The College of Fine Arts was founded in 1764 as the "Principal Art Academy," and it has a long history of teaching art, artistic craftsmanship, cultural heritage preservation, restoration, and conservation. The university has strong ties to international universities as well as artistic and scientific institutions. Its members are active participants in international and contemporary discourses on art and society issues. The university has three galleries and a 100-seat laboratory theatre with excellent equipment.
The individual fields of study are spread over three different locations in Dresden. There are also 23 laboratories and workshops dedicated to the disciplines. Doctorates in scientific disciplines, restoration, and conservation (including habilitation), and art therapy are available at the art college with university status.
The degree course of Bildende Kunst (Fine Art) consists of 10 semesters and leads to the Diploma degree. The degree course Kunsttechnologie, Konservierung und Restaurierung von Kunst- und Kulturgut (Art Technology, Preservation and Restoration of Artistic and Cultural Assets) is one of the oldest and most renowned education courses on university level in Germany. The degree course Bühnen- und Kostümbild (Stage Setting and Costume Design) and the technical college degree course Theaterausstattung (Theatre Setting and Costume Design) offer with their practical oriented integration of designing and realising disciplines conditions for work and study that are hard to find anywhere else.
The key goal of the educational program is to pave the way for multi-talented, creative personalities whose capabilities exceed the limits of their respective core discipline. The academy promotes interdisciplinary cooperation in artistic and scientific research projects and strives for a stronger exchange between fine and applied arts within the departments.