History and Mission: The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham, a campus of South University, is a branch campus of The Art Institute of Charlotte and is one of The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu), a system of over 45 schools located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts professionals.  

The main campus has been in continuous operation conducting post-secondary activity at the diploma level since 1973, when The American Business & Fashion Institute was first licensed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 2000, it was acquired by The Art Institutes International, LLC and changed its name to The Art Institute of Charlotte. The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham is committed to the training and education of individuals for careers in the applied arts. Our graduates are capable of contributing fully within a diverse workforce and a global environment.

Academic Programs: Programs currently offered at The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham include a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Fashion Marketing & Management. A Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program in Culinary Management is offered, and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs in Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Photography, and Web Design & Interactive Media are offered.

Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S) degree programs are offered in Culinary Arts, Fashion & Retail Management, Graphic Design, and Web Design & Interactive Media.

Certificate programs are offered in Art of Cooking, Digital Image Management, Fashion Retailing, and Web Design & Development.

Where:
The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham

Main Building: 410 Blackwell Street, Suite 200, Durham, NC, 27701 at the American Tobacco Campus – 37,000 square feet.

Additional Site: 318 Blackwell Street, Suite 120M, Durham, NC 27701 at the American Tobacco Campus – 7,200 square feet – Admissions Department

Enrollment:
As of July 2010, 515 full and part-time students

President:
Mr. Christopher Mesecar
 
Faculty:
42 full-time and part-time instructors

Employees:
43 staff and administrators

Licensing: The Art institute of Raleigh-Durham, a branch of The Art Institute of Charlotte, is licensed by The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina to confer Associate of Applied Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Accreditation: The Art Institute of Raleigh Durham is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools to award associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. The Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools is listed as a nationally recognized accrediting agency by the United States Department of Education and is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. ACICS can be contacted at 750 First Street NE, Suite 980, Washington, D.C. 20002. Telephone: 1.202.336.6780.

Facility highlights: The Art Institute of Raleigh-Durham is located in the heart of the downtown Durham historical and entertainment district at the American Tobacco Campus. The institute occupies over 40,000 square feet of space including classrooms, computer labs, studios, resource rooms, culinary kitchens, a dining lab, and office space. Additionally, the institute has a student lounge, library, bookstore, and exhibition gallery on site.