Dean's Welcome
Welcome to the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I am honored to lead this dynamic college of faculty who are committed to their art form and their students. Through our focus on arts entrepreneurship, global citizenship, and the highest quality arts training, the College of Fine Arts is your gateway to the world. Students in our programs work side-by-side with world-class artists, musicians, dancers, actors, writers, designers, directors, and educators in developing professional skills and dispositions that lead to successful careers in the Arts and a wide spectrum of industries outside of the Arts.
Students, whether majors or non-majors, will find a home in our welcoming community where students and faculty support and care for one another. Being in a university as large as UTRGV, it can be overwhelming for some students; but in the College of Fine Arts, you are part of a much smaller community where you will find belonging and the opportunity to make a difference. Our faculty are committed to supporting all students in helping them to achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals.
The College offers undergraduate professional and liberal arts degrees in art, music, theatre, and dance. Through the Creative Writing Department, undergraduate students can also earn a degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Additionally, the College offers terminal graduate degrees (Master of Fine Arts) in Art and Creative Writing, as well as Master of Arts in Art History and Master of Music degrees. I would encourage you to explore our websites and learn about our many program offerings:
- Art concentrations of art education, ceramics, graphic design, sculpture, studio art, and Latin American Art History.
- Music concentrations of music education, guitar, piano, strings, voice, winds, percussion, conducting, ethnomusicology, jazz, mariachi, and music technology.
- In addition to a BFA in Dance, students can receive a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Mexican Folk Dance.
- Theatre concentrations of performance, design, TV and film, and theatre education.
- In addition to BA in English (Creative Writing Concentration) and the MFA in Creative Writing, the Creative Writing Department offers a Certificate of Creative Writing.
Regardless of major, students throughout the university can participate in our many artistic endeavors:
- Theatre and dance productions.
- Visual art and creative writing courses.
- Music ensembles, including an expansion of our spirt bands, ultimately leading to the formation of the UTRGV Marching Band.
Through the programs of the college, our students will master a diversity of art forms of the Rio Grande Valley, Latin America, and throughout the entire world. The Center for Latin American Arts is a distinguished research center, connecting artists from throughout Latin America to our university and to the Rio Grande Valley. Through this center and many faculty initiatives ranging from undergraduate and graduate research and creative activity, study abroad, and service learning, we help students achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals, giving them a broad range of life-changing experiences in the College of Fine Arts.
Jeffrey Ward
Dean
College of Fine Arts
(956) 665-2175 jeffrey.ward@UTRGV.edu
Brownsville • Edinburg • Harlingen