Enhance your artistic skill set and advance your career through an art course, certificate, or workshop at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University.

SMFA Continuing Education's art classes for adults range from graphic design to virtual reality to painting and much more. The offerings are designed to help beginning and advanced artists alike to cultivate their passions, find inspiration, and learn new techniques and conceptual skills that will help them stay ahead of their peers.

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Take the next step toward growing your skill set with the SMFA.

Time- and cost-effective courses and certificates

Our certificates, courses, and workshops offer virtual and in-person opportunities for students to develop their art techniques, fit to their level, on their own terms.

Take courses one at a time or explore our non-degree certificate options in graphic design, illustration, and virtual reality.

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Technique-based art education—taught by seasoned artists

The artists who teach at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University are masters of their techniques.

Their skills span painting, portrait drawing, typography, digital animation, web design, illustration, virtual reality, and much more.

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Relevant content that enhances your professional skill set

Whether you want to brush up on your practice or expand your capabilities in new fields like virtual reality and digital drawing, our courses will prepare you to take the next step in your career.

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Next Course Registration Deadline: September 3rd

Next Certificate Application Deadline: August 31st

Why SMFA Continuing Education?

Education rooted in a storied, dynamic, and highly-respected art school
Flexible virtual and in-person classes that fit your needs and schedule
20+ open enrollment courses per semester
20+ renowned artist-faculty members

Potential Jobs

Our offerings allow you to advance in your current industry or explore positions like:

Graphic Designer
Illustrator
Digital Animator
Painter
Virtual Reality Developer
Art Director
Creative Director

Ready to enhance your career in the arts? Explore our Certificates.

Our certificates in virtual reality, graphic design, and illustration are a great way for all artists to gain practical skills without the time or financial investment required to obtain a degree.

Virtual Reality Certificate

Classes: 6 required

Cost: $795 per course

Modality: Online Asynchronous

The Certificate in Virtual Reality is comprised of six short online courses through which students will be given the skills to tackle virtual reality environment design for application in a variety of fields and careers. Become well-versed in techniques like scripted interactivity, UV mapping and programs like C++, C#, Blender, and Unity.

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Graphic Design Certificate

Classes: 7 required, 3 elective

Cost: $995 per course

Modality: In-Person

The Certificate in Graphic Design provides you with the practical and theoretical skills of a design professional. You will learn the skills needed to succeed as a graphic designer while mastering theoretical design frameworks.

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Illustration Certificate

Classes: 5 required, 5 elective

Cost: $995 per course

Modality: In-Person

The Certificate in Illustration provides you with a solid foundation for creating illustrations, learning illustrative techniques, and understanding an illustrator's creative process. You can choose to focus on particular types of illustration, such as editorial illustration for newspapers and magazines, children's book illustration, cartooning, graphic novels, concept illustration for ads and video games, and more.

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Dual Illustration and Graphic Design Certificate

Classes: 10 required, 5 elective

Cost: $995 per course

Modality: In-Person

The dual certificate program offers you the opportunity to explore and develop a broad range of graphic design and illustration skills, techniques, theory, and applications. This program allows for flexibility in concentration according to the goals of each student. Combining knowledge, skills, and practice of these two fields provides you with a variety of career options and greater possibilities as a practitioner.

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I took two SMFA courses before officially enrolling in the certificate program and was impressed with the teachers and course content in those courses. The courses were also very affordable and a convenient location for me to get to from my job at the time.

SMFA Graphic Design Certificate Alumni

The teachers all seemed really approachable and very giving of their time, and very encouraging, and just wanting to help mentor you, and that's really nice to have as someone who's just getting started.

SMFA Illustration Certificate Alumni

The teachers all seemed really approachable and very giving of their time, and very encouraging, and just wanting to help mentor you, and that's really nice to have someone who's just getting started.

SMFA Continuing Education Alumni

I was really impressed by the quality of the course descriptions and by the instructors. It seems like the folks who are teaching continuing education courses are a lot of the same staff that are teaching in the main school and are folks who have had a lot of direct industry experience.

SMFA CE Student

Questions about SMFA Continuing Education?

Schedule a call with our Admissions Team or email Sarah, our Associate Director of Continuing Education. We’re here to help you succeed.

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