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Ambitious art students selecting UMass arrive with both artistic aspirations and clear professional objectives. The university is dedicated to fostering these dual priorities in emerging artists. College-level art education channels creative impulses, hones critical analysis and practical skills, enhances focus, and equips students for rewarding careers across various fields. Current studies confirm the strength and adaptability cultivated through undergraduate art programs.
Art majors can join our Bachelor of Fine Arts Program, designed for those pursuing professional artistic careers. High school applicants may enter directly into the Studio Arts BFA program, or current students can apply to join during their remaining years at UMass.
Our interdisciplinary method provides student artists with exceptional freedom to shape their artistic vision while experimenting with modern mediums. Following foundational studies in art history, Studio Arts students progress to intermediate and advanced coursework in diverse areas: animation, ceramics, intermedia (including photography and video), painting, printmaking, and sculpture.
The BFA journey culminates in a senior thesis project—a comprehensive semester-long endeavor involving faculty collaboration, artwork creation, a written component, oral presentation, and solo exhibition.