The Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private college of art and design, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was originally founded as the McMicken School of Design in 1869, and was a department of the University of Cincinnati, and later in 1887, became the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the museum school of the Cincinnati Art Museum. In 1998, the Art Academy of Cincinnati legally separated from the museum and became an independent college of art and design. It currently offers four undergraduate degrees: Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History, and an Associate of Science in Graphic Design. It also offers a Master of Arts in Art Education, which is taught during summer semesters. The curriculum of the Art Academy is considered among the best of BFA programs in the nation. It is unique in that it trains artists to be self-directed contemporary visual artists and designers. Students work closely with faculty members who themselves are professional contemporary artists (faculty to student ratio is 10:1).