
Illustrator
Sculptor
Art Educator
Art Therapist
Nationally-Accredited Program
The Indianapolis Fine Arts program is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD). NASAD is an organization of schools, colleges, and universities that offer art and design studies. Founded in 1944, it has approximately 315 institutional members. Accreditation with NASAD affords excellent transfer opportunities to four-year universities locally and across the country.
Associate Degree – Transferable Degree
Transfer After Completing Your AFA
The Associate of Fine Arts degree program is designed for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Students take courses in drawing, design, painting, printmaking, and other aspects of visual art. You can save upward of $10,000 by completing your first two years at Ivy Tech and then transferring!
Our Fine Arts program currently has partnerships with two schools so you can seamlessly transfer without losing your credits or time:
Talk to our transfer advocates for information about continuing your education after completing your associate degree at Ivy Tech. You are also encouraged to contact the university to which you plan to transfer. Note that admission is not guaranteed just by enrolling in the Fine Arts program. You will need to be admitted to the institution you intend to transfer to.
Fine Artists work across a wide range of mediums to create work that inspires and tells a story. Their workplaces are often just as diverse as the kind of work they produce. You can find artists working as graphic designers for ad agencies or selling their work at local galleries. Some choose to be self-employed, while others work at art departments at various companies.
Think this could be the path for you? Careers in the arts often involve:
Creativity
Comfort receiving criticism
Attention to detail
Imagination
Networking and interpersonal skills
Persistence
Sound Like You?
If you identify with the traits above, fine arts may be the path for you! Take the next step to get started or speak with your local advisor to learn more.
There are no prerequisite courses you must take prior to enrolling in this program.
No Expiration of Credits
There is no expiration date for course credits that were earned in previous years from Ivy Tech Community College.
Transfer Credit for Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite courses completed at colleges other than Ivy Tech will only be considered for general education selection points if transfer credit has been awarded and courses appear on the Ivy Tech transcript prior to the application deadline.
TR grades are not recognized by the online application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that transfer credit has been awarded and that TR grades are updated to transfer letter grades (TA, TB, TC) on their Ivy Tech transcript.
It is recommended that college transcripts be submitted to the Registrar’s office for evaluation and transfer credit at least four weeks prior to the program application deadline to ensure adequate time for processing.
Fine Arts Courses
Descriptions of Fine Arts courses can be found in our online course catalog:
See when specific courses will be offered by searching our course list in Schedule Builder. First, select the semester you’re looking for and then enter the name of the course in the search bar.
If you’re a current student, upcoming courses are easy to find in Schedule Builder in MyIvy.
Course Formats
Fine Arts courses are available in in-person and hybrid formats.
Big Dreams? Go for Honors
If you're motivated and want a more robust, personalized academic experience, consider enhancing your associate degree in Fine Arts by pursuing an Honors pathway. Honors courses are fully virtual with opportunities to meet and network with honors students and faculty across the state. The coursework is designed to support a student’s spirit of inquiry and intellectual growth, as well as foster multicultural awareness and leadership. View eligibility requirements
Graduating with a Fine Arts degree with an Honors pathway can help you stand out as a high-achieving college student, boost your resume, and help you land an acceptance letter to a top four-year college or university.
The Ivy Tech application is free and easy—you don’t need a certain test score, GPA, or class rank to get started at Ivy Tech. Applying takes about 10-15 minutes and can be completed entirely online.
No Application Deadlines
Ivy Tech does not have a deadline for admission. Our 8-week class sessions start throughout the year—in January, March, June, August, and October—and there is no hard deadline for applying for any of the start dates. It's important, though, to apply early enough that you'll be able to complete all the degree planning, financial aid, and registration activities that need to happen before your first day. We recommend you apply about one month before you intend to start classes. See upcoming start dates
STEPS TO APPLY
(1) Apply to Ivy Tech
If you’ve never applied to Ivy Tech Community College before (or if it’s been two years since you last attended classes here), your first step is to apply to Ivy Tech. You can apply online or in person. To apply in person, reach out to your local admissions team and arrange a meeting. Or, stop by any campus on any Tuesday for Tuesdays@TheTech to receive personal assistance with applying and registering for classes.
After you submit your application, you'll be asked to upload documentation—such as SAT/ACT/PSAT scores or high school and college transcripts—that can assess your readiness for college-level coursework and help us make sure you are taking classes that are the right fit for you. How to upload assessment documents
If you don't have your scores or transcripts at your fingertips, don’t worry. Go ahead and submit your application. You can go back to upload assessment documents at any time until the end of the term for which you applied.
(3) Look for a Confirmation Email
Once your application is processed, you will receive a confirmation email at the email address provided on your application. Typically the email will arrive within 1-2 business days of submission, but during peak processing periods (April-June) could take up to 5-10 business days.
The email will contain instructions on how to register for classes, as well as important information regarding your Ivy Tech student portal (MyIvy account), tuition, payment options, and more.
(4) Create an Account in MyIvy
MyIvy is Ivy Tech's online student portal. Students use MyIvy to check e-mail, register for classes, pay tuition, manage financial aid, get the latest news and announcements, and much more. MyIvy also contains "QuickLinks" to the Ivy Tech websites and online tools you will use most often. Learn more about MyIvy
Before you can register for classes you will need to submit documentation or complete an assessment test. Your test scores can help us determine the best English and math starting classes for you. See the Test Score Course Placement Chart
If you submitted assessment documentation during the application process, your advisor will likely be able to work with those documents to determine course placement and you won't need to take any further steps. If you don't have any of those documents or the scores don't meet minimum thresholds, don’t worry! Your advisor will direct you to complete our free Knowledge Assessment to help develop your customized learning path to better prepare you for courses.
(6) Register for Classes
Once you have completed the steps above, you may register for classes. Ivy Tech students register for courses using the Schedule Builder tool which can be accessed within MyIvy. If you are a new, first-time Ivy Tech student, we recommend that you meet with your advisor who will help you develop your Academic Completion Plan and help you sign up for courses that are the best fit for you.
For a complete list of registration steps, including detailed registration steps, deadlines, and information about holds, withdrawals, waitlists, and refunds, visit our Registration 101 page.
(7) Pay Your Tuition
After registering for your courses, your bill can be viewed in your MyIvy account > Student Dashboard- > View/Pay Balance. Payments can also be made in your MyIvy account. For complete information about payments, including payment options, payment plans, how to make immediate payments, due dates, information about refunds, and more, visit our Payments page.
Madison Advising Center
590 Ivy Tech Drive
Madison, IN 47250
Fax 812-265-4028
Zoom Video Calls Available by appointment only. Call 812-256-2580, ext. 4502 to make an appointment.
Advising Team Tricia Miracle 812-265-2580 ext. 4137 tmiracle2@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 812-510-3844 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Wednesdays 9:00-1:00pm & Thursdays 2:00-5:30pm Zoom Link
Lisa Kelley 812-265-2580 ext. 4163 lkelley3@ivytech.edu Text during business hours 502-414-1597 Virtual Drop-In Advising Hours: Tuesdays 1:30pm-5pm & Thursdays 8:30am-12pm Zoom Link
Starting Oct. 28th Tuesdays: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other days by appointment from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. **Special Saturday December 7 @ 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
1 Source: US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage estimates: Indiana.(2023). Lightcast™, lightcast.io. Occupational Overview for Indiana, 2023-2024
2 Associate degree cost is determined by tuition for an in-state, full-time student. Certificate and technical certificate costs are determined by tuition for an in-state, part-time student. Additional fees may be applied. Visit the Tuition & Fees page to learn more.