Art
Grow your artistic skills, cultivate your personal style and develop a professional portfolio.
Whether your interest lies in 2D and 3D fine art, or digital art and graphic design, you’ll be prepared for a future in the creative arts.
Discover all artistic mediums
All artistic mediums influence and draw inspiration from each other. By studying art at Cal Lutheran, you’ll be able to pursue your main discipline and explore additional forms of art, helping you become a stronger artist.
You can take courses in:
- Sculpture
- Drawing
- Watercolor
- Photography
- Painting
- Ceramics
- Printmaking
- Digital art
- Design
Create original works in our state-of-the-art facilities
Our two-story, 20,000-square-foot William Rolland Art Center is home to drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, sculpture and watercolor/design studios — along with lecture classrooms, a cinema screening room, multimedia labs, video production studio and virtual reality space. Filled with beautiful natural light and high beams, a gallery space displaying student work is located at the entrance.
Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Scholarship
Do you have superior skills in the areas of art, music, music production or theatre arts? Incoming first-year and transfer applicants for the fall semester can apply and audition for a scholarship that offers up to full tuition. Learn more
At a Glance
Degree Type
Bachelor of Arts
Department
School/College
College of Arts and Sciences
Next Steps
Interested in this major? Here's what you can do next:
With challenging and relevant courses, outstanding faculty, small class sizes, and an emphasis on hands-on learning, the art program will position you to succeed in your chosen career.
Degree requirements
Find out what it takes to earn a degree in art and explore the courses.
Emphasis Areas
Customize this major to your interests by taking courses in an area of focus:
Design
Gain experience with modern graphics software to build up your creative skills and prepare for professional work in design fields. Many students move onto careers associated with advertising agencies, computer graphics, freelance photography, design studios and book design. You can also prepare for careers in the motion picture and television industries, theater, and animation.
Highlighted Courses
Get familiar with some of the courses you might take in this major.
ART 280: Design
An introductory study in the visual elements and principles of design and unity of expression. Includes creative exploration in two- and three-dimensional composition.
See descriptionART 342: Art and Psychology
An overview of art history, design, production and aesthetics with an emphasis on psychological theories and current neuroscience research. Child development and family systems are addressed in relation to therapeutic uses of art. Visual thinking and creativity are explored and utilized in the production of self-expressive art works.
See descriptionART 383: Typography for Designers
This class concentrates on the basics of typography, including the history and development of typography. Students will explore the correct use of typographic elements to properly typeset a variety of document types, including a multiple page publication. The use of typography as an expressive and creative component of effective design is also covered.
See descriptionART 435: Advanced Photography
In this class, students learn techniques required for using the camera as a reporting and illustrating tool for print and online media. Types of events include hard news, sports, editorial, as well as using the camera for fine art documentary and narrative photography.
See descriptionART 480: Advanced Digital Art
This course explores a variety of applications and third party software filters to increase artistic expression in the field of digital fine art. Students explore special effects and digital engraving, including drypoint, mezzotint and cross-hatching.
See descriptionART 445: Comiccomm: Globalism, Zeitgeist & Art
Covers the development of comic books/graphic novels from the earliest forms of sequential art through 19th century European, Japanese and Asian comics. The course then concentrates on 20th-21st century comics, bandes dessinees, and manga. Students write and illustrate their own comics: mastering the visual language of comics and manga; drawing figures and settings; and framing action and narrative in sequential format.
See descriptionRecommended Minors
Want to add even more value to your degree? Consider one of these minors to gain a unique combination of skills and perspectives.
Assistant Professor in the Visual Arts Department
Assistant Professor
Professor
Professor
Visiting Lecturer of Visual Arts
Professor of Art
Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
Curator of Exhibitions & Collections and Faculty, Visual Arts, Photography
Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
Senior Adjunct Faculty
Adjunct Faculty Member
Adjunct Faculty Member
Check out the spaces and tools you'll have access to in this major. Explore the entire Cal Lutheran campus with our virtual tour
Opened in 2017, the William Rolland Art Center provides modern facilities for the Cal Lutheran Art and Multimedia programs.
The main gallery space in the lobby of William Rolland Art Center.
Painting studio
Ceramics studio
Drawing studio
A class in the drawing studio.
Drawing studio
Ceramics studio
We offer hands-on opportunities that give you the freedom to explore your passion through real-world work and prepare for a fulfilling career.
