About

Located in the heart of Detroit’s Cultural Center, Wayne State University’s distinct characteristic is its location and the reason why the arts are crucial to its identity. Detroit is a city of creative invention and reinvention. Detroit is a city of makers and a city of arts and culture, where its core identity is rooted in innovation and creativity.

The College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts serves students majoring in 17 undergraduate programs, 10 graduate programs and three graduate certificates. It is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, technicians, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields.

From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards.

And as a college within a university of access and opportunity, we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. We also have a responsibility to uphold diversity as a value, and demonstrate commitment, through our policies and actions. Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, we seek to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community.

We encourage you to watch a debate, take in a show, attend a concert or come to an exhibition. Please click on each department's link for a complete listing of all of our events. Stop in for a visit or inquire about a tour by calling or e-mailing the department of your choice. We look forward to hearing from you!

— Hasan Elahi
Dean, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts