Location
Our University’s location in Washington, D.C., puts students in touch with unparalleled professional and cultural resources. Catholic's spacious campus lies within a 10-minute Metro ride or drive of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall. Numerous national and international experts live and work in the vibrant and diverse metropolitan area and contribute to the undergraduate and graduate programs each academic year.
The specialized expertise of the associates of the faculty allows the school to offer an outstanding array of coursework. The school has had relationships with numerous Washington, D.C., cultural and artistic institutions, including the National Building Museum, the Library of Congress, and others. In addition, the school's location offers it unparalleled access to many national chapter headquarters of various design-oriented organizations, such as the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA); the American Institute of Architects (AIA); the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA); the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB); and the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS). The school maintains a relationship with various embassies in the region, sponsoring cooperative lecture and exhibit programs with the Finnish embassy, the Swiss embassy, the Austrian embassy, and others.
The Allied Arts are devoted to nurturing the production and understanding of artistic expression, one of the oldest and most vitally human endeavors. We offer programs in art history and studio art leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree. Together, these programs are dedicated to the proposition that art and culture are one, and that exposure to the visual arts is an essential component of every liberal education. Our goal of fostering a greater appreciation of the arts is especially fitting at The Catholic University of America, given both the historic tradition of brilliant art patronage by the Catholic Church, and the outstanding resources of Washington, D.C. Among the many nearby institutions that offer world-class art collections are the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Phillips Collection, the Kreeger Museum, the Hillwood Museum, the Glenwood Museum, Dumbarton Oaks, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Library of Congress. Students are encouraged to utilize these resources through study, institutional internships, and sponsored research, whenever possible.