Whether you’re a novice or have been making art your whole life, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Art program at Concordia University Chicago will ensure you build your artistic skills in any medium while giving you the practical training to thrive as an artist or designer.

Career Opportunities

  • Artist
  • Art Critic 
  • Art Director
  • Art Product Specialist
  • Art-Related Business Owner
  • Curator
  • Exhibition Preparator
  • Gallery Owner
  • Illustrator
  • Photographer

Study Format

  • On Campus

Art Degree Overview

A degree in art from CUC extends far beyond the classroom. Get ready to develop the technical skills necessary to excel in an art-related career.

CUC offers small class sizes where art faculty members know you by name. Art faculty members are experienced artists and art educators committed to advancing your abilities and supporting you throughout your college career. Our program also helps you build the foundation to pursue graduate school to teach art at the university level.

Our large, well-equipped studios accommodate drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, fiber, sculpture and ceramics. You’ll utilize the latest software for photography and graphic design and have access to print large-scale works of art.

CUC’s on-campus Ferguson Art Gallery features the art of both established and emerging artists. As an art major, you’ll have the opportunity to show your work in the annual Senior Capstone Exhibition. Beyond the gallery, CUC’s permanent art collection is on display all over campus and serves as a teaching tool.

Course Information

The art program offers courses that prepare you to pursue a career in art and serve your community.

The Art major provides a solid foundation in the key principles of visual art. Through a combination of hands-on studio courses and theoretical study, students strengthen their technical skills, develop strong design sensibilities, and cultivate creative problem-solving abilities. Key courses include 2D and 3D Basic Studio, Introduction to Visual Arts, Drawing Studio, as well as Non-Western and Western Art, all of which foster a deep understanding of artistic practices across cultures and mediums. These courses aim to build both a strong work ethic and a thoughtful approach to the creative process.

A wide variety of advanced studio courses will deepen your artistic and technical skills while developing your own voice as an artist, including: Artist Books, Ceramics, Digital Photography, Fiber Arts, Figure Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking and Professional Strategies for the Visual Artist.

The Art Department further integrates the University’s liberal arts education among our general student population fostering appreciation and critical awareness for the visual arts and provides quality professional training to our visual arts majors, minors and art education students.

For details about required course descriptions, please visit our online catalog.

Career Outlook

Graduates of the Bachelor of Arts in Art program are equipped with a diverse skill set and a broad understanding of the arts, providing a variety of career pathways. Depending on their interests and areas of expertise, students can pursue careers in numerous fields, including:

  • Art media companies
  • Art organizations
  • Museums and galleries
  • Community centers
  • Commercial or fine art studios
  • Freelance or independent practice

These career options represent just a few of the many directions a degree in art from CUC can take you.

Beyond The Classroom

The city of Chicago is an extension of our classroom, offering the opportunity to visit world-class art museums, galleries and public art venues including the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, National Museum of Mexican Art and DuSable Museum. Our location and unique relationships with many of these institutions provide hands-on, practical internship experiences exclusive to our students.

In addition to exhibiting at the Ferguson Art Gallery, there are many opportunities to show your work on campus, including Motif, CUC’s literary magazine, The Spectator, CUC’s newspaper, and venues outside the CUC community.

Our award-winning, student-led Art Club gathers monthly to learn a new art process, participate in a guest art workshop, or seek art-related opportunities to serve the community.

Meet our Faculty

Faculty

Nikkole Huss

Professor of Art

Faculty

Angela Dieffenbach

Assistant Professor of Art