9 Surprising Colleges That Offer Blacksmithing

The days of a smithy in every town complete with apprentices to work the bellows and gather coal may be behind us. That doesn't mean the opportunity to get professional forging instruction is gone though.

To make the search for colleges with blacksmithing as part of their curriculum easier, we scoured the Internet to find the most promising 9. (We've left the folk schools and private smiths off this list, but you can still find them on the Blacksmithing Schools Map.)

Here's our list of colleges and universities that offer blacksmithing in some form. While the ancient craft may be coupled with softer metals or sculpture, these are still great opportunities to study metalwork intensively.

We've organized the colleges alphabetically by state to make them easier to locate.

GEORGIA

University of Georgia
Athens, GA

Learn the history of jewelry and metals and develop competency in fabrication, lost wax casting, raising, forging, stonesetting, and blacksmithing. Part of their Jewelry and Metalsmithing Bachelor of Fine Arts Program.

ILLINOIS

Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
Carbondale, IL

Opportunities to pursue your BFA and MFA in Metalsmithing. Work with precious metals and iron. 30 year track record of successful MFA graduates pursuing careers in metalsmithing.

MAINE 

New England School of Metalwork
Auburn, ME

Dedicated courses for both welding and blacksmithing offered throughout the year. From basic forging to botanical forms and joinery. A typical course will run 4-5 days in length from 8 AM - 5 PM.

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts College of Arts
Boston, MA

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Jewelry and Metalsmithing. Hydraulic press techniques and die forming, CNC milling, 3D modeling, and vacuum and centrifugal lost wax casting. Students have access to facilities that can accommodate machine tool and foundry processes, blacksmithing, welding, and fabrication.

MICHIGAN

Cranbrook Academy of Art
Bloomfield Hills, MI

Offers a 1000 square-foot forging and welding workshop with two forging stations complete with anvils, vises, and two power hammers (25 lb. and 50 lb.). Milling machines, drill presses, casting facilities, sheering, pressing, and vibratory finishing. Metalsmithing info here.

Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI

You will be able to branch out into different metal types, but it's pretty solidly focused on blacksmithing. You will also get an introduction to welding, making you a well-rounded metalworker. BFA - Jewelry, Metalsmithing, and Blacksmithing

NEW YORK

Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Metals and Jewelry Design. Learn forging, casting, stone setting, silversmithing, and fabrication.

TEXAS

Austin Community College

Offers 2-day Blacksmithing classes a few times a year as part of their Continuing Education curriculum. Classes in Knifemaking, Decorative Metalwork, and Advanced Blacksmithing are also available. https://www.austincc.edu/

VIRGINIA

James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA

Access to laser welding, micro-arc welding, hot forging, knife making, sand blasting, stone setting, plating, etching, powder coating, induction casting, and a lot more. Metals and Jewelry program details.


Want something a little less formal? Take a look at the Blacksmithing Schools Map. There you will find independent smiths and folk schools offering private and group classes. They're organized by state to make it easy for you to find one close by.