Drawing

Studying drawing at the College of Visual & Performing Arts at UMass Dartmouth offers professional, studio-based training in the visual arts with all the advantages of a university education.

Drawing students will learn fundamental skills and contemporary drawing practices through a wide spectrum of drawing course offerings such as:

representation
the human figure
architecture & perspective
concept-development
mixed media
abstraction
time-based media
installation

You will develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining drawing with painting, printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, sculpture, time-based media, installation and other disciplines in contemporary art making. You will also be able to explore fields across the university, such as business, engineering, and science.

Students who wish to focus their studies on drawing may major in studio arts, which offers concentrations in drawing, painting, 2D sculpture, and 3D integrated studio arts.

The BFA program in studio art and the expanded field culminates in each student’s BFA capstone exhibition in a professional gallery or museum setting. A graduating BFA student from our program has the experience and confidence to boldly enter a career in the visual arts and build a creative life amid the limitless possibilities available to the artist today.

For the BFA in art + design: studio arts and the expanded field, you'll complete 78 credits in courses related to your major, and 120 credits overall.

For the minor in drawing, you will complete 18 credits. A minor in drawing provides you with the aesthetic, technical, and intellectual training necessary to succeed in the professional art world.

Drawing student work

Dollar Bill Collaborative Drawing Installation about Consumerism and the Environmental Crisis | AXD 325 Drawing Time Space and Meaning | Conversations Between CVPA Faculty and Students Exhibition

AXD 325 Collaborative Drawing Installation Deafening Silence Drawing

Student success

Connor Chan '24

Chan explores the anatomy of friendship in his work for the 2024 Senior Exhibition.

College of Visual & Performing Arts undergraduate median starting salary:
$55,000

NACE Data Collection of Class of 2023 Undergraduate Alumni

UMassD advantages

Internships: enhance your studies while gaining first-hand experience in creative fields
Studio facilities: our studios feature state-of-the-art equipment and ample work areas
Campus Gallery: exhibit your own work and gain exposure to the work of contemporary artists

Expand your opportunities

Master of Fine Arts: Develop your personal voice and advance your creative skills with a master's degree. You can specialize in drawing, painting, printmaking, or sculpture.

Master of Art Education: With an emphasis on how the arts are integrated into daily life, the MAE program leads to a single-level professional certification in Massachusetts as an art teacher in grades Pre K-8 or 5-12.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Fine Arts: Designed for artists who have earned BFA or BA degrees, and would benefit from immersion in an academic/studio environment. Applicants may wish to develop their artwork for application to graduate school, professional residency or to launch a professional career.