Art & Design Program

Delta College's Art Department emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in Art & Design education, including the development of students’ academic, conceptual, creative, critical, formal, historical, technical, and theoretical skills. All program courses are chronologically sequenced to prepare students for later specializations in a variety of Art, Art History and Design fields. Students successfully completing the Art & Design Program requirements receive an Associate of Fine Arts degree.

1st Year Art & Design Foundations- During their first year, students learn a variety of basic academic and formal skills that prepare them for pre-entry level jobs or for further academic studies. First year Art & Design Foundation courses include Art History & Appreciation I, Art History & Appreciation II, Drawing I, Drawing II or Figure Drawing, Two-dimensional Design, Three-Dimensional Design and at least four MACRAO General Education courses. It is recommended that first year Art & Design students take College Composition I, College Composition II, and at least two additional approved General Education courses.

2nd Year - During their second year, students begin to explore more specialized areas of art, art history and design. They may take courses in Architectural History, Ceramics, Contemporary Art History, Digital Animation, Digital Media, Figure Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Web Design, and more. Second year students may elect to take a for-credit Art & Design internship at regional Art Museums, Design businesses, Photography studios or Print shops. In addition to enrolling in Art & Design program courses, full-time Art & Design students should also complete all necessary MACRAO approved General Education courses during their third and fourth semesters.

Beyond the classroom - Delta's Art & Design Department offers year-round exhibitions in the College's S-wing Art Gallery. Students may attend formal artist lectures or informal gallery talks in conjunction with exhibitions. They have opportunities to exhibit their studio course work in an annual Delta Art & Design Student exhibition, and to enter work into regional, state-wide and/or national art and design student competitions and exhibitions. Students may also participate in the college's study abroad programs.

After obtaining an AFA degree in Art & Design, then what? - Graduating AFA degree Art & Design students leave prepared to pursue either entry level Art or Design jobs, or to pursue advanced four-year Art, Art History, Design or Graphic Design degrees. Each year, dozens of our students graduate and either gain employment at regional art galleries, design businesses, photography studios, printing businesses, etc., or they successfully transfer to four-year colleges and universities to obtain Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees.