Founded in 1885, Watkins is an independent, nonprofit institution offering Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees in film, fine art, graphic design, interior design, and photography, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in art, and a post-graduate certificate program in film. The College became a baccalaureate institution in 1997, and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). The 400 students come from 29 states and several countries. The faculty is comprised of 20 full-time and 35 adjunct faculty members.