Arts in USA

The highly ranked Department of Art’s degree programs provide creative students with the critical and artistic skills needed to excel in contemporary, multidisciplinary art and design practices. The art curriculum fosters positive collaboration and innovative art production, while encouraging diverse points-of-view.

Potential Careers for Artists include: animation, ceramics, glassblowing, metal fabrication, graphic and multi-media design, illustration, videography, photography, teaching and, of course, as a gallery artist. Our graduates also work as community arts organizers, user experience designers, medical imagists, technical assistants for major film companies, jewelry designers and fabricators, book designers, and more. 

• One official copy of all undergraduate and graduate course work; the baccalaureate transcript should be from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA). New Paltz is encouraging of interdisciplinary scholarship and we support applicants with degrees from non-studio areas who are able to demonstrate a strong body of work.
• Two letters of reference from former teachers or other professionals in the field familiar with the candidate’s qualifications who can support the candidate’s ability to do graduate work.
  • A 300-500 word letter of intent that states the candidate’s goals for graduate study.

The Department of Theatre and Dance is dedicated to two primary goals: to provide students with the highest caliber of training in theatre and dance that will allow them to create performances of any kind at any level, and to provide the southern Minnesota region with a multi-faceted, high quality theatrical and dance experience. These goals interweave to provide entertainment and education to those on both sides of the curtain. 

If you can’t decide whether you want to focus on dance or theatre or art, majoring in The Arts is the perfect solution! The program allows you to choose three focus areas of the four creative arts – theatre, dance, music and art – and get an individualized education in the foundations of all three disciplines. You’ll participate in performances, exhibits and productions that combine elements such as creativity, analytical thinking and global awareness.

The BFA degree options are Art Education, Graphic Design, and Studio Art (two-dimensional emphasis and three-dimensional emphasis).

• The Art Education option provides professional training and art studio experiences leading to teacher licensure in art for grades K-12.
• The Graphic Design option allows students to develop creative and technical skills in visual communication concepts and time-based media. The option has a selective admissions program for advancement to the junior and senior years.
• The Studio Art option with two-dimensional emphasis offers students the opportunity to study various 2D studio media. Studio classes are offered in drawing, painting, printmaking and digital art. Instruction in the studio processes is done with an emphasis on creativity, craftsmanship, application and understanding of design principles, and safety.
• The Studio Art option with three-dimensional emphasis offers the student the opportunity to study various 3D studio media. Studio classes are offered in ceramics, metalsmithing/jewelry and sculpture. Instruction in the studio processes is done with an emphasis on creativity, craftsmanship, application and understanding of design principles, and safety.

The Studio Art option offers a contemporary training in fine arts (painting, drawing, photography, and digital arts) within the context of a broadly-based liberal arts education.

The Master of Liberal Arts and Sciences (MLAS) is for students who need or desire advanced education but do not require a specific specialized content area. This multidisciplinary degree stresses critical thinking, comparative analysis, and connections across disciplines rather than specialization in a fairly small content area. The LAS Program is designed especially for students seeking a Masters degree as an occupational qualification and for those who wish to have a more in-depth inquiry into the liberal arts and sciences. The LAS Program promotes an advanced level of critique, analysis, and comparison. Students also explore the broad questions faced by human beings, as well as the specific means by which individual disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics have addressed these questions.

For self-motivated learners with inquisitive minds and an interest in thinking across disciplinary boundaries, the Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) Program is a graduate liberal arts program that offers a diverse range of interdisciplinary courses designed and taught by MLA Program faculty that build upon a foundation in the history of ideas while also incorporating contemporary topics, sources, and approaches to research, analysis, and discourse.

As an art student at USM, you will explore your creative problem-solving ability through one-on-one instruction and mentoring from accomplished artists and faculty.

You can design the degree based on your interests, with three key concentration areas: Art Therapy, Graphic Design, and Studio Art.

