Studio Art Degree Program

Explore the Studio Art degree program

If you’re passionate about art, pursuing a Studio Art degree will allow you to fully immerse yourself in your passion. A degree in Studio Art can lay the groundwork for graduate school and careers in fine arts, illustration, graphic design, and more – providing you flexibility in your artistic journey.

In the Studio Art degree program at Wayne State, you’ll build your skills in various art mediums and techniques including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and digital imaging. You’ll delve into a wide range of artistic styles in order to grow as an artist, develop your self-expression, and find your own unique voice. Your peers, art professors, and visiting professional artists will also provide opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and networking.

Through art projects and coursework in the Studio Art degree program, you’ll also build a strong portfolio that’s often required for careers in art, and you’ll even get to exhibit your artwork in the Nordstrand Art Gallery. The Studio Art program at Wayne State will ultimately serve to equip you with valuable skills, empower you to follow your passion, and prepare you for a fulfilling career in the world of art.

View program courses Download program fact sheet (PDF)

Prepare for your future

Opportunities and outcomes

Studio art topics covered

Principles of imagery, spatial concepts, and visual communication
Drawing techniques for still life, landscape, nature, and the human figure
Artistic development and professionalism
Production, manipulation, and use of digital imagery
Painting concepts using oil and acrylic paint, mixed media, and digital painting
3D sculpting techniques using wood, steel, and mixed-media
Creating artwork using mixed media
Woodworking, steel fabrication, and mixed-media assemblage for sculpture
Relief and screen-printing, intaglio, etching, and other processes for printmaking
Study of historical paintings, sculpture, and architecture
Construction of pottery and ceramics by hand and throwing wheel

Student learning outcomes

Demonstrate technical competency in media and tools relevant to the discipline
Demonstrate competency in elements and principles of art or design
Synthesize subject matter, form, and context to create studio art content
Create graphic designs that effectively communicate information visually and have a distinct theme
Compose a visual presentation of works
Compose oral and written presentation about works and understands art in its context

Student art exhibits

The Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery, located in Conn Library, hosts a variety of exhibits each semester, serving as space for students and faculty to showcase their work. You’ll have opportunities to participate in the juried art exhibits at the end of every spring semester, where your work is reviewed, judged, and prizes are awarded. You’ll also have the opportunity to sell your own artwork, and get involved in organizing, advertising, scheduling, and handling all art sales.

Nordstrand Visual Arts Gallery

Studio art internships

Our outstanding Career Services Office is available to help you find art internships and career opportunities. As a student in the Studio Art program, you may be able to find internships in the following industries:

Design companies
Art galleries
Museums
Theatres and production companies
Publishing companies, magazines, and newspapers
Interior design firms
Screen printing companies
Photography studios

Career services and internships

Graduates of the Studio Art degree program work in their chosen field using the skills they learned while at Wayne State College. Each year, eager employers welcome WSC graduates into their organizations.

Jobs of recent graduates:

Art Business Owner – Aydan’s Art (Pierce, Neb.)
Photographer – True View Photography (Wayne, Neb.)
Screen Print Operations – CI Shirts (Elkhorn, Neb.)
Studio Aide – Joselyn Art Museum (Omaha, Neb.)

job or grad school placement rate
within six months of graduation
Data based on most recent
employment outcomes survey

Cost of attendance

Most Affordable College in Nebraska

- College Affordability Guide, 2024

Wayne State is considered the most affordable four-year college or university in Nebraska. With same rates for in- and out-of-state students, our tuition guarantee, and our generous scholarship packages, it is clear to see how WSC earned the title. In fact, the average remaining annual cost of attendance for 2024-25 is $2,268 for undergraduate students after financial aid and scholarships.

Art core courses (20 credits)

Credits: 3
Description: Study of two-dimensional and three-dimensional design elements and principles applied to imagery and spatial concepts. Emphasis on visual communication and problem-solving through creative thinking, concepts, media, skills, processes, and research. Critical discourse, basic color theory, and composition will be integral parts of the course. Students will design a digital portfolio. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: An introduction to foundational concepts and techniques in the study of line, shape and form, light and shadow, linear and atmospheric perspective. Formal concerns regarding composition will be explored and selection of subject matter will be from the figure, still life, landscape, and nature. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: A continuation of drawing techniques as delineated in ART 110. Students will expand upon their background in various drawing media and be challenged by a more intense study of the human figure. 6 hours studio. $10 class fee per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 110 Drawing I
Credits: 0
Description: A review for sophomores and transfer students who have completed, or are currently enrolled in, ART 101 and 110. This assessment course ensures that students are properly prepared for the rigors of upper-level art classes. Artistic development, professionalism, written and verbal communication skills, and the comprehension of terminology, techniques, and theories are considered. Entering transfer students, meeting all other prerequisites, may enroll in upper-division classes prior to the review. However, transfers must take and pass ART 200 during its soonest offering before enrolling in any subsequent upper division art classes. Successful completion of the review is a prerequisite for ART 316, 321, 322, 335, 351, 371, and 381. Carries no credit. Graded S/NC.
Credits: 2
Description: This course explores the effective use of digital imagery in graphic design. Aesthetic content in the production, manipulation, and presentation of digital images will be stressed. Students will learn creative and exploratory use of digital cameras, scanners, and appropriate computer programs. Utilizes Adobe Photoshop. 4 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Graphic Design, or Animation and Motion Graphics.
Credits: 3
Description: Concentration on foundational skills using the oil painting medium. Color mixing, sketching for compositional placement, surface applications, and use of materials will be covered. Subject matter will address formal concerns as they relate to representation and abstraction. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.
Credits: 3
Description: Exploration of basic technical and expressive possibilities in three-dimensional form and space, including woodworking, steel fabrication, and mixed-media assemblage. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.
Credits: 3
Description: An introduction to printmaking concentrating on relief and screen-printing processes. Utilizing wood, plastics, and silkscreen stencils as matrices, the student will execute a variety of editioned prints in black and white, and color using single block, multiple block, and reductive techniques. Various approaches to registration and color will be presented. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 101 Design or ART 110 Drawing I, or instructor permission for students declaring a minor in Art.

