Whether people in Minnesota are interested in painting, graphic design, sculpture or art history, there is an art school in the state that is perfect for them.
These schools offer courses that are specially-designed to strengthen the student’s talents in their chosen field and teach them some new talents, as well.
Following are some of the best art schools in Minnesota where art majors can earn their degrees.
Minnesota Schools of Art
Following are some of the best and biggest Art Schools in Minnesota that offer Courses, Classes and Programs for Artists.
Art Institutes International of Minnesota
Located in Minneapolis and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, The Art Institutes International of Minnesota offers a wide array of art programs including culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, graphic design, interior design, advertising, fashion retailing, web design, photography, and visual effects and motion graphics. People, who would like to begin a career in any of these fields, can contact the institute at-612-332-3361, or they can write to them at-15 South 9th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55402. They can also find information pertaining to these programs online at-http://www.artinstitutes.edu/minneapolis/.
New students must write and submit a 150 word essay describing their long-term goals and what they want to get out of their education. They must also attend an interview with an admissions officer, as well as, an orientation or tour of the school. Many of the programs require a portfolio of approximately 10 to 15 pieces of original art work that relates to the student’s chosen field of study. Students may also need to purchase various art supplies depending upon the program they choose.
Those students, who choose to earn a bachelor of science degree in advertising, will need to complete a variety of general education, art-related and career-related courses. The general education courses that they must take are as follows-English I and II, Public Speaking, Principles of Economics, College Mathematics, Environmental Science, Critical Thinking, Interpersonal Communication, Cultural Anthropology, Ethics, Literature, and Physics.
The art-related and career-related courses that they will need to take are the following courses-Art History, Contemporary Art, History of Advertising, Conceptual Thinking, Computer Illustration, Organizational Behavior, Fundamentals of Marketing and Advertising, Media and Advertising Design, Branding, Dynamics of Integrated Marketing, Persuasion and the Consumer, Copywriting, Advertising Campaign, Art Direction, Advanced Copywriting, Public Relations and Promotion, Sales, Advanced Advertising Campaign, Media Planning and Buying, Global Business Perspectives, Capstone, Internship, Introduction to Video, Principles of Market Research, Fundamentals of Design, Drawing and Perspective, Typography for Digital Media, Image Manipulation, Design Layout, Color and Design, Print Production, Fundamentals of Interactive Design, and Principles of Photography for Non-Majors.
College of Visual Arts
Located in Saint Paul and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, the College of Visual Arts offers many sensational art programs including fine arts/printmaking, graphic design, fine arts/drawing, illustration, fine arts/sculpture, photography, and fine arts/painting. People, who would like to study in any of these areas, can contact the college for additional information at-651-224-3416, or they may choose to write to them at the following address-344 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55102. There is also valuable information online at-http://www.cva.edu.
Students, who want to attend the College of Visual Arts, will need to write a one or two page essay describing their career goals, why they love art, and what they want to get out of their training. Scholarship applicants will need to supply one letter of recommendation from a previous instructor, guidance counselor or school adviser. Finally, all new students must submit a 12 to 20 piece portfolio of their best and original artwork. Pieces included in the portfolio can be a variety of artwork or can be a concentration of one field.
Those people, who want to earn a bachelor of fine arts degree in illustration, must fulfill various general education requirements as follows-College Expository Writing, Foundation Seminar/Introduction to the Majors, Academic Research and Writing, Visual Geometry, Professional Writing and Rhetoric, two Humanities electives, two Social Science electives, and one additional General Education elective.
They must also fulfill various program-specific requirements as follows-Orientation to Art and Design, Drawing I and II, 2D Design/Digital, Color and Digital Applications, 3D Design Principles, Renaissance through Modern Art History, Illustration Concepts, Figure Drawing, Introduction to Painting, Digital Illustration, Art Since 1945, Botany through Art, Children’s Book and Graphic Novel, Concept Art and Character Design, Prehistoric through Gothic Art History, Introduction to Photography, Internship, Figure Painting, 3D Design Elements, Art and the Law, Applied Illustration, Introduction to Illustration Studio Thesis, Introduction to Printmaking, Digital Portfolio for Illustration, Illustration Methods and Materials, Studio Thesis for Illustrators, History of Illustration, Professional Practices, Hand Lettering, Seminar Thesis, and at least three Studio electives.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
The Minneapolis College of Art and Design, accredited with the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, offers a splendid array of art programs for prospective artists. Some of the delightful programs that the college offers include advertising, web and multimedia environments, animation, sculpture, comic art, photography, drawing and painting, illustration, film making, graphic design, and studio arts. Students, who want to learn about any of these programs or the other fantastic programs offered by the school, can contact them at-612-874-3700, or they may choose to write to them at-2501 Stevens Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404. They can also read all about the school and its programs online at-http://www.mcad.edu.
