Skip To Top NavigationSkip To ContentSkip To Section NavigationSkip To Footer
Studio Art

Studio Art

Make Your Mark on the Creative Economy: Build a Career as a Practicing Artist With a Studio Art Degree

Prepare to creatively contribute to the cultural and social discussions that shape our society.
At South Carolina State University, you’ll discover an inspiring environment for expressing your talents and advancing and honing your craft. With our Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art degree, you’ll develop techniques in a field chosen by you — ceramics and sculpture, digital media, painting and drawing, or printmaking and photography — while learning from expert professional artists.
You’ll also be introduced to a greater understanding and appreciation for the history of art and how art relates to — and impacts — our world. When you graduate with an SC State studio art degree, you’ll have the cross-disciplinary skills that set you up for success in design and studio art careers here in the Palmetto State and beyond.

Pursue a fine and studio arts career at an accredited institution

South Carolina State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and is one of only two HBCUs in the state with this designation. We’re known for helping aspiring artists mold their career paths in:

  • Ceramics and sculpture
  • Digital media
  • Painting and drawing
  • Printmaking and photography

Method of Instruction

  • Face-to-face

Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art Program Highlights

Our studio art degree gives you every opportunity to express yourself, experiment with various modes and media, and develop and refine your creative passion. While gaining a broad-based liberal arts education, you’ll also build solid foundational skills and a thorough knowledge of art and its history. 
You’ll find what makes our design and studio art courses unique is our:

Top-notch, expansive facilities

SC State’s Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art courses are held in the state-of-the-art Fine Arts Building, which houses a digital media lab, a painting and drawing studio, a ceramics and sculpture studio, and a space used for professional and student exhibitions. You’ll have access to a variety of fine and studio art tools and equipment, including digital cameras and video equipment, drawing and cutting tables, iMac workstations, kilns and electric pottery wheels, large-format printers, a wood shop, and much more.

Dedicated faculty who are also working artists

At SC State, you’ll discover a close-knit, collaborative community of bright, innovative peers and dedicated educators. Your design and studio art instructors draw from a wealth of experience in academia, creative activities, and teaching and are actively engaged as presenters at professional conferences, peer reviewers for scholarly journals, and more. You can expect these creative minds to help you grow as an artist and build a career that works for you.

Ample opportunities to grow beyond lectures

You won’t be limited in the number of ways you can express your creativity beyond the classroom at SC State. That’s why our Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art students attend professional art conferences through the College Art Association, participate in workshops with professional artists, pursue internships with the on-campus I.P. Stanback Museum & Planetarium, and join student groups such as the Gallery 1896 art club or the Kappa Pi honor society. You’re also encouraged to take part in the annual spring student art exhibition, where you can have your work critiqued and judged by visiting professional artists.

Scholarships specifically for majors

SC State studio art degree students are eligible for the Visual Arts Merit Scholarship, helping make your education more affordable. Our students also earn additional awards through the annual spring student art show.

groups
6
Studio art degree faculty members — all with unique backgrounds and interests
topic
4
Concentrations for you to choose from within the Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art
schedule
4
Years to complete design and studio art courses

What Can You Do With a Studio Art Degree?

Did you know that careers in design and studio art occupations are expected to grow over the next decade, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics? That means an SC State Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art can open doors to a growing field — all the while helping you to pursue work that brings you great passion and joy.

Fine and studio art careers

Recent SC State graduates have pursued jobs as:

  • Community arts instructors
  • Graphic designers
  • Illustrators
  • Print shop technicians
  • Studio lab technicians
  • Web/interactive media designers

Our alumni have also gone on to further their education in areas such as art therapy, arts administration, film studies, and museum studies. No matter your career interests within fine and studio arts, an SC State studio art degree can set you up for success.

What You Will Study in Studio Art

You might be wondering, “What will I learn in a studio art degree program?”
At SC State, you’ll start with foundational courses before moving into entry-level classes in ceramics and sculpture, digital media, drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking. During your junior and senior years, you’ll take intermediate and advanced courses in one or more disciplines and complete your degree with Art Exhibition Techniques, where you are exposed to museum activities related to installation strategies, public relations, and more.
Our students say some of their favorite courses include:

  • Black and White Photography
  • Ceramics
  • Digital Imaging
  • Drawing
  • Painting