Studio art concentration courses (37 credit hours)

Credits: 3
Description: A survey of painting, sculpture, and architecture from Prehistoric to Gothic. Lecture.
Credits: 3
Description: Study of the cultural, historical, and geological basis of clay. Foundational methods in both hand-building construction and throwing on the wheel will be introduced. Surface decoration, glazing techniques, and kiln firing processes will be discussed and performed. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: Advanced painting concepts using the acrylic painting medium; may also include mixed media and/or digital painting. Emphasis will be placed on a variety of techniques which include mixed media. Subject matter will explore modern and contemporary themes and introduce abstraction and non-representation. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 200 Sophomore Review and ART 221 Painting I
Credits: 3
Description: Students will learn to question the boundaries between painting, drawing, and digital artwork through demonstrations, discussions, and exposure to contemporary and historically relevant mixed media artists. Experimentation, critical thinking, and technical proficiency will be emphasized. Students are expected to be self-directed regarding the selection of subject matter and content, but open to the selection of media, as well as learning through collaboration. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Credits: 3
Description: For Art majors only or with permission of instructor and department chair. A continuation of Pottery and Ceramics I with more advanced wheel and hand building concepts introduced. Students will learn a variety of surface decoration techniques, low- and high-fire kiln processes, and contemporary issues in clay. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 200 Sophomore Review and ART 251 Pottery and Ceramics I
Credits: 3
Description: Expansion of the principles and processes introduced in Sculpture I, with an emphasis on traditional and contemporary methods of sculptural production. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 200 Sophomore Review and ART 271 Sculpture I
Credits: 3
Description: A further exploration of printmaking concentrating on intaglio processes. Students will primarily explore dry point, hard and soft ground etching, and aquatint and various approaches to monochrome and polychrome printing. Collography and intagliotype printmaking will be introduced. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.
Prerequisite: ART 200 Sophomore Review and ART 281 Printmaking I
Credits: 1
Description: Students will read appropriate materials, assist in mounting exhibits, design fliers, write press releases and coordinate publicity. The experience will culminate in the student’s senior exhibition. Students with a significant number of upper-level studio courses can register with instructor’s permission following art department’s approval. $10 per credit hour required.
Choose two of the following art history courses:
- ART 302 Ancient Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of the art of the Classical World, focusing on the sculpture, architecture, and painting of ancient Greece and Rome. Lecture. Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 303 Italian Renaissance Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of the art of Italy from the 14th through 17th centuries. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 304 American Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of American art from the Colonial era through the 1920s. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 305 Modern Art (3 credits)– Advanced study of European and American art from the mid-19th century through the 1970s. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 306 Contemporary Art (3 credits)– Advanced study of global art from the 1970s through the present day. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 307 Special Topics in Art History (3 credits)– Advanced study of a specific topic in art history. Lecture.Prerequisite: ART 244 Art History Survey I and ART 245 Art History Survey II.
- ART 421 Advanced Problems in Painting (3 credits) – Emphasis will be on self-direction regarding the selection of subject matter and media. Experimentation, critical and independent thinking, technical proficiency, and alliance with contemporary art issues are emphasized. This course may be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Additional hours may be taken as ART 491 Special Project in Painting. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required. Prerequisite: ART 321 Painting II.
- ART 451 Advanced Problems in Pottery and Ceramics (3 credits) – For art majors only or with permission of instructor and department chair. Emphasis will be on self-direction in the selection of utilitarian or sculptural areas to pursue in clay. Experimentation, critical thinking, technical proficiency, and alliance with contemporary art issues are emphasized. This course may be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Additional hours may be taken as ART 491 Special Project in Pottery and Ceramics.6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required. Prerequisite: ART 351 Pottery and Ceramics II.
- ART 471 Advanced Problems in Sculpture (3 credits) – Significant problems in the realization of sculpture based on individual concepts and advanced applications of sculptural processes. Expanded media and safe studio operations will be explored through research. This course may be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Additional hours may be taken as ART 491 Special Project in Sculpture. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required. Prerequisite: ART 371 Sculpture II.
- ART 481 Advanced Problems in Printmaking (3 credits) – A further exploration of approaches to printmaking based on the student’s special interest and skills. Photo processes will be more fully presented and experimentation with additional processes related to the individual’s approach to imagery will be pursued. This course may be repeated for a total of 6 hours. Additional hours may be taken as ART 491 Special Project in Printmaking. 6 hours studio. Class fee of $10 per credit hour required.Prerequisite: ART 381 Printmaking II.

Popular pairings

Many students at Wayne State will add a second major or a minor to complement their program of study or to focus their studies on a specific topic. Students who recently majored in Studio Art at Wayne State also paired this major with one or more of the following programs:

Art History (minor)
Business Administration (minor)
Graphic Design (major or minor)
Merchandising and Design (minor)
Psychology (major or minor)

View all majors and minors

Related programs

Students interested in the Studio Art program may also be interested in:

Art Education (field endorsement)
Graphic Design (B.A.)
Photography (minor)

I chose my major in Studio Art because I have been creating all my life, such as murals, portraits, and logos, and wanted to further my education with professionals and hands-on learning. I have enjoyed my program of study here at Wayne State because of the easy access to one-on-one learning with the professors, the many opportunities to practice outside of the classroom, and the ability to communicate with many other professional artists from around the country and state.

Gabe Perez

Pender, Nebraska

Studio Art