Students, who wish to attend the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, will need to submit a letter of recommendation, a statement of purpose and a portfolio first. The letter of recommendation should ideally be from a previous teacher, guidance counselor or other school personnel. The statement of purpose is a short essay describing what the students want to gain from their program, and how they plan on using what they learn to fulfill their long-term goals. The portfolio should contain at least 10 pieces of the student’s best artwork, and each piece should reflect the student’s chosen program.
Students, who wish to pursue a bachelor of fine arts degree in comic art, will need to complete a variety of basic skills classes as follows-Reading and Writing I and II, Scientific Perspectives, Economic and Mathematical Systems, Global Perspectives, Political Thought and Ethics, Creative and Professional Writing, and Liberal Arts Capstone.
They will also need to complete a variety of program-related classes including the following courses-Introduction to Comics, History of Comic Art, Comic Media and Concepts, Comic Book Publishing/Print and Web, Experimental Comics, Drawing/Figure, Comic Storytelling, Professional Practice, Internship, Advanced Comic Art Seminar, Senior Project, The Comic Scene or Comic Character Development or Comic Materials and Techniques, Foundation/2D, Foundation/3D, Foundation/Drawing I, Foundation/Media I, Foundation/Drawing II, Introduction to Art and Design History I and II, Ideation and Process, Sophomore Seminar/Contemporary Practice, 26 additional Studio credits in any field the student chooses, and two Art History electives.
Minnesota Colleges and Universities
Below are some of the most popular Colleges for Artists looking for Classes, Courses, Degrees and Certifications in the Arts.
Augsburg College
Located in Minneapolis and accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, Augsburg College offers several exemplary art programs including studio art, art history, graphic design, art, theater and music. People in the Minneapolis area, who would like to find out the application requirements of the college, can do so by calling them at-612-330-1000 or by writing to-2211 Riverside Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55454. They can also find the application requirements online at-http://www.augsburg.edu.
Students, who choose to major in studio art, will need to complete the following core curriculum-Augsburg Seminar, Engaging Minneapolis, Search for Meaning I and II, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Writing, Quantitative Reasoning, Augsburg Experience, Natural Science, Social Science, two Fine Arts or Humanities electives, and three additional liberal arts electives.
They will also need to fulfill the following art-related requirements-Design, Drawing, Painting I or Printmaking I or Graphic Design I or Watercolor Painting I, Sculpture I or Ceramics I or Hand Papermaking and Book Arts I, at least five additional Studio Art courses, Art History Survey, at least two additional Art History electives, Senior Exhibition and Faculty Review, Junior Review, Senior Review, and Senior Exhibition.
Hamline University
Hamline University in Saint Paul, accredited with the Higher Learning Commission, offers splendid programs in studio art, art history, digital media arts, music and theater. Prospective students can contact Hamline at-651-523-2800, or they may write to the campus at-1536 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55104. They can also check out the university’s website at-http://www.hamline.edu.
Students, who want to major in art history, must take the following basic education courses-First Year Seminar, Writing and Reading Texts, Expository Writing, three additional Writing Intensive course, two Speaking Intensive courses, one Computer Intensive course, one Formal Reasoning course, four Humanities and Fine Arts electives, two Natural Science courses, two Social Science courses, three Cultural Breadth courses, Individual Ability in Learning, and Leadership/Education and Development.
They must also take the following art-oriented courses-Drawing, Life Drawing, Western Traditions/Prehistory to the Middle Ages, Western Traditions/Renaissance to Contemporary, 19th Century Art in Europe, 20th Century Art in Europe and the United States, Senior Seminar/Methodologies of Art History, Senior Art History Research, at least three additional Art History electives, and at least one Studio elective.
