OHIO’s warm and welcoming residential campus in Athens offers the quintessential college experience, complete with numerous facilities, access to a social downtown area, and plentiful outdoor activities and attractions.
Art + Design Undergraduate Programs
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Create Your Place in the World with an Art + Design Bachelor's Degree
Each Art + Design student is unique, with an individual creative path and goals. All will develop a creative practice, engage content, and produce a portfolio of accomplishments — opening pathways to attend graduate school, become practicing artists, and enrich communities. Others will pursue careers in museums, galleries, education or with companies across a multitude of professions.
Everyone shares a start in our foundational courses, gaining skills and experience in drawing, making, design, and digital modes as they investigate their creative visions in 2-D, 3-D, and time-based media. Many will take advantage of internships, 24-hour-access studios, and renowned and dedicated creative faculty.
When you graduate you’ll have the portfolio of work, experience and knowledge to apply your talents, and share your vision.
Choose What You Want to Learn
Art + Design is a broad field that can prepare you for many different career paths. We offer Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees and Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) degrees in a variety of fields.
B.A. in Art History
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History is the study of works of art, design and architecture, all located in different historical eras and geographical regions.
B.A. in Studio Art
Students in the B.A. degree in Studio Art gain a variety of skills and techniques that enable them to work successfully in fields related to art or to pursue graduate study.
B.F.A. in Studio Art
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) in Studio Art is a professional studio degree that fosters the development of studio artists and creative thinkers.
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
The Graphic Design program focuses on sustainability and social impact, while developing a capacity for critical thinking, problem solving and innovation.
B.F.A. in Interior Architecture — Athens Campus
The Interior Architecture enables students to solve interior space problems through creative exploration, research, assessment, and understanding.
B.F.A. in Interior Architecture—OHIO Online
Harnessing technology and the virtual studio, the Online B.F.A. in Interior Architecture responds to the realities of 21st-century professional practice.
B.F.A. in Art Therapy
Students create artwork in a broad range of studio courses, learn about art in context through art history courses, and gain a better understanding of human psychology.
Honors Tutorial College Programs in Studio Art & Art History
The HTC programs balance breadth and rigor with opportunities for highly motivated students to creatively explore fundamental and cutting-edge issues.
Master's of Education in Art Education 4+1 Degree Track
This program is a great way for students to earn a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree, with a Multi-Age Visual Arts License, in a total of five years.
Choose Where You Want to Learn
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Athens, OH, Residential Campus
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Regional Campuses
You can start your art career by taking fine arts courses at our regional campuses. You can pursue an Associate in Arts degree with an arts and humanities before transferring or continuing your education at our Athens campus.
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OHIO Online
Maximize your work-life balance by taking fully online courses taught by OHIO’s top faculty accompanied by the support you need to earn your B.F.A. in Interior Architecture through OHIO Online.
Careers with a Bachelor's Degree in Art
The undergraduate programs in the School of Art + Design prepare you to work professionally in an array of art-related fields or to undertake graduate study.
B.F.A. in Studio Art majors, for example, often pursue graduate study, seek employment in museums, art centers and galleries, or work in related fields. Our alumni are competitive in careers as studio artists, artists-in-residence, and entrepreneurs. They produce commissioned artwork, feature in solo and group exhibitions, lead community projects, and win public artwork competitions.
Adding the Art Therapy concentration prepares you to pursue a graduate degree in Art Therapy, as well as positions within the blossoming field of Arts and Health.
Our Interior Architecture B.F.A. has been preparing graduates for successful careers in residential and commercial design, as well as in related areas such as lighting, visual display, sales and showroom management, for more than three decades.
Many graduating in with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design secure positions within top design firms nationally and internationally. Through the rigor of their academic studies and practical training, graduating designers also are prepared also to enter advanced degree programs.
The B.A. in Art History prepares students to work in fields related to art history, or undertake graduate work at the master’s level before proceeding on to the Ph.D., which is the terminal degree in art history.
Art + Design Certificates & Minors
You can also expand your options and enhance your resume with a certificate or minor.
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Biomedical Arts CertificateThe Certificate in Biomedical Arts builds knowledge in the areas of anatomical modeling and anatomical and scientific drawing and illustrations, including diagrammatic and conceptualized illustrations.
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Museum Studies CertificateThe Museum Studies certificate adds value to a variety of degree programs by providing a foundation for students interested in working in museums, educational and interpretive centers, or similar organizations.
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Art History MinorThe Art History minor is designed for students majoring in other fields who want to expand their knowledge of the history, criticism, and theory of art.
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Studio Art MinorThe Studio Art minor is designed for students majoring in other fields who want to expand their knowledge of the history, theory, and practice of studio art.
Get Hands-on Experience with your Art + Design Degree
Our art and design programs provide plenty of experiential learning opportunities. Students spend constructive time in studios, showcase their creations in exhibit and the Student Expo, and more.
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Join the Art Ambassadors at the School of Art + Design
Art Ambassadors earn service learning credits for providing assistance with tours, social media and info sessions for prospective students, and for engaging with cultural events, receptions and exhibitions.
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Create Your Capstone and Present Your Portfolio
By your senior year, you'll be getting ready to showcase your work and get your portfolio ready for job interviews. Art + Design majors participate in Studio Art capstone and practicum, senior thesis and more.
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Showcase Your Work at Student Expo
The »¨¼¾´«Ã½ Student Research and Creative Activity Expo is held annually to highlight student research, scholarship and creative works.
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Join a CoArts Project
CoArts connects »¨¼¾´«Ã½â€™s creative and cultural resources with community development efforts, while supporting applied research and learning opportunities for faculty and students.
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Get Global Experience through Study Abroad
Art + Design students can earn OHIO credits on study away experiences such as Japan: Animation and Culture in Tokyo and Rwanda: Art and Impact.
About Our Art + Design Programs
We support individual creativity and prepare students to excel in the field of contemporary visual arts. There are many paths to choose from, designed to equip you with a well-rounded and diverse skill set in your chosen field.
Emphasizing scholarly and creative research, our innovative programs reflect contemporary practices that are responsive to the dynamic field of the visual arts, preparing students for enduring careers in the arts and beyond. From graphic design to interior architecture, and everything in between, our interdisciplinary approach enables you to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and the cultural and aesthetic awareness to excel in enduring careers and lifelong creative inquiry.