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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 5, 2007
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Peter W. Rush
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prush@edmc.edu
Creative Arts Students Move to Online Learning to Earn Degrees
Women Represent the Majority of Online Arts Students at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division
PITTSBURGH, PA - The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, today released a demographic survey of students enrolled in its programs.
"Several interesting profiles emerged from this survey; most notably that women are representing the vast majority of students taking graphic design and interactive media courses at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division," said Cynthia Liefeld Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. "Additionally, we learned they are passionate about furthering their education and continuing to gather knowledge about topics that interest them."
Creative arts students in these very "visual" academic programs are choosing to pursue their education online for a variety of reasons; chief among them is the need for flexibility. Recent technological additions to the online classroom experience - including the launch of AiConnections, a social networking site for the student community, and the establishment of a class environment within Second Life, a 3-D virtual world - further enhance the learning environment and personalized attention online learners seek.
Paige Rien, a designer featured on HGTV's Hidden Potential, is currently pursuing a bachelor degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division. "It's important for me to continue learning and broadening my skill set with emerging technologies for design so I stay current and fresh. My schedule includes a lot of travel and long hours that come with television production. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division gives me the flexibility I need to do both my job and my studies."
Highlights from the survey include:
- 71 percent of students enrolled in the Graphic Design Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program are women; the average age is 30 years old, 55 percent of whom have children, the average household income is $56,500
- 59 percent of students enrolled in the Interactive Media B.S. program are women; the average age is 33 years old, 56 percent of whom have children at home, the average household income is $78,000
- 35 percent of the students enrolled in the Game Art & Design B.S. program are women; the average age is 28 years old, 47 percent have children at home, the average household income is $43,000
- More than half (54 percent) of the students enrolled at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division are pursuing a B.S. degree
- The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division students enroll because of a "personal dream or a goal"
Built on more than 85 years of academic excellence, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh has demonstrated strong career placement achievement for its graduates. Of all 2005 Art Institute of Pittsburgh graduates from online programs available for employment, 90.2% were working in a field related to their program of study within six months of graduation and earning an average starting salary of $33,101.
This information was compiled by Directive Analytics from an online sample survey of 2,283 students, utilizing key findings identified in the in-depth interviews.
About The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, delivers education in the creative arts through the Internet, extending the opportunity for learning to all students desiring classes by eliminating geographic, lifestyle, or physical constraints. With online courses designed using the same curriculum delivered on ground through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division offers associate's and bachelor's degree programs in Graphic Design and Interactive Media Design; bachelor's degree programs in Advertising, Fashion & Retail Management, Game Art & Design, Interior Design, Hotel & Restaurant Management and Media Arts & Animation; a bachelor's degree completion program in Culinary Management; and diploma programs in Digital Design, Residential Planning, and Web Design. For more information about The Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online Division, call 1-877-872-8869 or visit http://www.aionline.edu. The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (http://www.artinstitutes.edu/pittsburgh/) is one of The Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu), with 34 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion, and culinary arts professionals.