AfTER high sChOOL
Take it to the
Next
Level
LIfELONG LEARNING in Arts, A/V Technology &
college such as TSTC can be easier on
Communications begins after high school.
the budget and closer to home than a
large university. The Waco campus offers
associate’s degrees in a wide variety of
E
verett Bradford started with bouncing Across Texas, students in Arts, A/V
programs, including advertising design and
balls and talking heads in his computer Technology & Communications are finding
print technology.
animation class at the Art Institute of that the opportunities for career preparation
Dallas. “In the beginning we’d go through a and development after high school are rich
four-Year Degrees
number of simple animation ideas,” he says. and varied. Two-year and four-year programs
For Tom Judd, a professional photographer
By the end of the course, he was are available in printing, communications
in Denton, a four-year degree provided a
adding music and sound to his computer technology, fine arts, and other disciplines.
wider lens on the world. “Typically, when
animations. “It was so much fun. We would Graduate programs help students take their
you reach the college level in photography, a
stay at school late,” he recalls, “working on art to a higher level or prepare them for
lot of programs are geared around a fine arts
computer animation.” careers as university professors.
or photojournalism approach,” he says.
In 2006, Bradford’s two
Judd, who completed his degree at
years of hard work at the Two-Year Degrees
Southern Illinois University, was drawn
institute earned him Tonya Littmann, a freelance graphic
to classes in fine arts such as design, as
an associate’s degree in designer, says she has made a good living
well as business courses, which come in
applied arts. He is now with a two-year associate’s degree in
handy for a self-employed photographer.
exploring opportunities commercial art and advertising from
“If students have a good advisor, he or she
in video game production Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in
will probably suggest they take business
and believes “real job Waco. Working with clients such as the
courses,” Judd says.
experience” will sharpen specialty jeweler Zale Corp. and seven local
Robert Milnes, dean of the School of
the technical skills he school districts, she stays busy with layout,
Visual Arts at the University of North Texas,
acquired at the production, and print jobs, as well as public
says two-year associate’s degrees provide
Art Institute. information work.
“nuts-and-bolts education,” whereas four-
“I’m really visual and creative, so it was a
year bachelor’s degrees add the academic
good fit,” Littmann says of her decision to
education component beyond your field
obtain an associate’s degree. A community
of concentration.
more THan 1,500
wrITers naTIonwIde belong To THe wrITers’
league of Texas, a nonprofIT professIonal
organIzaTIon based In ausTIn.
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