The Art Institute of Portland building The mission of The Art Institute of Portland is undergraduate design education. Degree programs at the college include both liberal education and professional education. Instructional programs require course work in communications, the humanities, the social sciences, the natural sciences and mathematics; they also prepare students for entry-level positions in design fields by focusing on the demands of professional practice. The college is dedicated to personal service. It also seeks to be an innovative center for design, a lively supporter of the arts, and a positive community partner in the city of Portland, the state of Oregon, and the greater Pacific Northwest.