Studio Arts Undeclared

If you would like to study art, but have not yet decided on a discipline, you can enter UMass Dartmouth with a “Studio Arts Undeclared” major. You will have an opportunity to explore CVPA’s many studio options during your first semester. Then you’ll declare a major and take your introductory courses in the spring.

All of CVPA’s bachelor of fine arts (BFA) programs offer you professional preparation in the arts—and the opportunity to take more art courses than you would in a BA program.

Prepare for a career in the arts

Animation + Game Arts

UMassD’s Animation + Game Art program integrates digital art, design, and technology to advance the quality of digital communication and create a more understandable world. You'll engage in consistent, hands-on experimentation in digital animation and interactive multimedia, exploring three-dimensional design, web design, and virtual reality. Learn more about Animation + Game Art

Drawing

You’ll develop fundamental skills and explore contemporary practices through a wide spectrum of drawing courses including representation, the human figure, architecture and perspective, concept development, mixed media, abstraction, time-based media, and installation. The BFA in Drawing offers studio-based training with all the advantages of a university education. Learn more about Drawing

Fashion Design

The study of fashion design and production balances your creative vision with technical skills and an in-depth understanding of the fashion industry. You can prepare for a professional career in apparel design, marketing, manufacturing, and product development. When you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Fashion Design, you'll develop a wide range of skills and knowledge: advanced fashion design concepts such as computer-aided design (CAD), technical design and production, business in the fashion industry, public speaking and presentation, and contemporary fashion trends. Learn more about Fashion Design

Graphic Design

Graphic designers create solutions to communications challenges. You'll develop your talents and skills and achieve a high degree of professional competence, while pursuing your own creative goals. The program will prepare you for the many career opportunities available in graphic design practice, including print, web, and interactive media. Learn more about Graphic Design

Illustration

Illustrators tell stories through images—interpreting and translating text and narrative into visual form. You will be introduced to specialized areas such as book illustration, character development, concept art, and documentary illustration and will gain experience in the fundamental principles of color, composition, drawing, and rendering. Learn more about Illustration

Integrated Studio Arts

Integrated Studio Arts is designed for art and design students interested in developing and combining skills across the visual arts. You'll develop cross-disciplinary sensitivity—with the possibility of combining painting with printmaking, photography, digital media, textiles, and other disciplines in contemporary art making. Fine artists are inherent problem-solvers, negotiators, collaborators, and team-players; they have excellent hand/eye coordination and can illustrate their ideas—often quickly—so that others can understand a concept beyond the written or spoken word. Learn more about Integrated Studio Arts

Interior Architecture + Design

The Interior Architecture + Design program prepares students for professional-level entrance into the design field. You will learn contemporary design techniques, have access to state-of-the art design technology, build a personal portfolio, and gain workplace experience through internships. Learn more about Interior Architecture + Design

Painting

As a painting major, you’ll develop fundamental skills and explore contemporary practices through the study of form, color, space, the human figure, abstraction, and mixed media. As you are introduced to a range of materials and style, you’ll explore expression and modes of perception, observation, and representation. Learn more about Painting

Photography

As a photography major, you will master both traditional and digital techniques and explore photographic imagery in all contexts. With an emphasis on expressive communication and individual style, the photography program promotes both technical proficiency and aesthetic sophistication. Learn more about Photography

Printmaking

As a printmaking major, you will learn to express yourself visually, master fundamental techniques, and explore contemporary practices. The program offers professional, studio-based training in printmaking techniques including silkscreen, etching, lithography, relief, monotype, and photo processes. Learn more about Printmaking

Sculpture

Innovation, invention, and independence are the cornerstones of CVPA's sculpture program. You will gain experience in a broad spectrum of 3D art-making approaches and genres through focused, disciplined studio practice. You will be exposed to the many possibilities of contemporary sculpture as you explore both theory and practice. Learn more about Sculpture