Welcome
your future
The UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture is a community of curious individuals and skilled problem solvers who care about the impact of our work. Through education, expertise, and leadership, the College models excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative research, and performance in five creative disciplines: architecture, art and art history, dance, music, and theatre.
find your home
At unc Charlotte, the city is your classroom
Whether it’s cultural or design internships, performance opportunities, museum visits, or coffee shop study sessions, students are constantly inspired by the vibrant, creative energy of the city. See how students thrive in the heart of Charlotte!
What can you do with a degree in the arts and design?
As the College of Arts + Architecture, we reaffirm the value of bringing the arts and design together in common purpose. And we celebrate the amazing community that demonstrates the power of these disciplines to shape the world. Check out alumni spotlights on each of our department pages to meet some of our fantastic alumni!
Marideth Telenko, BA in Dance with a concentration in Performance, Choreography, and Theory ‘20, is a professional dancer/choreographer and half of the viral dance duo @cost_n_mayor with over 7M TikTok followers! Her recent projects include choreographing productions of Waitress at La Mirada Theatre in Los Angeles, going on tour with Pentatonix, and dancing in major campaigns for NBC, Target, Amazon Prime, Disney, Kate Spade, and many more.
Kalin Devone, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in painting ‘15, is a working artist in Charlotte, who has been involved in the creation of various murals across the city, along with commissioned orders for paintings. Her recent projects include working with PUMA and Footlocker to debut Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball’s new clothing release, creating a painting for Charlotte FC commemorating Juneteenth, and other commissions for T-mobile, F1 Las Vegas, Micheals, Harris Teeter, Procter and Gamble, Whiteclaw, and many more.
Jack Taggart, Bachelor of Creative Arts ‘88, is a textile artist on feature films being made all over the United States, in Europe, and beyond. Jack has worked on a long A-list of films — Guardians of the Galaxy (2 and 3), Dunkirk, the Avatar franchise, Top Gun: Maverick, Black Panther, and The Dark Knight Rises, to name a few. Top Hollywood directors like Clint Eastwood (with whom he’s done 14 films), Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Quentin Tarantino, the Coen Brothers, Tim Burton, Denis Villeneuve, and Christopher Nolan all come to him for his expertise.
Alaa Bou Ghanem, Master of Architecture ’20 and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture ’18, is a Lebanese-American Architect born and raised in the small town of Ramleh. Alaa worked with the renowned company, Little Diversified Architectural Consulting for five years before becoming the CEO and founder of his own architecture firm, AB Group. While at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting, he worked on projects for the National Museum of Korean Literature and Silicone Valley’s SPARK, among many more.
Emily Golden, BM, Music Education (K-12) ’22, is the Director of Bands at East Burke High School in Connelly Springs, NC, and the Youth Symphony Conductor for the Western Piedmont Symphony!. In 2024, she was a quarter-finalist for the 2024 Music Educator GRAMMY Awards, established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.
upcoming events
Behind the scenes of student life
You can keep exploring our website to learn about our programs, but if you really want to see what life is like in our college, follow us at @CLT_COAA on Instagram! Some of our fav series we’re currently sharing are #ArtistsOfCoAA, #ToolsOfTheTrade, and student takeovers!
recent news
International graduate student Amir Heydarpour receives his M.Arch. this month.
MJR Jazz Scholar Adam Kallestad is ready to teach the next generation.
MacKillop Scholar Zoe Turner graduates this semester with a BFA in Art and minors in art history and theatre.
An essay by Assistant Professor of Architecture Kyle Spence is included in a series of “Field Notes” published this fall…
faculty spotlights
Discover the benefits of attending UNC Charlotte, with our strong connections to the city, robust academic programs, and vibrant student life! Visiting campus is the best way for prospective students to get to know UNC Charlotte. Attend info sessions on topics such as academics, campus life, and support services, take guided tours of various spaces on campus, and speak directly with students and faculty to learn more about Niner Nation.