Oregon College of Art & Craft

Oregon College of Art and Craft is dedicated to Craft as the creative material practice at the core of art and design.OCAC's mentor-based learning community fosters self-reliant, entrepreneurial, globally conscious, critical and innovative makers.

The OCAC Library is an exceptional resource for students of art and craft. Our library houses more than 12,000 volumes, 90 journal subscriptions, and is a member of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS).Therefore, we have access not only to our on-site collection, but to over one million items across the county and with the aid of Interlibrary Loan (ILL), we are able to borrow from and lend to libraries across the country. We also have a collection of Rare Books, Ephemera, Artist Pamplets, and an extensive slide library.

Oregon College of Art and Craft offers three Master of Fine Arts programs and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Contemporary Craft for those seeking to advance their studies beyond the bachelor's level.OCAC is an intentionally-small, student-centered art college and community that is comprised of people from all over the country and the globe.Student life is centered around the studio; peers working alongside one another to master new skills sets, wrap their minds around new concepts and engage in on-going dialogue. The relationships that are established at the college between students and their faculty, staff and visiting artists provide a support system while in school and a meaningful network after graduation.

Student Services provides an array of resources and services designed to support students in the pursuit of their academic, personal and career goals. The Student Services office, located in the Red House on OCAC's campus, is a comfortable place where students can express their needs and get personalized attention and assistance.

Student Commonwealth is a group of students democratically elected by the student body to empower, facilitate, and advocate for student interests. SCW also sponsors events including the annual Halloween party, film screenings, art sales, holiday parties, and several other events, which reflect the evolving interests and needs of OCAC's student body. Peer Mentors serve as new students’ first point of contact at OCAC. Their role is to welcome new students and help integrate them into the academic and co-curricular community. This is accomplished through providing individualized advising, assisting with facilitation of New Student Orientation, and a variety of on-and-off campus activities with first year students.

At OCAC, anyone can start a Student Club. Clubs contribute significantly to the student experience by encouraging students to explore a wide array of interests and activities. OCAC provides funds for all official clubs and clubs have the right to pursue social, cultural and other interests on campus, and organize and hold various activities for the benefit of their members. Residence Life staff understand that going away to college is very exciting and also overwhelming at times. Many questions arise during the months before OCAC begins.

At Jordan Schnitzer Family Art Adventures, we have been crafting exciting and innovative youth art camps and family workshops since 1998. We find the most creative and nurturing artists and staff to guide youth through an exploration of art mediums, taking creative risks and problem solving. Whether a young artist is sculpting, painting, stitching, building, felting, or printing, we give them the tools, inspiration and freedom to discover their passion.Jordan Schnitzer Family Art Adventures is one of Portland’s most respected arts programs and generously sponsored in part by Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation. We provide the tools, skills, and respect necessary to build a young artist's creative experience and help families create together.

Oregon College of Art and Craft traces its origins to 1907 when Julia Hoffman founded the Arts and Crafts Society to educate the public on the value of arts and crafts in daily life.

Through art classes, visiting artists, lectures, and exhibitions, the best educators and artwork of American craft were brought to Portland. Today Oregon College of Art and Craft is a private, accredited, independent college offering a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, three Master of Fine Arts degrees, two certificate programs, continuing education for adults, and youth classes and workshops.

Design plays a pivotal role in our lives and through the MFA in Industrial Design, students re-think, explore, create and test ideas that challenge the status quo. The dynamic learning environment spans research and hands-on making with advances in computational design and fabrication to confront the conditions of modernity and to innovate. Students define their work through critical inquiry and deep material investigations in a supportive, mentor-based community.

The Master of Fine Arts in Craft and Material Studies, Low Residency fosters the creative practice, materials knowledge, and academic achievement of independent, self-motivated artists, particularly those with established professional lives, family or community commitments that present challenges to attending a traditional curriculum. A major tenet of this program is its cross-media approach to pursuing the qualities and potential of materials and processes. MFA in Craft and Material Studies students will apply an expanded understanding of material literacy to their creative work in relation to individual interest and awareness of personal, social and cultural contexts.Various forms of art and craft studio practice are elaborated with access to state-of-the-art equipment and the exceptional studio facilities at OCAC. Students further enhance their approach to research, writing and presentation skills with guidance from renowned faculty and visiting artists.

MFA in Craft and MFA in Industrial Design offer Fall and Spring (January) enrollment periods for students who are accepted. MFA in Craft and Material Studies offers Fall, Spring and Summer enrollment periods.Admission to Oregon College of Art and Craft is competitive and based upon an applicant’s previous academic performance, evaluation of his or her art competence and their ability to succeed in the program as determined by review of portfolio of art and Craft work, letters of recommendation, personal statements, résumé and the interview. Students applying to the programs must have a minimum education credential of a Bachelor’s degree.