You will also benefit from nationally renowned guest artist presentations and exhibits, USM’s 24-hour access to Xavier Studios (drawing/design, painting/printmaking studios, and a Mac computer lab) as well as access to the darkroom and ceramic studio.

As a senior, you'll have an opportunity to show your best work – regardless of your concentration – during your senior show, presented at the USM Student Art Exhibit.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree programs combine a liberal arts education with professional preparation for careers in art or design. Through courses in the humanities and sciences, students gain an understanding of the nature of art, humankind and society, which is essential to developing creative potential. Special attention is given to the major visual disciplines as a foundation for art specializations.

Students are prepared for graduate study in studio art; entry-level positions in numerous art occupations connected with business and industry, government and social agencies; and future possibilities for careers as exhibiting artists. 

During the freshman and sophomore years, all B.F.A. students take a major in Art and a common set of courses in the basic art disciplines, including Art History. In the junior and senior years, students select one of the studio concentrations described below, with the permission of their advisers. Internships and apprenticeships are strongly recommended and are required for some concentrations.

An education in Visual Arts can be defined as the process whereby one learns how to produce art; engage in the aesthetic and critical analysis of art, and to talk, read, and write about art. Students at Utah Tech will be exposed to numerous concepts and activities involved in becoming visually and aesthetically literate. As part of their artistic study students will become proficient in their art discipline. Students will have opportunity to visit major regional art museums and exhibit artwork both on and off campus.

The Pre-Art Therapy program is a collaboration between the Department of Art and Design and the Department of Behavioral Sciences, uniting mental health with the creative process. The curriculum prepares those seeking admittance to a master’s program in art therapy or a master’s in counseling or related fields emphasizing art therapy.

Art therapy is an integrative profession that enriches lives through active art-making, applied psychological theory, and human experience. Students will acquire a broad understanding of the applications, theories, and career paths when preparing to apply to accredited art therapy or other related counseling graduate programs.

The master of fine arts in arts administration (MFA-AA) degree track is a two-year resident academic and experiential learning course of study that begins each fall. The program includes 60 credit hours (see MFA Curriculum) combined with work opportunities through our professional affiliates: arts fusion, Frehner Museum of Natural History, the Southern Utah Museum of Art, SUU’s College of Performing and Visual Arts, and the Utah Shakespeare Festival.

We're proud to offer one of the few Art Therapy BFA programs in the nation. Art therapy is a four-year, pre-professional degree program integrating three areas of study: studio art, psychology, and the creative arts therapies. Primarily based in the visual arts, you may choose to augment your coursework with opportunities in drama, music, and creative writing. Through foundation courses, you'll grow increasingly comfortable working in a variety of media, and you'll be encouraged to develop your own toolbox of personal creative resources that you can share therapeutically with others.

The Liberal Studies program develops and enhances students’ ability to think critically and provides a strong foundation in the skills necessary to succeed in a wide variety of workplaces and graduate programs. Students wishing to obtain a B.A. in Liberal Studies may pursue one of six multidisciplinary concentrations: Culture; Religion and Society; European Studies, Gender and Sexuality; Race, Ethnicity and Gender; Third World Studies; Individualized Studies. Courses and co-curricular activities emphasize global perspectives and awareness of diversity in historical and contemporary contexts.

The Bachelor of Arts in Art degree at the University of Mount Union provides students with the essential skills, tools, and resources needed for personal interpretation and artistic expression. The mission of the department is to develop, produce, and maintain a curriculum that enables students to acquire a broad knowledge of an array of art disciplines.

When pursuing a degree in art, students can choose from three different concentrations: studio, graphic design, and art education. All three concentrations share a basic foundation of art courses before advancing to the classes designed specifically for that particular area of study. A major in art will provide an excellent basis for further study leading to a career in fine or applied art, or for an advanced degree leading to teaching, and the department has also initiated a program that meets the requirements for a multi-age teaching license.