The course, “The Business of Art and Design,” will be offered to all TCU students next May. Dusty Crocker, the school of art’s assistant professor of professional practice in graphic design, is collaborating with the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center to develop the course.

Because nearly 50 percent of artists and designers will work for themselves at some point during their career, he believes this course will be a valuable asset to students interested in art and design.

“Knowing and understanding business and entrepreneurship is a must for any artist or graphic designer,” Crocker wrote in an email. “The marriage of art, design and business is natural in today’s visually-oriented society.”

Students who enroll in the three-week long course will spend the first two weeks learning the basics of starting a business. According to the school of art’s website, topics to be covered include contract negotiation, licensing, finance, royalties and copyright, among many others.

For the third week of the course, students will travel to New York to visit several art and design studios. Students will learn first-hand from design and art entrepreneurs who have created their own business in one of the most competitive cities in the world, Crocker said.

About nine months after graduating from TCU in 1982, Crocker started a graphic design business and quickly learned he did not have a lot of business knowledge.

“I learned everything from scratch, so I had a lot of wrong turns and unpleasant surprises,” he said.

Crocker hopes that by designing a course with a business emphasis in the art and design industry, students will be even more geared for success upon graduation.

“I want TCU graduates to have a better shot than I had,” he said. “This course will teach them to seize the right opportunities and avoid many of the pitfalls I endured.”

There are currently three spots left for students in the “Business of Art and Design” course. For more information and an application, contact Crocker at [email protected].