Program Description

The Commercial Art and Design Department trains students to become professional artists and designers. Its fundamental objectives are fostering intellectual development through creative critical thinking, aesthetic appreciation resulting from thoughtful dialogue, and technical skills through the manipulation of materials.

Among the topics covered in the four-year curriculum are drawing with various media, understanding color theory, painting, two– and three-dimensional design, photography, digital art, the nature and use of color, Web development, multimedia design, and digital video and marketing strategies. Creative problem-solving projects will teach students how to resolve consumer communication needs visually and how to prepare creative art for reproduction in all printed media.

This flexible and contemporary curriculum, along with faculty advising, assures artistic growth and self-realization of the individual. Time management, portfolio development, and employment interviewing skills are also taught. Weekly portfolio projects and written essays are also emphasized.

• U.S. Department of Labor Statistics
• Keen competition is expected for both salaried jobs and freelance work.
• Artists held about 208,000 jobs in 2004. Sixty-three percent were self-employed.
• There are many types of employment in this field—multimedia artists and animators, art directors, fine artists, craft artists, illustrators and print makers, commercial and industrial designers, graphic designers, and fashion designers.
• Median annual earnings of salaried art directors were $63,840 in May 2004. Median annual earnings of salaried multimedia artists and animators were $50,360 in May 2004. Earnings for self-employed artists vary widely.
• (Employment facts from the Occupational Outlook Handbook at www.bls.gov/OCO)

Program Placement
Median annual earnings of salaried art directors were $63,840 in May 2004. Median annual earnings of salaried multimedia artists and animators were $50,360 in May 2004. Earnings for self-employed artists vary widely.