Founded by Ellis Ricketts · Online
A school for artists who are ready to be seen.
Ricketts University is an online school of arts. It teaches the craft, then the part most art schools skip: a professional identity, a portfolio that works, and a career you can keep.
- academic departments
- 7
- courses in development
- 56
- private student community
- 1
- degrees. Records of completion only.
- 0
Six departments. One campus.
- PRSProfessional Identity and Online PresenceYour name, your story, your portfolio and where people find you.12 courses
- GDSGraphic DesignTypography, composition, identity systems, album artwork and print-ready craft.9 courses
- IFAIllustration and Fine ArtsDrawing, painting and illustration, from sketchbook to finished, documented work.8 courses
- DMWDigital Media and Web DevelopmentArtist websites, accessibility, performance, photography and video for creatives.7 courses
- CBECreative Business and EntrepreneurshipClients, pricing, proposals, copyright basics, selling work and planning a sustainable career.14 courses
- FEAFilm and Entertainment ArtsHow art departments work, set graphics and print props, and production portfolios.3 courses
- ECTEmerging Creative Technologies3D, automation and responsible use of AI in creative work.3 courses
One path, eight steps.
- 01
Discover
Browse departments and find where you fit, whether you're a beginner or a professional.
- 02
Enroll
Join a course. Your dashboard builds itself around it.
- 03
Learn
Short lessons with demonstrations and readings, at your pace.
- 04
Practice
Studio exercises and assignments with clear briefs.
- 05
Publish
Put finished work in your portfolio: private, campus-only or public.
- 06
Get Feedback
Instructor and peer critique against a published rubric.
- 07
Improve
Revise, resubmit, and track what changed.
- 08
Advance
Earn a record of completion and move to the next level.
The signature program
Professional Presence
Talent gets you started. Being findable keeps you working. This program walks you through every piece of a professional presence, and you build each one as you go.
Explore the program- 01Your sentenceSay what you do, and for whom, in one line.
- 02Your biosShort, medium and long versions, written in your own voice.
- 03Your portfolioTwelve strong pieces, sequenced and captioned.
- 04Your profilesThe same name, headline and links everywhere.
- 05Your rhythmA posting and outreach plan you can actually keep.
Meet the founder
Ellis Ricketts
Graphic Designer, Illustrator & Film/TV Graphic Artist
More than twenty years of design, illustration, painting and film and television art department work, shared with the next generation of artists.
Read the founder’s storyInside the campus
- The Dashboard
- Your courses, deadlines, feedback and next step, on one page.
- Classrooms
- Each course has its own room: lessons, briefs, discussion and critique.
- Portfolio Studio
- Build and sequence your portfolio, then choose who can see each piece.
- Presence Builder
- A guided workbook for your headline, bios, profiles and links.
- The Commons
- A private community for students only. No public feed, no algorithm.
- Career Centre
- Calls for art, freelance leads and production work, plus help applying.
Where things stand
The first courses are being written now.
The catalogue on this site is the proposed curriculum. Courses open for enrolment as they are finished. Create an account to build your profile and enrol as courses open, or explore the campus preview to see how it all works.