Art Minor
Develop creative, analytical, and visual communication skills through hands-on artmaking, critical inquiry, and studio exploration.
Create original work. Understand visual culture. Add creative skills to your degree.
Program Type: Minor
Total Credit Hours: 21
Open to: MCLA undergraduates except Art B.A. majors
Why Add an Art Minor?
The Art Minor combines studio practice with art history, giving students practical experience in artmaking and critical context for understanding visual culture. Coursework progresses from foundational drawing and studio courses to intermediate and advanced, project-based work.
Studio Topics That Vary by Semester
The minor includes topic-based studio courses that change by semester and can be repeated when the subject differs. Examples across MCLA’s Art program include figure drawing, book arts, illustration, printmaking, and other art methods, giving students opportunities to explore different media and techniques.
Progress to Independent Projects and a Public Exhibition
ART 315: Art Project and ART 412: Advanced Art Project are open to Art minors with junior status. Students develop individualized experimental projects with regular feedback from faculty and peers, and their work may culminate in a student exhibition or other public presentation.
Your Core Art History Course Counts Toward the Minor
ARTH 117: Prehistoric to Early Modern Art History and ARTH 217: Modern to Contemporary Art History both carry the Core Creative Arts designation. Students who use one of these courses to satisfy their Core Creative Arts requirement are already one course closer to completing the Art Minor.
Art Minor Requirements
The Art Minor requires 21 credits. Students complete one drawing course, one art history course, six credits of introductory or intermediate studio art, and nine credits of upper-level studio art.
- ART 116: Drawing
- ARTH 117: Prehistoric to Early Modern Art History
- or ARTH 217: Modern to Contemporary Art History
Studio Course Options:
Select two 100- or 200-level studio courses, totaling six credits:
- ART 118: Design
- ART 125: Sculpture
- ART 132: Painting
- ART 204: Digital Art
- ART 216: Intermediate Drawing
- ART 218: Intermediate Design
- ART 232: Intermediate Painting
- ART 235: Art (Topic)
Select three 300- or 400-level studio courses, totaling nine credits:
- ART 315: Art Project
- ART 335: Art (Topic)
- ART 412: Advanced Art Project
- ART 435: Advanced Art (Topic)
How to Add the Art Minor
Enrolled MCLA students should meet with their academic advisor and an Art faculty member to plan the required art history and studio courses. Students must also complete a Change of Major/Minor form to officially declare the minor.
Who Can Add the Art Minor?
The Art Minor is open to MCLA undergraduates except students completing the Art B.A. MCLA does not permit Art majors to add the Art Minor because the program requirements overlap.
The minor develops creative, analytical, and visual communication skills that complement education, communications, business, and other fields involving visual content, presentation, design, or creative problem-solving.
Skills You Will Develop
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FAQs
No. The Art Minor does not require a portfolio. Meet with your academic advisor and
an Art faculty member to declare the minor and plan your courses.
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