External Partnerships
In the External Partnerships department, we support partnerships between academic programs and industry leaders, creating immersive learning experiences that bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.
We cultivate strategic partnerships with leading design firms, art institutions, and creative organizations to create opportunities for our students to make meaningful connections and build careers in the arts. Our integrated approach includes real-world projects, industry-led workshops, and professional networking programs that enrich our students' educational journey.
California College of the Arts (CCA) partners with industry leaders who make a positive impact on culture and society.
There are generally five different types of engagements our partners can co-design with CCA. Each has a specific planning period, timeframe, and expectation.
Studios
These are dynamic semester-long investigations focused on long-term visioning and solutions. CCA faculty work with our partners six to 12 months in advance to plan out content and deliverables.
Projects
Directly embedded within relevant CCA courses, projects are three to five weeks in length. CCA faculty work with our partners three to six months in advance to plan out content and deliverables, including a final project and presentation.
Workshops
These are brief yet in-depth interdisciplinary engagements focused on a single topic or issue. Drawing from students across the college, workshops ideally occur over one to three weeks during breaks in the academic calendar. CCA faculty work with our partners three to five months in advance to determine an overarching question.
Sprints
The shortest of all our engagements, sprints last one to three days and are designed to be brainstorming or prototyping sessions for ideas or products. Like our workshops, students address an overarching question that’s determined by CCA faculty and our partners three to five months in advance.
Executive education
This is a tailored experience based on an individual’s specific professional development goals. CCA works with you to help develop and refine the skills you need to position yourself as an innovative leader within your field or organization.
Propose a partnership
Are you a member of the CCA community with professional connections to arts organizations, galleries, or other creative professional institutions? Consider initiating a partnership.
- Share the Professional Engagement & External Partnerships Newsletter with potential partners
- Contact nina.vukic@cca.edu to discuss partnership opportunities, or for more information
To better support students and faculty, CCA has made some changes to the way that different events are supported. If you are interested in hosting an event without an external partner or sponsor, please contact ASAP@cca.edu