Graduates of the ceramics program may enter the ceramics industry as a designer or show their work in various galleries and museums. Others may choose to make a living selling more functional pieces. Despite the option's namesake, students don't work solely with metals. Because metal can be combined with numerous materials such as plastic, stone, glass, wood, and rubber, this is actually a multi-media area. The metals facility includes a well-equipped machine room, casting area, flat glass studio, and forging area.
Students also receive individual benches, tool kits, storage cabinets, and ample workspaces.
Graduates might design their own lines of jewelry, or go into business as artists by marketing through galleries and outlets. Others might focus on designing at a major company, where their ideas would be transformed into reality. Students are encouraged to pursue both the sculptural and the functional aspects of furniture-making. Students are taught design, freehand and mechanical drawing, finishing, machine maintenance, business, and furniture history. Advanced demonstrations are given in plywood construction, veneering, marquetry, tambour construction, upholstery, transparent and opaque finishing, jigs, fixtures, and other limited production techniques.