Art

Art Curriculum 

The two-stage art major begins with two years of foundation courses in fundamental theory and studio skills. In your third and fourth years, you will choose advanced studio courses to hone your craft, develop your personal creative approach, and begin to articulate your individual vocabulary for inquiry and communicating humanistic ideas. 

The art major at the University of Mount Union is a two-stage program involving freshman-sophomore foundation courses and junior-senior advanced study studio skills. The foundation courses deal with the fundamental theory and provide the broad base from which any artist functions.  

In the junior-senior advanced studio courses, you use the theory skills learned to develop a personal creative approach and begin to articulate your individual vocabulary for inquiry and communicating humanistic ideas. 

You’ll learn from our talented art faculty, who are artists themselves and still regularly exhibit work.  Our faculty are committed to providing students with the best experience in both classes and extracurricular activities, encouraging you to find and explore your own passion. 

Our studio courses include design, sculpture, printmaking, painting, photography, motion graphics, illustration, graphic design, and more. The art degree builds on knowledge and inspiration from art history courses and exhibition opportunities.  

Learn more about our full range of foundational, traditional, and media-directed courses in the course catalog. 

Our degree in art prepares you to: 

• Demonstrate a facility in design theory as the foundation for further growth in specific media. 
• Be proficient in employing art theories in discussions, critiques, and written assignments. 
• Use any media to communicate their interpretation of a subject through solid theory and technical development. 
• Integrate the streams of theory, practice, and communication in the Senior Culminating Experience. 

First-hand experiences strengthen your classroom learning and facilitate communal education, support, and growth. In applied practice and exhibition courses, internships, and student organizations, you will strengthen your application of course concepts and prepare for career opportunities. 

Internships 

Internships provide you valuable opportunities to immerse yourself in the workforce and gain hands-on, “real-world” experience, which is crucial for securing a job after graduation. You’ll be able to choose internship roles and aspects of your placement that align with your career goals, granting you significant, relevant learning experience outside the traditional academic environment. 

Student Organizations and Art Exhibits 

Showcase your talents through student art exhibits and develop leadership skills through student organizations at the University of Mount Union. Getting involved in extracurricular opportunities and student organizations like Kappa Pi will prepare you for a successful career and graduate school. Student artists can also exhibit work as part of the student art exhibit and senior culminating experience exhibit.   

Careers in Art 

An art major prepares you for a wide variety of careers, from traditional pursuits in craft and fine arts to design and directorial roles to other professions that benefit from the capabilities of an artist. In these roles, your creativity can flourish, and you can exercise your capacity for care in meaningful ways.  

Common Careers 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, arts and design roles that require a bachelor’s degree can earn median salaries from $50,000 to $100,00 per year. Consider careers like: 

Art historian  
Art Director 
Museum curator  
Painter  
Sketch artist  
Graphic designer
Fashion designer
Floral designer 
Advertising designer 

Recent Employers 

Students majoring in art, work in visual communication, studio arts, art education, and museum work. The well-rounded program allows students to work with many different companies.  

 
Akron Art Museum
WRL Advertising
Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts
InterDesign, Inc.
The Youngstown Vindicator
Concrete Mystique Engraving
Kohl’s

Unique Careers through Interdisciplinary Double Majors 

Embrace opportunities to explore multiple passions through a double major in art and another subject. These pairings equip you to pursue opportunities defined by the many facets of your college experience. Our creative graduates take their empathy, visual awareness, emotional intelligence, and keen hand-eye skills into diverse fields. 

An art major also pairs well with other majors like biology, engineering, business and religion. Consider double major combinations and their career outcomes 

• Art and Psychology, leading to art therapy  
• Art and Biology, leading to medical illustration and sustainability 
• Art and Engineering, leading to industrial design and architecture 
• Art and Business, leading to fashion and marketing 
• Art and Religion, leading to curating and book illustration 

Pursuing Graduate Education in Art 

Graduate study can foster the growth of your craft, expand the foundations laid in an interdisciplinary double major, or unveil new professional opportunities. Art majors have gone on to study visual communication, studio arts, art education, museum work, art therapy, and medical professions like physician, physician assistant, and nursing. 

Recent Grad Schools 

• Rochester Institute of Technology  
• Kent State University   

Dedicated creative spaces on campus amplify learning, build community, and nourish our collective yearning for beauty in the everyday. In addition to the main art center, we host art galleries in the Giese Center for Performing Arts and in Beeghly Hall. 

William H. Eells Art Center 

Our inspiring hub for creativity and performance hosts a lecture room, painting studio, Mac computer lab, faculty offices, and studio spaces for printmaking, sculpture, drawing, and design. 

The William H. Eells Art Center is named for the late Dr. Eells, who was a patron of the arts, a member of the Mount Union Board of Trustees, and a former faculty member at Mount Union.