Visual Arts Degrees: What Coursework is Included in a Typical Visual Arts Program?

What Coursework is Included in a Typical Visual Arts Program? ACR Takes a Look.

Types of Courses for Visual Arts Programs
2D and 3D Design
Contemporary Drawing
Digital Media: Animation
Digital Media: Typography
Life Drawing
Modern Art History
Multimedia Studio
Painting I-IV
Photography
Printmaking
Screen Printing
Sculpture I-IV
Special Studies in Ceramics
Visual Storytelling and Reporting

What is Visual Arts?

Visual arts includes art forms such as drawing, painting, sculpture, crafts, printmaking, and photography. Visual arts may also be used to describe art produced by digital means. Animation, film, and graphic design are examples.

What are the Types of Courses for Visual Arts Programs?

Programs such as the Visual Arts BFA at Duke University’s Trinity College of Arts & Sciences provide students with practical experience in painting, photography, drawing, digital imaging, interface design, book art, figure drawing, modeling and simulation, sculpture, and more. The major will enhance students understanding of art both within the history of culture and as individual human achievement. Lower-level courses emphasize the fundamentals of drawing, color, and form; upper-level courses encourage the students to develop a more individual conceptual approach and style, within the context of historical precedents and traditions.

Visual arts students will receive hands-on practice in areas such as film/video/digital, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Courses may include:

2D and 3D Design
Advanced Visual Field Reporting
Contemporary Drawing
Digital Media: Animation
Digital Media: Typography
Digital Media: Web
Drawing
Etching
Life Drawing
Modern Art History
Multimedia Studio
Painting I-IV
Photography
Printmaking
Screen Printing
Sculpture I-IV
Special Studies in Ceramics
Visual Storytelling and Reporting

In the last year of the program, visual arts students will have the opportunity to complete an internship. Some internships are paid + school credit, while others offer school credit only. Paid or not, internships offer an excellent opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience and make valuable contacts in industries from animation to web design.

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What Can I Do With a Degree in Visual Arts?

The list of visual arts careers is endless. The Department of Visual Arts at Southeastern Louisiana University provides the following list of career options for visual arts graduates.