St. Catherine University
St. Catherine University in Saint Paul offers fabulous programs in studio art, art history, fashion merchandising, music and theater, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For people to learn about any of these programs, they can visit the university’s website at-http://www.stkate.edu. They can also request brochures of the programs by calling the information desk at-651-690-7700 or by writing to the university at the following mailing address-601 25th Avenue South, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55105.
Students, whom want to major in studio art, will need to complete the following basic education classes-two Foreign Language or Literature courses, one History elective, Foreign Language or Fine Arts elective, two Philosophy or Theology courses, Mathematics course, two Exercise and Sport Science electives, Laboratory Science, Women’s Studies or Critical Studies, and Global Search for Justice.
They must also complete all of the following art-oriented classes-2D Design, Introduction to Art History/Ancient through Medieval, Introduction to Art History/Renaissance through Modern, Ways of Seeing, The Reflective Woman, 3D Design, Drawing, Art and Technology, Portfolio Reviews I and II, Modern Art History, one additional Art History elective, Senior Exhibition, Senior Seminar, and at least five Studio electives.
Northwestern College
Northwestern College in Saint Paul offers several exemplary art programs including art and design, studio art, digital media arts, visual arts education, music and theater, all accredited with the Higher Learning College. Those people, who would like to schedule a tour of the college, can call them at-651-631-5100 or write to them at-3003 Snelling Avenue South, Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55113. They can also visit Northwestern online at their website-http://www.nwc.edu.
For students to earn a bachelor of arts degree in studio art, they will need to complete the following foundational curriculum-Foundations of a Biblical Worldview, Written Communication, Oral Communication, History, Social Science, Philosophy, Fitness and Wellness, one Fine Arts elective, Literature, Mathematics, Science, Biblical Worldview/Texts and Contexts, and Biblical Worldview/Theory and Application.
They will also need to complete the following key requirements-Principles of Art or Art Appreciation, Drawing I, Design Concepts, 19th and 20th Century Art History, Art Since 1945, at least two of the following-Antiquities or Renaissance or Age of Enlightenment or Mesopotamia, at least one of the following-Color Theory or German Art or Aesthetics or Gallery Studies or Topics in Art Criticism, Art and Technology, Sculpture, Painting Techniques, at least one Ceramics elective, at least one Printmaking elective, Video Art or Installation Art, Photography, Introduction to Layout, Introduction to Design, Senior Seminar in Art, and at least two of the following-Advanced Sculpture, Advanced Ceramics, Advanced Painting, Advanced Printmaking, and Advanced Photography.
Beginning an Art Career in Minnesota
Looking for a Career in the Arts? Here are some helpful Tips…
1. Finding a School
Finding a terrific school to study within is the first step to beginning an art career. In addition to all of the magnificent schools listed above, following are some more schools that offer excellent training for art careers.
- Bemidji State University in Minneapolis
- Minnesota State University in Moorhead
- Bethal University in Saint Paul
- Macalester College in Saint Paul
- Carleton College in Northfield
- Concordia University in Saint Paul
- St. Olaf College in Northfield
2. Getting Accepted
After prospective students find the perfect school, they then need to complete the application requirements for the school. These requirements vary among art schools; however, there are some basic requirements that people need to be aware of.
- Standard Application Form and Any Applicable Fees
- High-School and Other Transcripts
- Various Placement Examinations
- Portfolios or Auditions
- Letter/s of Recommendation
- Work/Volunteer Experience
- Orientation/Tour and Interview
- Essay or Statement of Purpose
3. Preparing for Classes
While many schools provide many of the materials that students will need for their classes, students will need to purchase some basic art supplies. Some of the supplies that they will need are as follows.
- Sketchbooks and Drawing Utensils
- Erasers and Sharpeners
- Cutting Utensils
- Measuring Tools
- Basic Paint Supplies
- Digital Camera
- Glue Sticks and Masking Tape
- Stapler or Staple Gun
4. Graduating From Art Programs
Following are the graduation requirements that students may need to complete. These requirements demonstrate what students learned during their training.
- Art Capstone
- Junior or Senior Project
- Junior or Senior Thesis
- Internship or Apprenticeship
