Majors & Minors

The Department of Art & Design offers majors and minors in Art History, Graphic Design, and Studio Art (with areas of emphasis in Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture).

While each student is required to select a program for a major or minor, the Department provides a fundamentally interdisciplinary approach to the study and practice of art, design, and art history.

All art and design students begin with the fundamentals in drawing, design, and art history, which are essential to any chosen area of study. These courses will challenge students to develop basic artistic skills as they learn about career opportunities in the visual arts.

The Department is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The Department of Art & Design offers the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Art History and both the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Studio Art and Graphic Design.

In addition to requirements for all undergraduate degrees, found in the Graduation Requirements section, Art and Design students must meet the following requirements:

For students who entered Drake prior to Fall 2014: A student is placed on probation if either the cumulative grade-point average or the average in Department of Art and Design courses falls below 2.00 (a "C" average) during any semester in which a student has earned less than 60 total credit hours. A student may be placed on probation for failing to meet the University’s standards for satisfactory progress toward completion of degree requirements.

To continue progress toward a Department of Art and Design degree, a student must have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average and a 2.5 GPA in the Department of Art and Design courses at the end of the academic term in which the student completes the 30th credit hour. For transfer students, the 60th-hour GPA must be based upon at least 15 credit hours earned at Drake. Students who achieve the 2.5 GPA at the 60th-hour level are placed on probation if their GPAs fall below 2.5 in a subsequent semester. If the GPA is not raised to 2.5 or better after the probationary semester, the student may not continue in the Department of Art and Design or re-enroll later.

For students entering Drake Fall 2014 or later, the benchmark for evaluation will be 30 credit hours instead of 60.

Art History

Graphic Design

Studio Art