Art Department

As a University, Minot State is small enough to foster strong student and teacher mentorships, but large enough to attract quality professors who are engaged in outstanding research. Minot State’s Art Department has prepared hundreds of successful alumni for rewarding careers in art. Our graduates have made their way in the world as photographers, art teachers, graphic designers, museum directors, graduate school candidates, and professional artists.

Faculty

Professional artists and academics, the Art Department faculty exhibits at regional, national, and international levels, conducting personal research, and leading art organizations. Accessible and available, faculty members work with students engaging in individual consultation and critique. Minot State’s art faculty includes Bill Harbort, Micah Bloom, Linda Olson, Ryan Stander, Amanda Watts, and Greg Vettel.

Degree Programs 

Minot State offers five art degrees with potential careers in advertising, illustration, graphic design, marketing, content development, art history, commercial photography, museum administration, exhibition design, art therapy, professional studio art, independent art instruction, arts organization management, and K-12 education. Art students select from these five degrees: BFA in Visual Art, BA in Visual Art, BS in Art Administration, BS in Multimedia Communications, and BSEd in Art Education. BFA and the BA offer studio options in Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Traditional Arts, Integrated Media, and Sculpture; and in addition, the BA degree offers an Art History option.

Popular alternatives to an art major are art minors and concentrations, which are valuable additions to any major. For instance, an art minor with a focus on graphic design could be an ideal complement to a major in marketing, advertising, business, or the sciences. With an art minor, students gain a range of creative and problem solving skills that are broadly applicable to career opportunities in many disciplines. As well, an art major with a minor or concentration in these areas creates a highly employable candidate.

Scholarships

Art scholarships are available for students. Awards are determined on academic success and portfolio presentation.

Our Home

Renovated Hartnett Hall provides well-equipped studio facilities for graphic design, drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, traditional arts, and art education. Pioneer Hall provides space for ceramics, and sculpture. Art students at Minot State have access to student studios fostering creative growth. Our digital media lab is equipped with up-to-date computers and printers, and the print studio accommodates etching and lithography, as well as, letterpress, relief, and screenprinting. Replete with three gas kilns, two electric kilns, and throwing wheels, our spacious ceramic studio provides for creativity in clay. Beyond our competitive digital photography set up, our photo students gain access to additional techniques with alternative techniques in our hands-on, alternative printing facilities.

The Art Department works closely with the campus’ Northwest Arts Center, and the student-managed Gallery provides student experiences for art administration majors. A wide range of exhibitions, workshops, international competitions, traveling exhibitions, visiting artists, and student and faculty shows are available on and off campus. Area art museums and galleries work closely with the University, enhancing art experiences for the entire region.

Find out more about majoring in art at MSU by visiting: MinotStateU.edu/msuart/.

Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Art

* Must complete 120 credits: if required program courses were used as fulfillment of General Education requirements, additional courses from the Studio Art or Advanced Study may be selected to meet the minimum required credits.

Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Major in Art

Bachelor of Fine Arts Admission Guidelines
Applicants for admission into the BFA program must meet the following requirements:

1. Applicants must have second year status and have completed 12 credits of art courses required for the BFA.
2. Applicants must have been an enrolled art major at Minot State University for at least one semester before an official application may be submitted. (This does not preclude students from working toward BFA credits.)
3. Applicants must meet a minimum academic GPA of: 2.50 in coursework and a 3.00 in art coursework.
4. It is expected that BFA applicants submit materials following Sophomore Review, and applications must be received at least two semesters before graduation. 

Students seeking admission to the BFA program must submit an application packet to the BFA Program Advisor. The application will then be routed to faculty for review followed by a faculty vote. Applicants must submit the following:

1. A letter of intent stating objectives and qualifications. In this letter, students should indicate an awareness of their strengths, desired areas for growth and focus, the differences between the BA and BFA degree programs, and how this degree will assist them in their future career goals.   
2. Current copies of all college transcripts. Unofficial copies are fine.
3. A list of all college art courses taken with the number of credits earned, grades received, and a tallied art GPA.
4. A USB flash drive with 10-15 images of recent work saved into a file. Images should be saved as .jpgs sized 1280 pixels in the longest direction. At least half of the examples should reflect your chosen specialization. Collate the images into a PowerPoint presentation and save that file as both a .pptx and .pdf file.
5. Include an annotated image list keyed to the order of the images. The annotations should include: title, size, medium, date, and also include a brief statement as to the purpose of the work, such as why and for whom it was done. Explain why you made the design choices that you made.

If application or academic progress is insufficient, faculty may deny application or require additional benchmarks for progression and graduation.

Students must maintain continuous enrollment in the BFA program. Failure to do so will result in termination from the BFA program. Students seeking a hiatus must make a formal appeal in the form of a letter to the BFA director to extend their program. Admission into the BFA program, termination from it, and granting of the degree are done at the discretion of the BFA Director based on annual portfolio review and interview evaluations. Enrolled BFA students must present their work annually for the BFA Review throughout the duration of the program. Failure to do so will result in the termination from the BFA program.

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Art Administration

*Must complete 120 credit: if require program courses were used as the fulfillment of General Education requirements, additional courses from the Studio Art of Advanced Study may be selected to meet the minimum required credits.

Bachelor of Science in Education with a Major in Art

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 Required admission to Teacher Education.

Bachelor of Science with a Major in Multimedia Communications

The Bachelor of Science in Multimedia Communications degree is a professionally-oriented program designed to offer the candidate a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of business, design, communication, and technology in preparation for a career as a professional in the communications industry. Many of our recent graduates work as digital content creators within the social media industry. MMC majors are expected to adhere to a high standard of excellence and demonstrate significant growth.

An art minor is a good companion to several majors, notably business and any of the sciences. Employers are seeking more creative employees with the adaptive problem-solving skills that art courses provide.

Art Minor

Art History Minor 

An art concentration is a good companion to several majors, notably business and any of the sciences. Employers are seeking more creative employees with the adaptive problem-solving skills that art courses provide.

Art Concentrations for Non-Art Majors:

Art History Concentration

Ceramics Concentration

Drawing Concentration

Graphic Design Concentration

Painting Concentration

Photography Concentration

Printmaking Concentration

Sculpture Concentration

Traditional Arts Concentration

Art Concentration for Art Majors:

An art concentration is a good companion to several majors, notably business and any of the sciences. Employers are seeking more creative employees with adaptive problem solving skills that art courses provide.

Art History Concentration

Ceramics Concentration

Drawing Concentration

Graphic Design Concentration

Painting Concentration

Photography Concentration

Printmaking Concentration

Sculpture Concentration

Traditional Arts Concentration