Bachelor of Arts in Art students pursue a well-rounded liberal-arts program of study, and elect a second area of study (for example, marketing, journalism, or public relations) to develop alternate career options. Art majors can become art therapists, teachers, professional studio artists, graphic designers, marketing directors, medical illustrators, gallery assistants and much more.

This program of studies is designed to prepare students to work professionally in an art field or to study at the advanced level at a graduate or professional school. Students complete coursework focused on a concentrated subject area. ESU offers BFA concentrations in the following studio areas: Engraving Arts, Glass, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography and Sculpture.

In the ceramics program, you’ll learn the basics of traditional and non-traditional crafting techniques while getting experience working with a variety of tools, methods and other artists.

Using hand fabricated objects, you will go beyond traditional engraving applications. Early courses focus on becoming acclimated with the tools. It is this program's ambition to explore the conceptual as well as the technical side of engraving. This program welcomes all disciplines in an effort to combine techniques. Installation, ceramics, bones, metal, assemblage, printmaking, sculpture, painting, found objects (and more) are all invited into the lab for exploration.

This program is designed to prepare students to work professionally the glass forming field or to study at the advanced level at a graduate or professional school. ESU has a dedicated glass studio available for student use and brings in multiple visiting artists each year for students to work with. In addition, the Glass Guild Blowout is hosted on campus every year, which brings in visiting artists and the public.

Students are prepared for the field of graphic design through courses covering print and digital delivery methods. Emphasis is placed on the development of a strong technical foundation as well as developing an individual visual vocabulary to solve real-world design challenges.

Students dive deep into researching other painters’ methods and motivations from the past and present, while creating a body of work inspired by historically significant painters. Projects in Painting and Advanced Painting students narrow their focus while working to develop a personal body of work. In addition to the required painting classes, additional classes are occasionally offered to broaden students’ painting experiences including, Figure Painting, Watercolor, Mural Painting, Independent Study in Painting, and Internship in Painting.

The photography area at ESU introduces students to black and white darkroom, digital, non-silver processes, 35mm SLR and DSLR cameras, medium format and large format view cameras, and studio lighting. Emphasis is placed on the development of technical foundation, content, creativity, and individual artistic identity. In addition to explorations of the medium through various technical approaches, the history of photography and building a professional resume through exhibition, publication, and scholarship is underscored.

If you want to teach art in elementary, middle or high school, the teacher education program is available at ESU. The Department of Art partners with the department overseeing middle and secondary education. ESU excels in teacher education, as it has for over 125 years.

The Pre-Art Therapy Preparation curriculum track includes a second area of study in psychology. This course of study has been designed to prepare students for admittance to masters graduate programs in Art Therapy.

This 18 hour program of studies offered by the Department of Art is designed to enhance a baccalaureate degree program, preparing students to work professionally in a field that may benefit from expanded study in the visual arts. Students may complete course work focused on a concentrated subject area.

This 18 hour program of studies in the Department of Art is designed to enhance a baccalaureate degree program. Students may complete course work focused on a concentrated subject area. The minor in art is an enrichment program for students desiring recognition of accomplishments in the visual arts without the commitment required for a major in art.