Program Overview

Introduction to the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design

The Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design at Georgia State University offers a comprehensive education in the arts, with a faculty of internationally recognized artists and a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for professional careers in art and design.

Undergraduate Programs

The school offers several undergraduate programs, including:

• Bachelor of Arts in Art, Concentration in Art History
• Bachelor of Arts in Art, Concentration in Studio
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education
• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio, with concentrations in:
  • Ceramics
  • Drawing & Painting
  • Graphic Design
  • Interior Design
  • Photography
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture
  • Textiles

Graduate Programs

The school also offers several graduate programs, including:

• Master of Art Education
• Master of Arts in Teaching, Art Education
• Master of Fine Arts in Studio, with concentrations in:
  • Ceramics
  • Drawing & Painting
  • Graphic Design
  • Interior Design
  • Photography
  • Printmaking
  • Sculpture
  • Textiles

Program Details

Admissions Requirements

Students who wish to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree must first enter as a B.A. in studio and take Foundations courses. They then can apply and be accepted into either a B.F.A. in studio or art education. Acceptance to a concentration is determined by application and portfolio review following completion of the art core curriculum.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the B.F.A. in Studio includes:

• 12 credits of foundation studios
• 6 credits of Art History surveys
• 47 credits of TEXT studios (for the Textiles emphasis)
• 3 credits of TEXT History
• 3 credits of Critical Issues in Contemporary Art
• 3 credits of Digital Possibilities
• 4 credits of Electives

Tuition

Information on tuition can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Goals and Outcomes

The program aims to:

• Ensure comprehensive exposure to an array of perspectives as represented by the various faculty approaches to media, content, imagery, and teaching styles.
• Explore the continuing traditions of art-making in pursuit of new forms and with contemporary concepts and issues.
• Encourage multidisciplinary approaches with other studio areas.
• Prepare students for a professional arts career or secondary degree through development in workshops, exhibitions, internships, marketing, and art handling, design, collaboration with peers, critique, and artistic discourse.

Careers

The undergraduate programs at the Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design prepare students for competitive careers in contemporary art, art education, design, and art entrepreneurship. Career paths include:

• Graphic, interior, and web designers
• Multimedia artists
• Curators
• Gallery directors
• Museum and non-profit arts managers
• Art administrators
• Kindergarten through 12th-grade art teachers
• Art educators
• Art historians and writers
• Creative directors at advertising and marketing firms
• Props and set design fabricators
• Art appraisers

Textiles, B.F.A.

The Textiles emphasis fosters personal exploration of subject matter, technical proficiency in a broad range of working methods, and professional presentation. Textiles is presented in both historic and contemporary contexts, demonstrating the continuing relevance of the field and its many applications. The work produced in the Textiles B.F.A. has prepared students for careers in fine art, the textile industry, the film industry, and graduate study.