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Studio Art - Ceramics

The ceramics concentration gives you an artistic education grounded in theory and practice. This well-rounded exposure will enable you to produce work that defines your personal ceramic aesthetic of form, color and texture.

Preparing You For Success

As a studio art major, you dive into the creative process through classes in history, drawing and interactive media. While building this foundation, you also take ceramics courses that introduce you to hand-building skills, then move to the wheel, glaze application and firing work in electric and gas-fired kilns.

Each ceramics degree is available in three paths — a B.A., B.S. or B.F.A. The B.S. and B.A. emphasize a liberal arts background, while the B.F.A. is considered the professional degree. As a result, the B.F.A. provides a studio-intensive experience encouraging focused work on the medium of your choice. If you’re interested in broadening your career options, you can pair ceramics with another major or minor.

By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:

  • Networking and professional development through AIGA, the student photography club, pottery club, Spectrum or campus media
  • Study abroad in London, Rome and other global culture hubs
  • Chances to learn from noted professionals through the Visual Voices lecture series

Making Your Mark

Ceramics degrees are good preparation for graduate school and a variety of careers. Recent Bradley graduates are educators and art center administrators. They have opened studios and have enjoyed success making work and sharing it with customers, collectors, galleries, juried exhibitions and high-end craft markets.

Sample Course Sequence
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Major Requirements

Art History Core - 6 hrs.

  • ART 140: Survey of Art History I - 3 hrs.
  • ART 142: Survey of Art History II - 3 hrs.

Art History Elective Courses (choose three) - 9 hrs.

  • ART 243: Non-Western Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 245: American Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 332: History of Graphic Design - 3 hrs.
  • ART 335: Medieval Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 340: Renaissance Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 350: 17th and 18th Century Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 360: 19th Century Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 375: 20th Century Art - 3 hrs.
  • ART 390: History of Photography - 3 hrs.
  • ART 480: Seminar in Art History - 3 hrs.

Studio Core - 19 hrs.

  • ART 101: Drawing I - 3 hrs.
  • ART 102: Drawing II - 3 hrs.
  • ART 105: Two-Dimensional Design - 3 hrs.
  • ART 106: Three-Dimensional Design - 3 hrs.
  • ART 220: Professional Lecture Series - .5 hr.
  • ART 221: Professional Lecture Series - .5 hr.
  • ART 230: Life Drawing - 3 hrs.
  • IM 113: Introduction to Multimedia - 3 hrs.

Studio Courses - 12 hrs.

  • Four studio courses from areas other than the student’s concentration, including at least one from the 2-D areas and at least one from the 3-D areas.

Studio Electives – 12 hrs.

  • Students are required to take an additional 12 hours of elective art credits from any field of study (including their own).

Concentration Courses - 18 hrs.

  • ART 201: Introduction to Ceramics - 3 hrs.
  • ART 202: High and Low Fire Ceramics - 3 hrs.
  • ART 301: Ceramic Production - 3-6 hrs.
  • ART 302: Advanced Ceramics - 3-6 hrs.
  • ART 401: Ceramic Portfolio Design Studio - 3-6 hrs.
  • ART 402: Ceramic Sculpture - 3-6 hrs. 

Professional Orientation/Seminar Courses - 3 hrs.

  • ART 421 - BFA Seminar II - 3 hrs. (Spring semester only)

Total Hours: 79