A brand new for-profit commercial art institute began its first week of classes for more than 75 students Monday morning.

The Art Institute of Wisconsin is located in Milwaukee and features a variety of four-year degree programs focused on advertising, interior and interactive design, fashion marketing, graphic and web design and media arts, according to a statement from the institute.

Deborah Andreivich, Art Institute of Wisconsin spokesperson, said they are the most recent addition to a network of 48 art institute campuses across the country and the first for the state of Wisconsin. The network began with the Art Institute of Phoenix.

“Although we just opened our doors on Monday, we are predicting strong and rapid [enrollment] growth over the coming months,” Andreivich said.

The Art Institute of Wisconsin shares the city of Milwaukee with a similar and well known institution, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.

The similarities end there, however, according to MIAD spokesperson Anne Harvey.

“Compared to the Art Institute of Wisconsin, we are a real college,” Harvey said. “We are a nationally accredited school and are completely non-profit.”

Harvey added for-profit organizations such as the Art Institute are essentially just technical schools, which can inhibit students from achieving ultimate graduate school success.

Many are predicting possible competition between the Art Institute of Wisconsin and MIAD, but Harvey said they are not concerned at all.

“Our students are not at all the kinds that the Art Institute is attracting,” Harvey said. “We are not worried in the least about them transferring between the two institutions.”

Despite not having the same abundance of student body enrollment numbers or degree program options, the Art Institute provides its students with a different perspective on art education, Andreivich said.

“We are different from MIAD because we focus more on commercial art rather than the fine arts,” Andreivich said. “Our school is very career-focused, and we require all students to produce a portfolio and complete an internship before finishing their time with us.”

Norma Saldivar, University of Wisconsin Arts Institute spokesperson, compared and contrasted the Art Institute of Wisconsin with UW’s programs.

“Our Arts programs spread all across campus through Letters and Science, the School of Education, and the School of Human Ecology and offers a wide spectrum,” Saldivar said. “Our top programs are music and performance, film in communication arts, and theatre.”

UW offers many of the same degree programs as the Art Institute does, like Digital and Fashion Design, but differs in that it is not a college or conservatory, Saldivar said.

In a statement the Wisconsin Art Institute said in addition to the diverse opportunities offered at the new Art Institute, the group of skilled faculty members is committed to providing students with a real-world education, and the skills utilized in the classrooms will contribute to the future of Milwaukee’s workforce.

In the statement Art Institute President Bill Johnson said the school will contribute to and collaborate with the growing economy of the city.