Art & Design

The art and design program at Muskingum University offers majors in Art, Art Education, and Digital Media Design and minors in Art and Digital Media Design. The flexible curriculum provides for specialization in two-dimensional, three-dimensional, digital, or theatre art and design. Additional pathways are available in Arts Management and Art Therapy.

The program champions a holistic approach to art and design, emphasizing not just the development of technique, but also the cultivation of a broad skill set essential for navigating the modern world. Our curriculum is thoughtfully designed to blend rigorous foundational training in traditional art with cutting-edge practices in digital creation, ensuring our students are versatile and industry-ready upon graduation. Beyond technical skills, we prioritize the growth of critical thinking, digital fluency, and emotional intelligence, equipping our students to be thoughtful leaders and innovators in their future careers and communities.

Mission

The art and design department creates visually literate individuals through quality courses in the programs of art history, studio, and art education. The department seeks to foster a liberal arts environment in which the study of art leads to critical thinking, effective and mature expression, ethical sensitivity, and spiritual growth. Courses provide both appreciation of and participation in a wide variety of art experiences. The department also presents educational events, gallery programs, and a permanent collection to the University and its surrounding community. The comparison of “whole persons” within the University mission statement is reflected in the department mission via “critical thinking, effective and mature expression, ethical sensitivity, and spiritual growth.”

Program Learning Goals

• Students will have the ability to describe visual art as a means of expression and to use the basic elements of visual arts.
• Students will have the ability to differentiate two-dimensional art and three-dimensional art, as well as to use proper techniques and skills to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks.
• Students will be able to trace the historical development of the Western art and to discuss how Western art is different from non-Western art on specific aspects.
• Students will be able to, with the knowledge and skills learned, enter the careers/internships such as teaching art in K-12 schools, studying in master programs, working in museums or art centers, designing for companies, or establishing individual art and design studios.