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Portfolio Building Opportunities
Over the course of your studies, you’ll produce a solid body of artwork that will serve as the basis for your professional portfolio, which you’ll assemble in your final year. This portfolio will allow you to present your unique style through pieces connected by theme, technique, subject, or concept — a key selling point for your skills.
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Local Art Community
Art history students find Cal Lutheran a perfect area to explore museums and architectural works. Nearby are the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, the Pacific-Asia Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art (L.A.), Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Armand Hammer Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and others.
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Senior Art Exhibit
As a senior, you’ll collaborate with your classmates to plan, design, implement, and install an exhibit of your collective artwork at the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art. This hands-on experience will utilize the multidisciplinary skills you’ve acquired, making sure you’re fully prepared to enter the professional art world.
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Study Abroad
You will have the opportunity to participate in Cal Lutheran-sponsored travel to a variety of international locations, and you can opt to take art and/or art history classes one or two semesters in a study abroad program in countries such as Italy or England.
My Cal Lutheran experience within the visual arts department has been great. The department is a tight-knit community where you really get to know your fellow art students and the professors are super helpful.
Emma Herren '22
In addition to being self-employed artists, our alumni work in movies, television, theater and animation. Those who’ve chosen the design concentration typically begin their careers in graphic design or advertising.
Potential Careers
Art Directors
Formulate design concepts and presentation approaches for visual productions and media, such as print, broadcasting, video, and film. Direct workers engaged in artwork or layout design.
See descriptionFine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques.
See descriptionSpecial Effects Artists and Animators
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
See descriptionGraphic Designers
Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.
See descriptionSet and Exhibit Designers
Design special exhibits and sets for film, video, television, and theater productions. May study scripts, confer with directors, and conduct research to determine appropriate architectural styles.
See descriptionCurators
Administer collections, such as artwork, collectibles, historic items, or scientific specimens of museums or other institutions. May conduct instructional, research, or public service activities of institution.
See descriptionMuseum Technicians and Conservators
Restore, maintain, or prepare objects in museum collections for storage, research, or exhibit. May work with specimens such as fossils, skeletal parts, or botanicals; or artifacts, textiles, or art. May identify and record objects or install and arrange them in exhibits. Includes book or document conservators.
See descriptionWeb and Digital Interface Designers
Develop and test layouts, interfaces, functionality, and navigation menus to ensure compatibility and usability across browsers or devices. May evaluate web design following web and accessibility standards, and may analyze web metrics. May create graphics used in websites and manage website content and links.
See descriptionLooking for more career paths? Search these related areas to discover more options.
Employers
Some of the organizations our graduates work for include:
- Brainforest Digital Animatics
- California Oil Museum
- Image Entertainment
- Mission Renaissance Art Studio
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
Graduate Schools
Our alumni have pursued advanced degrees at:
- Academy of Art University
- Claremont Graduate University
- Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising
- Gnomon School of Visual Effects
- Loyola Marymount University
- Millersville University
- University of Northern Colorado
This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Some occupations listed above may require a related graduate degree.
How We Prepare You for Success
We have 20,000+ employer contacts for jobs and internships, with over 200 listings posted each week.
Our excellent career counselors in the Career Services center will get in touch with you during your very first term on campus. They offer over 50 workshops each year on resume writing, interviewing, salary negotiations, applying to graduate schools, and other critical skills to help you begin your career successfully.
After you graduate from Cal Lutheran, you receive free access to Career Services for life, as a valued member of our alumni family.
of Cal Lutheran graduates find a job or enroll in graduate school within nine months
We work with students and families to make sure everyone who is admitted to Cal Lutheran can afford it.
Tuition & Fees
You and your family might have questions about how you’ll cover the costs of college. We can tell you this — it costs less than you think.
Scholarships & Grants
We offer a range of awards based on academic merit and financial need. This is money that does not need to be repaid.
Financial Aid
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Level Up Your College Search
Check out our college success guides to help you navigate the search process.
5 Tips for Applying to College
Learn how to look good when applying to colleges, with personal tips to stand out from Cal Lutheran admission counselors.
How to Afford College
Read this guide to minimize costs as you save for college during high school — learn all about scholarships, financial aid, FAFSA, and more!
How to Choose a College Major
Your major will be a significant part of your academic experience. How do you pick the right one?