At a glance

Vision

VCUarts Qatar strives to contribute to the vitality of human, social, economic and environmental development in Qatar and the region through creative innovation, expression and collaboration.

Mission

VCUarts Qatar cultivates a dynamic intercultural environment of diverse research, learning and community engagement that propels the holistic development of exemplary artists, designers and scholars to build vibrant communities and diversified economies.

Values

VCUarts Qatar values collaboration, experimentation, innovation, relevancy and diversity.

DNA

VCUarts Qatar is creative, critical, dynamic, curious and original.

Accreditation

Virginia Commonwealth University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees. Questions about the accreditation of Virginia Commonwealth University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org). Accreditation by SACSCOC of the VCUarts Qatar campus is dependent on the continuing accreditation of the University's main campus in Richmond, Virginia.

Specialized accreditation
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Council for Interior Design Accreditation

Numbers

294 Students representing 33 nationalities
1017 Alumni representing 60 nationalities
57 Faculty representing 13 nationalities
97 Staff representing 25 nationalities

About VCUarts Qatar

VCUarts Qatar is the Qatar campus of the prestigious Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. Established in 1998 through a partnership with Qatar Foundation, we offer students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, interior design and painting & printmaking, a Bachelor of Arts degree in art history and a Master of Fine Arts degree in design.

VCUarts Qatar was the first campus established in Education City, and has since been joined by Weill Cornell Medical College, Texas A&M University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Carnegie-Mellon University, Northwestern University, and HEC Paris.

In 2010, VCUarts Qatar more than doubled its facilities through a major expansion project. The expansion has allowed for the integration of the university’s undergraduate and graduate programs under one roof, the connection of the research and entrepreneurship offices with curricular programs, and the expansion of technical spaces to support all forms of visualization and research with a media lab, digital fabrication lab, printmaking studios, photography studio, an expanded library and the first materials library in the region.

The University hosts the biennial international art and design conference Tasmeem Doha and the biennial Hamad bin Khalifa Symposium on Islamic Art, attracting globally recognized designers, artists and academics while fostering sustainable, university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of Qatar.

VCUarts Qatar has substantial involvement with the emerging design industries in Qatar and is a significant catalyst for that growth. We have established ourselves as a center of excellence for education and research in art and design.

VCUarts Qatar graduates are pursuing successful careers within the government, nonprofit and private industries in Qatar and around the world. Many of our graduates have gone on to establish their own businesses, thereby contributing to the development of the small and medium enterprise culture in Qatar.