Visual Art and Design

The Visual Art and Design emphasis within the Art, B.A. is built for students who want to bring their studio practice into conversation with another field of study. Whether you pair your art coursework with a second major or minor in business, communication, psychology or another discipline, this emphasis gives you the flexibility to develop a creative identity that is both personally meaningful and professionally versatile.

You will begin with a sequence of foundation courses that build core skills in all the discplines we offer. Through this process you’ll learn design principles, color theory, and work in 2D, 3D and 4D media. Alongside that technical training, art history coursework grounds your work in the broader story of visual culture. As you advance, you select 300- and 400-level studio electives in consultation with your academic advisor, shaping a program of study that reflects your specific interests and career goals.

The Visual Art and Design emphasis is especially well-suited for transfer students and for students who want to complete a second major alongside their art degree. Rather than prescribing a single medium or direction, the emphasis encourages exploration across disciplines, allowing you to combine any of the following ceramics, fibers, filmmaking, graphic design, new media/animation, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture.

Students complete a senior Capstone Studio course (ART 497) that serves as an integrative culminating experience, bringing together the skills and ideas developed throughout the program. Graduates leave with a portfolio, a strong conceptual foundation and the interdisciplinary perspective that today’s creative industries expect.