For those people in Alabama, who are considering careers in art, there are many fun and exciting fields for them to work within.
There are also many art schools in the state that offer various programs in such things as painting, ceramics, photography and web design.
Whatever field of art that people are interested in, there is a school for them.
Following are some of the top schools in the state offering programs of interest to aspiring artists.
Schools Specializing in Art
Below are some of the best Art Schools in Alabama.
College of Fine Arts at Montevallo
The College of Fine Arts at Montevallo is an extension of The University of Montevallo and offers exceptional programs in art education, art history, dance, music, theater and studio art, all accredited with the Commission on Colleges. People, who would like to become students of the College of Fine Arts, can contact the schools information desk at-205-665-6000, or they can visit their website at-http://www.montevallo.edu/cfa/. They can also write to the college at-75 College Drive, Montevallo, Alabama, 35115.
There are no unique requirements for admittance to the College of Fine Arts, other than, students must have maintained a C average during high-school, and they must have received satisfactory scores on their ACT/SAT exams. Students with GEDs must have completed their GED program with a score of 500 or above.
Those art students, who would like to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree, must complete a schedule of both basic skills and art-specific course work. The basic skills courses that they must take are the following-Written Composition I and II, six Humanities and Fine Arts electives, Mathematics, two Science courses and one lab, two History courses, two Social Science electives, Health and Wellness, and Computer Applications.
The art-specific courses, that they must take, consist of the following classes-Drawing I and II, 2D Design, 3D Design, History of Art I and II, Ceramics, Painting, Printmaking, New Media or Graphic Design, Sculpture, Advanced Drawing, two Art History courses, History of 20th Century Art, BFA Foundation Seminar, BFA Concentration Seminar, BFA Exhibition Seminar, at least six Studio Art electives in the student’s chosen area of concentration, at least five Art-Related electives, and at least two additional Art History electives.
College of Communications and Fine Arts at Troy
The College of Communications and Fine Arts at Troy, accredited with the Commission on Colleges, is an extension of Troy University and offers remarkable programs in theater, dance, graphic design, 2D Studio Art, 3D Studio Art and Art Education. Those people, who would like to learn about any of these programs, can phone the school’s main desk at-334-670-3391 or write to them at-601 University Avenue, Troy, Alabama, 36082. They can also find useful information on the college’s website at-http://www.troy.edu/communicationandfinearts/.
For students to gain entry to the College of Communications and Fine Arts, they must have had at least a 2.5 Grade Point Average in high-school, and they must have had satisfactory scores on their ACT or SAT exams. Students, who possess GEDs rather than high-school diplomas, must have passed their GED program with at least a score of 500. While not required, the college recommends that students submit a portfolio of their best and most recent work, as well.
Those students, whom wish to pursue a bachelor of science degree in graphic design, must complete a schedule of both basic skills and program-specific courses. The basic skills courses that they must take consist of the following classes-Composition and Modern English I and II, Fundamentals of Speech, Visual Arts, Introduction to Drama or Music Appreciation, one Literature elective, Foreign Language or Cultural Diversity elective, Principles of Biology with lab, additional Science course, Finite Math, two History electives, two Social Science electives, Computer Concepts and Applications, and University Orientation.
The program-specific courses that they must take consist of the following classes-Foundations of Form and Space, Foundations of Time and Space, Color and Technology, Introductory Drawing or E-Drawing, Survey or Art History I or II, Principles of Digital Design, Time and Sound, Design for the Internet, Paper and Screen, Design Studio, History of Graphic Design, Senior Thesis, Internship in Art and Design, and at least six additional program-specific electives.
Colleges and Universities in Alabama
Below are Colleges that offer Art Classes, Courses, Programs and Degrees for Artists.
Alabama State University
Located in Montgomery and accredited by the Commission on Colleges, Alabama State University offers fantastic programs in theater, music, fine arts and graphic arts for those people interested in these areas. Prospective students can contact the university by phone at-334-229-4100, or they may write to them at-915 South Jackson Street, Montgomery, Alabama, 36104. They can also find helpful information on the university’s website at-http://www.alasu.edu.
Those students, who wish to pursue a bachelor of arts degree in fine arts, will need to take the following basic education courses and pass them with at least a C-English Composition I and II, Introduction to Literature I and II, The Humanities through the African-American Experience, Fine Arts elective, additional Humanities or Speech elective, two Science courses and one lab, Mathematics, World Geography, World History I and II, two Social and Behavioral Science electives, and Freshman Orientation.
They will also need to take the following art-related courses-Design I/2D Fundamentals, Design II/3D Fundamentals and Color Theory, Mixed Media Workshop, Art History Survey I and II, Drawing and Composition I and II, Aesthetics Foundations, Visual Thinking, Contemporary Art, Introduction to African-American Art, Painting I through IV, Ceramics I through IV, Printmaking I through III, Sculpture I through IV, Art Theory, 19th Century Art, Early 20th Century Art, History of Graphic Design, Art Studio, Life Figure Drawing, Two-Dimensional Art Studio, Creative Crafts, and Three-Dimensional Art Studio.
Athens State University
Athens State University in Athens offers terrific programs in studio art, computer graphics and art history, accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Those people, who would like to learn additional information in regards to the university, can contact them at-256-233-8100 or write to them at the following address-300 North Beaty Street, Athens, Alabama, 35611. They can also read about the school and its programs online at-http://www.athens.edu.
