Major Requirements: The Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art requires 58 hours of core coursework. The Art program offers students a strong foundation year which encourages skill development, experimentation and independent thought. In the sophomore year students focus on media exploration and skill development through courses in painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Art history courses support both contextual and conceptual development that is essential for emerging artists. Upper level courses include Figuration (the study of the human figure), Professional Practices, and Art and Inquiry (an arts-based research course). Students conclude their studies through the culminating experience course sequence, Senior Studio I and II, which require the development of an independent creative project, a senior exhibition in the Fine Arts Gallery, and a thesis paper.

Electives: Art majors typically take between 6 and 12 hours of elective courses. Example elective courses include Sequential Art, Screenprinting, Installation Art, and Video.

General Education Requirements: The Art degree requires an average of 38-44 hours of general education courses that students complete over four years in addition to their major courses and electives.

View and download the full degree plan for the Art major (PDF).

A few examples of the Art major courses students take:

• Issues in Contemporary Art – Focuses on recent art, artists and art world (from museums to the market). Materials will be framed in the context of the era, including introductions to formalist, feminist, psychological, and deconstructivist criticism. 
• Painting: Methods – Focuses on fundamental painting techniques from direct observation. Emphasis is placed on the plastic medium of paint as it relates to pictorial representation, color, form, texture, and space.
• Clay: Handbuilding – Introduces handbuilding techniques involved in the ceramics process. Through demonstrations and discussions, students will learn fundamental handbuilding methods, surface treatments, and the use of tools and equipment. Students complete projects employing coil, pinch, slab, and additive/subtractive modeling techniques.

Our distinguished faculty members are scholar-practitioners with years of experience and creative passions of their own. They stay active in their fields and bring their expertise to the classroom. 

Along with personal attention and mentorship from their professors, our students have access to offices and programs outside of the classroom that support their success. We encourage students to take advantage of these resources that help them thrive and excel: Learn more about these services.

Students majoring in Art can explore career paths and practical application of their studies through internships and interactions with the greater art community.

On Campus Projects

Students may also participate in art projects on campus. For example, six students in an installation art class with professor Alexandra Robinson created an interactive art installation for high-school students visiting campus. 

Visiting Artists

St. Edward's University brings in artists to further enhance students' experience by exposing them to high-quality art and individuals who are active in the field. 

Past visiting artists include:

• Turkish American artist Tulu Bayar
• David Mack, artist and writer for Marvel Comics®
• New York sculptor and photographer, Robert Hite
• Artist-activists Robert Shetterly and Lily Yeh

Access to Austin's Art Scene

• Annual field trips to major museums and art events around the state
• The Fine Arts Exhibition program and the Visiting Artist program expose students to a variety of art and artists from the region and beyond
• Opportunities for student exhibitions

Internships

Our internship program acquaints junior and senior-level students with the practical experience of engaging with artists who work in studios and art professionals, gallerists and curators in the workplace. Our students have recently interned with galleries and organizations such as:

• Women And Their Work
• Mexic-Arte Museum
• The Contemporary Austin professional
• Austin Bergstrom International Airport exhibits
• Cultural Arts Division
• Big Medium

Capstone Project

Our required, semester-long Capstone course examines a topic of your choosing. This completes a two-semester research/experiential course sequence, which is notable for a smaller liberal arts school. The combination of research and practical learning gives students an opportunity to hone their abilities and develop skills valued by employers and graduate schools.

What’s a Capstone? Find out.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Art, you’ll have the practical and professional experience needed for many creative fields. Recent graduates have also earned grants for artistic projects and been accepted to studio residency programs.

Read about our successful alumni and see what they have to say about life after St. Edward’s.

Students who wish to earn an Art minor must take the following coursework, totaling 24 hours, with at least 9 hours of upper-division coursework. This includes four required courses: 

Students select three elective courses in Art History I, Art History II, Drawing II or Watercolor I, Sculpture: Materials, od Clay: Wheel Throwing.

Are you a current student? Contact your advisor for next steps on declaring your major or minor.