Art Major

Focused on the needs of 21st-century artists, the art major prepares students with the conceptual and technical abilities needed to succeed in the professional world.

At a Glance

Flexibility

Full Time
Delivery Options

On Campus
Degree

BFA

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What courses will you take?

Video by James Joutras '19

The B.F.A. in Art at UMass Lowell is designed to help you develop a rigorous art practice, with 80+ credit hours spent on making fine art or animation and interactive work. From Foundations to Advanced Studies, you'll take courses that integrate traditional art forms with new technologies.

At UMass Lowell, we offer two concentrations, which lead to a wide range of career opportunities.

Studio Art, which includes the exploration of painting, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Studio Art courses
Animation and Interactive Media, which explores techniques in 2D and 3D animation and modeling practices, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality, and computer-generated art. Animation and Interactive Media courses

Small classes (average class size is 15 students) offer individualized attention and allow you to become fluent in the discourse of your discipline. In the senior capstone project, you will develop a portfolio for your continued professional career.

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the B.F.A. program prepares you to enter your chosen art discipline at a professional level.

Visit the Academic Catalog for:

Visit the Academic Catalog for all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.

Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree will:

Be informed and intelligent citizens, and as such be valuable members of society committed to making a difference as influential cultural producers, leaders, and trend-setters
Acquire fluency in the major discourses informing their concentrations in Studio Art and/or Graphic Design
Exhibit literacy in the history of art and visual communication
Be exposed to current trends in art and design
Be ready for careers in the creative industry as studio artists, photographers, illustrators, graphic designers, interactive-media practitioners, animators, gallery administrators, art critics and/or researchers.
Be qualified to enter graduate study in art, design, visual studies, and/or art education
Be able to integrate multiple disciplines and media for their creative projects in both personal work and professional pursuits
Demonstrate preparedness to navigate waves of cultural production and adjust to changing modes of visual expression in both art and graphic design fields
Not only excel in the area of concentration within their degree, but also in their ability to continually embrace, innovate and advance the ever-changing developments in art and design production and research.

Why study art at UMass Lowell?

Art student painting in a UMass Lowell studio

Fun Outside the Classroom

Put your learning into practice. Check out some of the fun ways UML students come together.

Professor and student review artwork in a UMass Lowell art studio

Experiential Learning

Gain hands-on experience through professional internships and co-ops. Students have worked with clients that include:

NASA
Reebok
Adidas
iRobot

Student photographing another student with a tablet computer in a UMass Lowell studio

Cutting-Edge Technology

Our facilities offer ample studio space and current technology including:

Cintiq drawing tablets
Laser cutters
3-D printers & scanners
Motion capture & virtual reality technology

Group of students seated at a round table discussing video game design

Interested in Video Game Design?

Learn how you can combine programs to prepare for the fast-growing video game industry.

What can you do with a degree in art?

We're ranked the No. 1 art program for return on investment by Payscale.com. UMass Lowell’s art & design graduates are in high demand, with 96 percent landing jobs or being accepted into graduate programs within six months of graduation.