If students want to earn a bachelor of arts degree in studio art, they will need to complete several general education classes as follows-Written Composition I and II, one Literature elective, one Fine Arts elective, two addition Humanities or Fine Arts electives, Finite Math, two Science courses with one lab, two History courses, Microcomputer Applications or Problem Solving with Computers, Research Sources and Skills, and two Social and Behavioral Science electives.
They will also need to complete the following art-oriented classes-Art Studio in Critique, Painting, Landscape Painting and Drawing or Topics in Watermedia, Figure Drawing, Topics in Ceramics, Photography I and II, Printmaking, Art Studio in Painting, History of Modern Art, Late Modern Art History, Critical Theories of Today’s Art, Advanced Drawing and Design, Special Workshop in Sculpture, Portfolio/Exhibition and Art Research, and 13 additional Art-Related electives.
University of North Alabama
Located in Florence and accredited with the Commission on Colleges, the University of North Alabama offers superb programs in music, theater, sculpture, painting, photography, digital media and ceramics. Aspiring artists can find out how to apply to the university by calling them at-256-765-4100 or by writing to them at the following mailing address-1 Harrison Plaza, Florence, Alabama, 35634. There is also valuable information online at-www.una.edu.
For students to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting, they will need to fulfill the following general education requirements-First-Year Composition I and II, two Literature courses, Fundamentals of Speech, one additional Humanities elective, Mathematics, two Science courses and one lab, two History courses, and two Social and Behavioral Science courses.
They will also need to fulfill the following art-related requirements-Photography I, Drawing I and II, Design I and II, Art History Survey I through III, Printmaking I, Painting I and II, Digital Media I/Computer Literacy, Ceramics I, Critical and Applied Art Theory, Sculpture I, Digital Portfolio Design, Senior Exhibition, two Advanced Art History electives, 18 credit hours of Advanced Painting, two Lower-Level Studio electives, three Upper-Level Studio electives, and Portfolio and Exhibition.
Auburn/Montgomery University
Auburn/Montgomery University, accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, has splendid programs in art history, music, graphic design, studio arts and art education for those people interested in these fields. If people would like to apply to the university, they can find out how by calling-334-244-3000 or by writing to the campus at-Post Office Box 244023, Montgomery, Alabama, 36124. They can also find out the admissions procedures by checking the university’s website at-http://www.aum.edu.
For those students, who choose to pursue a bachelor of arts degree in studio art/painting, they will need to complete the following general education curriculum-Written Composition I and II, Literature elective, Fine Arts elective, two Humanities electives, Mathematics, two Science courses and one lab, two History courses, two Social and Behavioral Science electives, and Introduction to Human Communication.
They will also need to complete all of the following key, program requirements-Visual Thinking, 2D Design, 3D Design, Drawing I and II, Portfolio Review, Art History I and II, Painting I through IV, Printmaking I, Sculpture I, Watercolor, Figure Drawing, Advanced Drawing, two Upper-Level Art History electives, Senior Project, at least four additional Visual Arts electives, and at least three additional Free electives.
Spring Hill College
Located in Mobile and accredited with the Commission on Colleges, Spring Hill College offers exemplary programs in graphic arts, performing arts and studio arts for those people wishing to begin careers in these fields. Those people in the Mobile or surrounding areas, who would like complete details on any of these programs, can phone the college at-251-380-4000, or they can write to them at-4000 Dauphin Street, Mobile, Alabama, 36608. They can also read about the programs online at-http://www.shc.edu.
For students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in graphic arts, they must complete the following basic education requirements-English Composition I and II, Freshman Seminar, Mathematics, Language I and II, three Philosophy courses, three Theology electives, two additional English courses, two Social Science courses, two Computer Science courses, two History courses, Laboratory Science, and two additional Basic Education requirements.
They must also complete the following program-specific requirements-2D Design, Drawing I and II, Introduction to Computer Graphics, History of Graphic Design, Introduction to Media Studies, Introduction to Public Speaking, Graphic Design I through III, Typography, Color Theory, Pre-Professional Development, Modern Art, Internship, Senior Seminar, two Lower-Division Art electives, and at least five Upper-Division Art electives.
Additional Art Schools in Alabama
- Birmingham Southern College-Birmingham
- Faulkner University-Montgomery
- University of South Alabama-Mobile
- Huntingdon College-Montgomery
- University of Mobile-Mobile
- Jacksonville State University-Jacksonville
- University of Alabama at Huntsville-Huntsville
- University of Alabama at Birmingham-Birmingham
- Judson College-Marion
- The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
- Samford University-Birmingham
Proper Preparation for an Art Career in Alabama
Before people begin art school, they must make sure they prepare themselves properly first. There are various requirements they may need to fulfill, depending upon the school that they choose to attend. In addition to the standard applications, transcripts and placement tests, art schools may require a number of other things from applicants, as well.
Many schools require applicants to attend an orientation or tour of the school, as well as, an interview with a school official. Many studio art and design programs require students to submit a portfolio, while many performing arts programs require students to audition. Lastly, applicants may also have to supply the school with letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose essay.
Another essential step in preparing for art school is gathering any supplies that may be needed for classes. While many schools supply students with most everything they will need for their classes, there are some basic supplies that they will want to purchase. Some of these supplies include drawing pads and utensils, erasers and sharpeners, basic painting supplies, a digital camera, measuring and cutting tools, staple gun, glue sticks, and masking tape.
Before students can graduate from their programs and earn an art degree or certificate, they must complete either an apprenticeship, an internship, an art capstone, or a Jr/Sr project or thesis.
In some cases, students may have to complete more than one of these requirements.
Some common ways that students fulfill art capstone requirements are research papers/projects, art portfolios, exhibitions/galleries, presentations, art projects and essays.
