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>> BRIANNE: At the University of Central Oklahoma in the College of Fine Arts and Design.
You see creativity and innovation.
>> KELSEY: Our professors are some of the best in the business.
>> We get high quality instruction.
>> ELIZABETH: I’ve come so far already and honestly, I’m just blessed to be here.
>> DAN: It’s that interaction that makes a deep impact on students.
>> MELISSA: They obviously value hands-on experience.
>> RUKI: The people are the strength of this place, and the people are the reason why you
would want to come here as a student and the reason why you would want to come here to
work as well.
>> AM'RE: There are so many possibilities in the College of Fine Arts and Design.
>> MACKENZIE: Whether you’re going to be a performer on stage or a teacher in the classroom,
you’re going to be well-prepared for your career in music.
>> ALYSSA: We’re prepared for a very competitive industry, we're prepared to chase our career
dreams, and prepared for life.
>> RUKI: I love the University of Central Oklahoma because if you meet anyone from UCO,
you’ll know why.
The people are the strength of this place, and the people are the reason why you want
to come here as a student and the reason why you want to come here to work as well.
>> I’m Ruki Ravikumar and I’m the Chair of the Department of Design at the University
of Central Oklahoma.
>> We are part of the College of Fine Arts and Design, and we’re its largest unit.
>> The Department of Design at UCO has two main programs: Graphic design and interior
design.
We also have a Masters program which is a terminal degree in design.
>> Designers are problem-solvers.
They solve their problems in different ways and in today’s world.
You’ve heard if you’re not creative, you get left behind.
And, so, a designer’s role has become more important, more interesting than ever before.
>> We want our students to get practical experience so that when they graduate, they can be designers
from the time they leave us.
They don’t need any further preparation.
They can hit the ground running.
>> DAN: It is a very competitive field and curriculum.
>> It’s competitive because you’re not the only graphic designer out there.
They teach you how to be seen, how to be heard and have your work seen.
>> My name is Dan Tigert.
I’m a graphic design major at the University of Central Oklahoma.
I’d like to graduate and pursue a career in graphic design and/or concept illustration.
>> The design department at The University of Central Oklahoma is top notch.
It's an award-winning program on a national level.
>> The professors here really do take the time to make that time with you, to make that
one-on-one, to make that one-on-one critique.
>> It's that interaction that makes a big impact on students.
>> MELISSA: I want to teach at the college-level because I like to see my students get it.
>> I’m Melissa Santana.
I’m a graduate student at the University of Central Oklahoma.
And, I’m getting my Masters of Fine Arts in Interior Design.
>> That is considered a terminal degree in the art field, very similar to a Ph.D.
>> My goal is to teach full-time after I graduate.
>> There is a science to interior design, and I think that is very surprising to people.
Something that we talk about here in the design program is design is a combination of art
and science.
>> As I was applying to different graduate schools.
A: UCO is really affordable.
B: They have this program here that no one has that’s called Charles Evans.
That’s where students are able to work in real-life applications.
They work with the university and they work with clients in the community to get hands
on-experience.
And for me, I haven’t seen any other university that really does that.
I felt that any school that does that has their act together.
They obviously value hands-on experience.
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