Our art and art history students learn many valuable skills: attention to detail, self-discipline, interpretive skills, creativity, patience, aesthetic appreciation, interdisciplinary study, intense research, organization, open-mindedness, communication skills, presentation skills, adaptability, critical thinking and writing skills, comparative analysis, time management, and specific professional practices such as resume writing and artists’ statements.

The studio art program is intended for students who are considering careers as professional artists, or in one of the many fields with ties to the arts. Studio art majors can find employment in commercial and graphic arts, advertising, computer design, photographic studios, and galleries. Many career fields, however, require additional degrees or certificates in art history, museum practice, art education, library science, historic preservation, art conservation, arts administration, fine arts, etc.

The following are some the positions are or have recently been held by studio art and art history alumni: Artist, New York City; Professor of Architectural History, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA; Instructor, Los Angeles Valley College, CA; Art Teacher, Webber Elementary, Lake Orion, MI; Photo Archivist, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, Dearborn, MI; Planner, Historic Preservation, Milwaukee, WI; State Data Center Coordinator, Nevada State Library, NV; Director, Media Lab, Cranbrook Academy of Art, MI; Slide Curator, College for Creative Studies, MI; Curator of Paper, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD; Technician, Corbis Images, New York, NY; Special Events Coordinator, Paint Creek Center for the Arts; Technical Adviser, Colorado Preservation, Inc., Denver, CO; Systems Librarian for DALNET; Librarian, Fine Arts Library, Ohio State University; Assistant to the Director, Oakland University Art Gallery, Oakland University; and Educational Services Coordinator, Meadow Brook Hall, Oakland University.