Art and Design Department

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Turn your art instincts and passions into personal development and significant career paths in a time when artists and designers are taking a much more active role in influencing society and their environment. The role of art education was once teaching how to connect with and celebrate culture. New technology provides advanced methods to expand your vision and address more diverse audiences. You’ll engage the ancient as well as the contemporary while you develop perspective, improve skill, invent new imagery, and contribute to the next stages of creative experience.

Majors

Art Education

Bradley’s Art Education program prepares you for the State of Illinois Professional Educator’s License in Art Education, qualifying you to teach visual arts from kindergarten through 12th grade.
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Art History

Explore how art communicates ideas across time and cultures. With minors in Art History & Museum Studies available too.
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Studio Art

With degree concentrations in Art Education, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and minors in Studio Art or Comics Art.
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Complementary Major

Art and Design Studio (24 hours)

Pursuing a four-year degree at Bradley but also passionate about art and design? This complementary major lets you combine your main field of study with a focus in art and design. After six core hours, you’ll choose 18 hours in a specific area of art and design (e.g. Graphic Design) to enhance your creativity, expand your skillset, and strengthen your resume.

Complementary Major

If you definitely want Art and Design to be a big part of your life but you’re not sure if you want it to be your career focus, this program offers you the opportunity to combine Art and Design with your *main major. After six hours of prerequisite art core courses, this complementary major will allow you to focus the remaining 18 hours on a specific area of art and design to ensure you get the most out of your learning pathway alongside your main degree, and to strengthen your skillset, and your resume.

Why a Complementary Major in Art and Design Studio?

In today’s world, art and design are integral components of industry, contributing to innovation, branding, communication, and cultural enrichment. They enhance the human experience, drive economic growth, and shape the world around us in meaningful ways. The career opportunities for the dual degree program are endless. Whatever your main degree major is consider adding the Art and Design Studio Complementary Major.

*Students must be already registered with a 120-credit hour ‘primary’ degree to be eligible to register for an Art and Design Studio Complementary Major.

Required Prerequisites

ART 101: Drawing I or ART 102 Drawing II – 3 hrs.
ART 105: Two-Dimensional Design or 106 Three-Dimensional Design – 3 hrs.

Total Hours: 6 hrs.

Studio Art Electives

Focus in an area of art and design studio (pre-determined at time of complementary major registration), from drawing, graphic design, painting, photography or sculpture.

Electives in art and design studio (must be approved by complementary major advisor) – 18 hrs.
12 hours of studio electives must be at 300 level or above

Total Hours: 18 hrs.

Minors

Strengthen your understanding of art for personal growth or career preparation. It can be paired with anything, but some great combinations are (besides Studio Art), Philosophy, History, World Languages and Culture, Communication, Interactive Media, and anyone pursuing Pre-Med Programs, as many medical schools are now incorporating art history into their programming as a way of teaching observational skills.

Discover the world of museums through a minor that puts your curiosity and ambitions first. You’ll explore how museums collect, exhibit, and preserve materials while building a solid foundation in museum theory and practice.

Whether you’re passionate about art, history, science, or culture, this flexible program equips you with the skills to interpret objects, craft compelling narratives for diverse audiences, and critically evaluate exhibitions. Gain hands-on experience and prepare to bring stories to life for the public in meaningful and impactful ways.

You can choose to focus in two-dimensional areas of emphasis like drawing, painting, photography, printmaking and graphic design, or you can choose the three-dimensional pathway, with a focus in ceramics or sculpture.

As a result, you gain a general understanding of art principles, as well as a focused knowledge in a particular area of art and design. This minor is often paired with majors in interactive media, communication, business, science and engineering.

This minor will not only introduce you to important concepts, vocabulary, and methods in the world of comics but also complement your major in other visual fields.

As you develop your skills as a comic artist (both web-based and print), this program will also delve into the rich history of comics. You’ll explore their formal characteristics as well as their significant contributions to humanity and culture.

Departmental Resources

The Department of Art and Design at Bradley University offers competitive scholarships to art majors with talent and motivation. The department faculty strongly believe that funding for talented studio artists is essential.

Fine Arts Scholarships

Every year, the Department of Art and Design brings to campus a roster of internationally renowned artists, designers, and critics through the Visual Voices Professional Lecture Series, who address the full spectrum of art disciplines. Visiting artists make a public presentation as well as lead workshops, visit classes, and meet with students in their studios.

For a detailed schedule of Visual Voices Lectures and information about events and exhibitions, please visit: Bradley University Galleries.

The Gallery Program at Bradley University is designed to create a challenging environment that stimulates discourse among students, faculty, staff and the public as they explore the range of ideas addressed in contemporary art. It is our mission to serve as a creative hub and to act as a facilitator in the generation, presentation, and distribution of creative research. Admission is always free and open to the public.

For more information about events and exhibitions, please visit: Bradley University Galleries

Each year, Bradley’s Art and Design department hands out awards for student excellence in their different majors. Keep an eye out for future winners!

2025 Awards

Outstanding Student in Ceramics

Sydney Grace White

Outstanding Students in Drawing

Isabella Turner
Lilly Hudson Opengo

Outstanding Students in Graphic Design

Emily Brazel
Ashlyn Serrine
Melaina McWhorter
Tia Batkhuu

Outstanding Students in Painting

Avery Arnold
Abbie Branca
Laura Feng

Outstanding Students in Photography

Jenna Zeise
Emmily Scumaci

Outstanding Students in Sculpture

Kylie Cutting
John Love

Outstanding Students in Complementary Major

Lilly Hudson Opengo
Rebecca Golde

Kottemann Endowed Scholarship

Abbey Jackson

Mendez-KK Endowed Scholarship

Liliana Castro

The Roscoe & Lila Linder Art and Music Endowed Scholarship

Emily Brazel

Art and Design Department