Introduction
Situated next to the heart of the business district of Orange County, the Art Institute of California-Orange County is a fashion, media, design, and culinary arts school. It is one of forty schools across the country comprising the system known as The Art Institutes, which provides education in fashion, design, media, and culinary arts. As one of the foremost art institutes on the west coast, The Art Institute of California-Orange County strives to offer a unique kind of postsecondary education of students seeking to pursue careers in various artistic disciplines. After graduating from The Art Institute of California-Orange County, students are prepared for positions in their chosen fields, from culinary arts to fashion design. The Art Institute of California-Orange County involves industry employers in the development of curricula, so that courses can be directed towards helping students to fully develop the skills necessary to thrive in future careers in their chosen field. The school also seeks to maintain a collaborative, teamwork oriented learning environment, so that students not only develop artistic and creative thinking skills, but also develop the skills necessary to become effective leaders in the real world.