Art & Design
major, minor
The Art & Design Major at Saint Michael’s College is focused on the understanding that the products of art and design are EVERYWHERE. So, the training Art & Design provides can benefit ANY career path— including graphic design, visual art production, photography, or web design, in addition to students who plan to pursue careers where visual communication and project management is vital like business, science, and education. We nurture and guide our students to be people who can think, create, and communicate both analytically and expressively.
Inside Look
Curriculum
Art & Design are interconnected disciplines. Each begins with the same foundational knowledge in visual literacy and creative production. We support each student in their individual journey, with a wide range of courses designed to help students develop the skills and knowledge vital to careers in art and design related fields.
In addition to teaching the technical skills of making art, we teach creative problem solving, independent thinking, and project management. After completing the core courses, students focus on fine art or graphic design or both. Graduating seniors exhibit a significant body of original work in the McCarthy Art Gallery as a capstone experience of the major.
Sample Courses
- Graphic Design
- Sculpture
- Painting
- Drawing
- Digital Image Making
- Art & Ecology
- Animation and Motion Graphics
- Mixed Media
- Furniture Design
- Web Design
- Brand Design
- Typography
Student Work
Alongside creating and hosting a public exhibition of their creative work, students are guided through professional skill development: creating portfolios, shaping résumés, writing cover letters for applications, developing project pitches, and assembling a professional dossier. These pieces prepare students to apply for a variety of opportunities right as they graduate.
Student Work McCarthy Art Gallery
Special Opportunities
We offer several professional development opportunities for our students including senior solo-exhibitions in our main campus gallery, paid summer research opportunities, on-campus jobs in our gallery and studios, internship opportunities with local galleries, and courses designed to ensure they learn the professional skills needed to succeed when applying for opportunities and employment in art & graphic design.
Our proximity to Vermont’s largest city means you can immerse yourself in all sorts of cultural experiences and events such as Burlington City Arts, The Fleming Museum, Burlington’s Pine Street Arts District, The Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. And we are only a 90-minute drive from Montreal, Quebec, an international, cultural-rich hub for the arts.
Highlight
Campus Resource
McCarthy Art Gallery
Careers
Our degree is a pathway to jobs such as art director, animator, curator, multimedia artist, industrial designer, user experience designer, and interior designer.
If you have an interest in pursuing a career in teaching at the elementary or secondary level, double majoring in art and education at Saint Michael’s is a great option.
Many of our majors have decided to pursue an advanced degree at such graduate schools as the Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, Northeastern University, Hunter College, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and the Fashion Institute of Technology
After graduation, our majors go on to careers like:
- Graphic Designer
- Artist with commissions and exhibitions
- Web Designer
- Marketing
- Art Teacher
- Public Art Coordinator
- Social Media Content Producer
- Studio Assistant
- Gallery Work
- Fashion Designer
- Photographer
Faculty
Contact
Will Mentor
Director: Art and Design Program, Associate Professor of Fine Arts: Art & Design
Sloane Art Center 226
wmentor@smcvt.edu
802.654.2884
Ready to apply?
Take the next step at Michael’s College.