Visual Studies

INDEX – Industry Experience at Ringling College – is our promise to provide every student the opportunity to have hands-on industry experience before graduation by offering real-world projects with real-world clients. This experiential education initiative allows students to learn how to turn passion into profession. INDEX opportunities are abundant and available through experiential learning in the classroom, the Design Center, Studio Labs, ART Network, the Makerspace, as client competitions and immersive experiences, volunteerism, internships, and elective courses.

For Ringling students and alumni, we offer training and career preparation services, such as job search strategies, resume reviewing, interview training, and portfolio building. We bring recruiters from the top creative companies around the world to deliver presentations and interview students. Attend career events, ask questions, and get the information you need to make thoughtful choices about your future. 

Visual Studies students have countless opportunities to develop and curate professional exhibitions on campus. To familiarize students with the details of working with galleries, we provide a platform for students to write and submit exhibition proposals, develop gallery programming, and curate upcoming exhibitions. 

The mission of the Alfred R. Goldstein Library is to contribute to the academic and professional success of our community by supporting and modeling curiosity, inquiry, inspiration, and knowledge creation in all of its forms. The Library contains over 80,000 items in its general collection – including books, magazines, pop-up books, video games, board games, and DVDs – and over 4,000 items in its Special Collections and Archives. Students can schedule research consultations with a Librarian to receive in-depth, one on one research support for projects and assignments. Goldstein Library is the perfect place on campus to study, collaborate, learn, grab a coffee, and create.

Sarasota Art Museum is a catalyst for appreciation and understanding of the art of our time. As a platform for education, exposure, and experimentation, the Museum inspires new ideas and new ways of being through an endless rotation of transformative, relevant, and pioneering exhibitions and programs designed to elevate and empower all by cultivating discerning visual thinkers and ethical citizens. Located minutes from Ringling College’s campus, Sarasota Art Museum is an ideal place for students to immerse themselves in contemporary art and participate in the Museum’s series of lectures and events.