Our BA and BFA (read below Masters Programs) academic programs-Art Education, Graphic Design, Interior Design, and Studio Art (ceramics, painting and drawing, photography, print and book arts, and sculpture)-allow you to choose a specific area of study and immerse yourself in it to become a successful professional artist. Academic advisors within the School of Art and Design are highly qualified t
o guide you in the courses required for the path you choose. degree: Graphic Design and Studio Art. Graphic Design allows a concentrated study in contemporary graphic issues, ranging from traditional typography to motion graphics. The Studio emphasis presents in-depth studies in Printmaking/Book Arts, Photography, Painting/Drawing, Ceramics and Sculpture. You will be exposed to professional practices in the field by meeting with professionals, using the lastes technologies, and applying hands-on techniques and practices. While developing your artistic portfolio for the future you'll also be encouraged to display your work in the the Fine Art Museum at Western Carolina University and/or off-campus venues. Guiding the way are the members of our Art and Design Faculty, many of whom have followed the same path and make their mar as successful professionals and award-winning artists. Through its fine scholarship program, the School of Art and Design is proud to support efforts of its outstanding students. These scholarships are competitive, and those who win them can be justifiably proud. Director, School of Art and Design
Professor Matt Liddle
(Print/Book Arts), BAC 160
[email protected]
We also have programs for M.A.Ed or M.A.T in Art Education as well as M.F.A in Studio Art. Master of Arts in Education (M.S. applicants must hold or be eligible to hold a North Carolina Class A teaching license, or a comparable license from another state, in the chosen field unless admission is sought to certain programs in which licensure is not a factor. Masters of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) applicants must have an undergraduate degree in the major of the concentration and must meet the prerequiste requirements of the department housing the concentration. Candidates with an undergraduate degree in a major other than MAT concentration may not qualify for the MAT and are subject to prerequisite course requirements as determined by the faculty in the department of the concentration. Prerequisite requirements will vary by department and depend on the credentials presented by the candidate. Pending satisfactory completion of state-mandated licensure requirements, the program leads to a recommendation for an initial and advanced license from North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Prerequisites: The program is open to students with undergraduate degrees in fields other than art. However, at the time of the admissions decision the program director will list the undergraduate leveling courses needed by such students in order to provide an adequite background for the M.A.Ed. programs. These courses will not count toward graduate degree. Art Education Graduate Program Director:
Dr. Erin Tapley
Department of Art
828-227-2598
[email protected]
Masters of Fine Arts (MFA)
The MFA has been offered by WCU's SOAD since 2004 and is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The MFA is a 60 credit hour program that is normally completed in 2-3 years. The Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center on the main WCU campus is home to the program, and contains large individual and group graduate studios as well as classroom studio spaces with advanced facilities for painting and drawing, ceramics, photography, sculpture, printmaking/bookarts, graphic design, art history, new media and digital technology. The MfA program at WCU is interdiciplinary. Students develop individual creative directions ranging from traditional painting and ceramics to experimental work in sculpture and new media. The core of the program is a set of shared courses that empowers students to conduct research, to make connections between their work and the work of others, to communicate visually, to speak and to write. This core includes Research Methods, Theory and Criticism, and Graduate class taken each semester that brings MFA students from different studios together for common critique. Other courses include art history and a wide choice of electives. The graduate experience is enhanced by the Artist in Residence program and the close working relationship with the WCU Fine Art Museum. Visiting artists provide inspiration and critical perspective as well as a valuable professional connections; whenever possible, critiques with MFA students are arranged with artists, critics, curators, writers, art historians visiting campus. The MFA program culminates in a Thesis Exhibition, with an oral defense and a required written paper. This rigorous combination of visual work, writing and critique encourages students to create work of high quality, to understand the conceptual basis of their work, and to place their work in the context of other contemporary and historical artists. The deadline for application to the program is February 1. To schedule a personal tour of the School, prospective students may call 828-227-3595. MFA Apply Here:
http://www.wcu.edu/academics/wcu-graduate-school/graduate-degree-programs/art-graduate-degree.asp
Contact:
Director of MFA
Distinguished Professor Tom Ashcraft
