- MSU Home
- Academic Calendar
- Academic Depts
- Administration
- Admin Depts
- Advising
- Application G
- Application U
- Arts Events
- Athletics
- Blackboard
- Bookstore
- Box Office Tks
- Bursar
- Calendars
- Campus Map
- Career Center
- Catalog Grad
- Catalog UGrad
- Closings
- Commencement
- Conference Ctr
- Contact Info
- Counseling Services
- Course Sched. Book
- Degrees
- Dining
- Directions
- Disney Program
- Emergency
- Employment Opps
- EMS
- ESL
- EthicsPoint
- Faculty Services
- Fac/Staff WebPg
- Final Exams
- Financial Aid
- Fire Safety
- Galleries
- Giving
- Global Education
- Health Center
- Housing
- Identity
- Information Tech
- International Srvs
- Jobs
- Kasser Theater
- Library
- Majors
- MSU Connect
- MSU E-Card
- MSU Net-ID
- MSU News
- MSU Site Index
- NJHERC
- NJ Transit
- Parking
- People Search
- Police
- Procurement
- Registrar
- Schedule Book
- SGA
- Shuttle Schedule
- Stargazing
- Student Grades
- Study Abroad
- Summer Abroad
- Summer Sessions
- Time Sheets
- Web for Advisors
- Web Employees
- Web for Faculty
- WebMail Login
- WESS
- Writing Center
- About the Faculty (coming soon)
- Administration Directory
- Art & Design
- Broadcasting
- Communication Studies
- Music
- Theatre & Dance
About the Department
- Welcome from the Chair
- Department Administration
- Intro Video
The Department of Art & Design at Montclair State University has been developing aspiring artists and designers for more than 40 years. Our graduates impact many areas of the arts, interpreting and giving shape to the visual world in which we live. The philosophy of our program hinges on the principle that students should be exposed to all facets of the visual arts, no matter what their concentration. To this end, students are encouraged to explore studies in many arts areas, building toward a portfolio of work that will assist them in establishing lives as artists/designers, historians, arts managers or educators.
Our undergraduate program begins with a comprehensive foundation of visual arts principles including color theory, drawing, and two- and three-dimensional design that which forms the basis of an education in the visual arts. We then build upon this foundation with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts curriculum with a choice of majors, concentrations and specializations including studio (with 11 specializations), industrial design, fashion studies, filmmaking, art history, and art education.
Our graduate program offers comparable opportunities for focused and interdisciplinary study, including critical discourse with important artists of our time. Students have a choice of the intensive Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio or the Master of Arts which can be completed in less time. The MA degree is offered in Studio, Fine Arts Education, Art History and Museum Management.
The Department of Art & Design is housed in Calcia and Finley Halls, containing fully equipped studios for ceramics, drawing, film, graphic and industrial design, jewelry, painting, photography, printmaking, papermaking and sculpture, as well as a student-run gallery. The new MFA facility includes spacious private studios for students as well as common workspaces, seminar and resource rooms, and its own gallery for exhibiting student works.
The beautiful George Segal Gallery is a wonderful new addition to MSU's arts facilities and complements the Department's student galleries. Comprised of 3,130 square feet, the Segal Gallery exhibits works of regional and internationally acclaimed artists as well as our students.
Beyond the campus, students are encouraged to exhibit their work in professional galleries in New York and New Jersey. Critics and gallery dealers are invited each year to see the work of our MFA students in a gallery in Chelsea - New York's contemporary art center. Other opportunities to connect with arts professionals are realized through the Department's lecture series. Art Forum brings professional artists, historians, critics and curators to the campus each week to give presentations to our undergraduate students. Likewise through the MSU/MAM Series, our collaboration with the Montclair Art Museum, our graduate students dialogue with some of the most influential professionals in the field.
All programs in the Department of Art & Design meet rigorous national standards and are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. By combining career focused experiences and professional development practices with a sound liberal arts education - the Art and Design program at Montclair State University bridges the gap between entering students and their future goals in the arts.
John Luttropp, Chair, Dept. of Art & Design
The Department of Art & Design at Montclair State University has a long history of providing a strong, diverse liberal arts education to our students. In addition to studies in eleven different studio areas within the Bachelor of Arts Degree program (BA), students may also earn their BA degree in fashion studies, art education, or art history.
In recent years, we have added to our liberal arts (BA) degree programs with a number of specialized, professional Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs. These programs are specifically tailored to students with the drive and commitment it takes to build successful careers as art and design professionals, and have a much stronger focus in each specific discipline. At MSU, BFA degrees may be earned in Fine Art Studio, Animation & Illustration, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, or Industrial Design.
Our international, interdisciplinary faculty members provide the inspiration, knowledge and insight MSU students will need to enter the fulfilling world of the visual arts. At the core of our interdisciplinary educational process is focused access to our faculty, along with access to a full range of studio facilities, continually upgraded to remain current in meeting the needs of our students.
We invite you to discover the full range of opportunities offered in the Department of Art & Design as you explore our website. We hope you will then take the next step and visit us. Only by meeting our faculty and students, sitting in on a class, or viewing an exhibition in one of our professional or student-run galleries, can you appreciate all that the Department of Art & Design has to offer.
John Luttropp,
Chair, Department of Art & Design