Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

What Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design does

Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design (formally the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design) is a constituent college of Drexel University, a private R1 research university founded in 1891 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The college offers eight graduate degree programs in media arts and design disciplines and operates within Drexel's broader academic portfolio, which combines classroom instruction with the university's cooperative education (co-op) program. Departmental leadership is in place, including Michael Wagner as Head of the Digital Media Department, and faculty engage in applied industry projects — for example, faculty Monika Julien and Toby Seay were involved in the MAD Dragon record label's revival of an unreleased album from the Sigma Sound archive.

The college's product surface is academic rather than commercial: degree programs delivered through the Canvas Learning Management System and supported by an integrated university technology ecosystem that includes DragonCard for identity and access, MyChart for student health, the Drexel Guardian safety app, DrexelALERT for emergency notifications, DragonLink for student organizations, and the Kuali platform for business continuity. Auxiliary sub-brands include the DrexelNOW newsletter, EXEL Magazine (research), and Drexel Magazine (alumni). Westphal faculty contribute to applied media production through initiatives such as MAD Dragon Records.

The business model is that of a nonprofit higher-education institution: tuition and fees from enrolled undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students fund operations, supplemented by philanthropic gifts (e.g., the Howley Foundation's record 2026 gift establishing the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing), research funding, and co-op-mediated employer partnerships. No public pricing, revenue, or enrollment figures are disclosed for the Westphal College specifically, and the college has no separate parent company, external ownership, or venture investment structure — it operates as a unit of Drexel University under the governance of the university's Board of Trustees.

Name

Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Legal name

Drexel University

Website

https://drexel.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is a Philadelphia-based constituent college of Drexel University offering eight graduate degree programs in media arts and design, delivered through the university's R1 research infrastructure and integrated technology ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Media arts education
• Design degree programs
• Higher education
• Creative arts programs
• Professional design training

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Core offering

The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design is a constituent college within Drexel University that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in media, arts, and design disciplines. It operates as part of Drexel's broader experiential education model, integrating cooperative education (co-op) placements with classroom instruction across fields such as digital media, design, and the arts.

Product overview

Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design operates within the broader Drexel University ecosystem, which offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational technology platforms and student services. The university provides a unified platform architecture consisting of the Canvas Learning Management System for academic delivery, the Kuali Platform for institutional preparedness, the DragonCard system for identity and access management, and the MyChart patient portal for health services. Additional offerings include Drexel Guardian safety app and DrexelALERT emergency notifications for campus safety, DragonLink for student organizations, and Career Pathway for professional development. The university also produces several publications including DrexelNOW newsletters, EXEL Magazine (research), and Drexel Magazine (alumni). These products work together as an integrated educational technology ecosystem supporting the Westphal College's media arts and design programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graduate Degree Programs (8 programs)

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Institute of the Arts (CalArts): CalArts is a leading private art school with strong graduate programs in animation, film, design, and media arts. Comparable in graduate-degree emphasis and creative-arts focus to the Westphal College.
• NYU Tisch School of the Arts: NYU Tisch offers undergraduate and graduate degrees across film, television, design, and emerging media. Directly comparable to Westphal's media arts programs and graduate-degree portfolio.
• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD): SCAD is a leading art and design university with strong graduate program offerings across creative and media disciplines. Comparable in mission, program breadth, and graduate-degree emphasis to the Westphal College.
• Rhode Island School of Design (RISD): One of the most prestigious standalone art and design schools in the U.S., offering undergraduate and graduate programs across design, fine arts, and architecture. Directly comparable to Westphal's design-focused program portfolio and target student demographic.
• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Parsons is a leading design school offering programs in fashion, product, graphic, and interior design, plus art and design history. Its graduate and undergraduate portfolio closely mirrors Westphal's design-and-media scope, particularly within an urban university setting.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC): SAIC is a major U.S. art and design school offering BFA, MFA, and graduate programs across studio art, design, and media arts. Directly comparable to Westphal's media arts and design curriculum and target student pool.
• Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA): MICA is a top-ranked private art and design college offering BFA, MFA, and graduate certificates. Comparable in portfolio scope, graduate program emphasis, and target demographic of creative students.
• School of Visual Arts (SVA): SVA is a New York-based art and design school with undergraduate and graduate programs across visual arts, design, and media. Comparable to Westphal in its urban setting, design-media curriculum, and graduate program offerings.
• Pratt Institute: Major private art and design school in Brooklyn offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across design, architecture, and liberal arts. Comparable in scale, scope, and target audience to Westphal's media arts and design programs.
• Carnegie Mellon University School of Design: Carnegie Mellon's School of Design offers undergraduate, graduate, and PhD programs integrating design with technology and research. Similar to Westphal as a university-embedded design college with an R1 research orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DrexelPublicHealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/drexel.westphalcollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drexelwestphal
• Instagraminstagram.com/drexelpubhealth
• Xx.com/drexelwestphal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design