Mission
The School of Art and Design serves the artistic and educational needs of South Texas’ rapidly growing transnational and culturally diverse population. Our School creates, preserves, and transmits knowledge that advances the region, state, and nation. Through cross-disciplinary teaching, creative activity, and public service, the School of Art and Design prepares students to be socially conscious citizens and transformative leaders. It is the mission of the School of Art and Design to develop individual direction among students, personal expression in art, and art historical perspective. This will be accomplished by increasing student visual perception, technical skills, knowledge of current art trends, and multicultural art fluency.
Vision
Academic Programs
Bachelor's
Bachelor's Degree
Art (BFA)
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
Program Modality: Campus
The Bachelor’s degree in Art provides students with an opportunity to express themselves using a variety of creative disciplines and methods within the visual arts. Students are prepared for such fields as Museum Studies, Gallery Management, Teaching, Studio Art, Art Therapy, Fashion, Marketing, and Graduate Studies in Architecture. The program offers several concentrations.
Bachelor's Degree
Art - Teacher Certification (BA)
Bachelor of Arts in Art - Teacher Certification
Program Modality: Campus
The Bachelor’s degree in Art (with EC-12 Teacher Certification) trains students to become certified art teachers skilled in relevant studio techniques, artist processes, art curriculum design, and classroom strategies. The EC-12 program produces practicing artists who are trained to teach in a variety of settings including K-12, community arts, galleries, and museums. UTRGV is approved by the Texas Education Agency to recommend students who complete all requirements of this degree for teaching certification.
Bachelor's Degree
Visual Communication Design (BFA)
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design
Program Modality: Campus
The Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication Design focuses on visual communication, typography, and graphic design. Students who graduate from the program are equipped with a broad range of practices in the design field, including advertising, information design, branding, editorial design and illustration, motion graphics, animation, type design, interaction design, user-centered design (UX/UI), and cross-disciplinary design fields.
Master's
Master's Degree
Art (MFA)
Master of Fine Arts in Art
Program Modality: Campus
The Master’s degree in Art is designed for those who desire to pursue advanced studies in art. The program provides art students with the opportunity for concentrated study in their major area; the concentrations allow them to expand their expressive capabilities for personal, professional, and academic reasons.
Master's Degree
Art History - Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS)
Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies - Art History
Program Modality: Campus
The Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Art History is designed for candidates who want to advance their careers with a degree tailored to their areas of interest.
The best art history programs are interdisciplinary. During the program, students take courses in art history, as well as two focus areas of their choice such as Anthropology, Mexican American Studies, Women's Studies, History, Communications, Music, Modern Languages, Literature, etc.