Art schools in Texas offer students the opportunity to study for a career in various fields of art.
From graphic design to art education, art schools allow students to increase not only their existing artistic skills, but it also allows them to explore other artistic skills, as well.
Following are some of the best art schools in the state of Texas.
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University, accredited by the Commission on Colleges and located in Abilene, offers several programs of interest to art majors including fine arts, graphic design, art education, interior design, theater and music. Students, who would like to study within one of these areas, can contact Abilene at-325-674-2650, or they can write to the admissions office at-ACU Box 29000, Abilene, Texas, 79699. They can also read about the university and its programs online at-http://www.acu.edu.
Students, who choose to earn their bachelor’s degrees in fine arts/graphic design will need to take the following basic education courses-Composition and Rhetoric, Life and Teachings of Jesus, Cornerstone, Learning Strategies, Early Christians, Composition and Literature, Lifetime Wellness, Quantitative Reasoning, Message of the Old Testament, Speech and Rhetoric, Human Personality and Identity, two Exercise Science electives, Advanced Bible Selection, Social Science, Community, two Science courses, Christian Vocation and Mission, Discovery and Creation of Meaning, three additional English courses, Mathematics, and two Foreign Language courses.
Students will also need to take the following art-related courses-Basic Drawing, 2D Design, 3D Design, Figure Drawing I and II, On-Site Painting, On-Site Drawing, Art History/Art and Faith, Art History Selection, On-site Photography, Art Studio Selection, Art History/General Survey I and II, Sculpture I, Basic Visual Communication, Printmaking, Digital Graphic Techniques, Introduction to Photography, Painting I, Art History/20th Century, 2D Art Studio Selection, Art History/American, Advanced Drawing, Identity and Brand Design, four Non-Specified Studio Art Selections, Persuasive Graphics, Information Graphics, and Graphic Design Portfolio.
Austin Community College
Austin Community College, accredited with the Commission on Colleges, offers several programs of interest to art students. Some of the excellent programs that Austin offers include music, dance, fine arts, art history, photography, and culinary arts. Those persons, who would like to study within Austin Community College, can find out how to apply by calling the main office at-512-223-4222 or by visiting them online at-http://www.austincc.edu. They can also write to the college at-5930 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin, Texas, 78752.
For students to earn their associate’s of art degrees from Austin Community College, they must complete a variety of general education and art-related courses. Following are the general education courses they must complete-English Composition I and II, United States History I and II, Mathematics, two Natural Science courses, United States Government, Texas State and Local Government, two Foreign Language courses, two Humanities courses, Social and Behavioral Science, and Oral Communication. The art-related courses that students will need to complete consist of the following classes-Drawing I, Art History I or II, Design I or Digital Art I, Drawing II or Life Drawing I, and Design II.
The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio’s University of Texas offers a variety of art-related programs, accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Some of these outstanding programs are as follows-interior design, fine arts, art history and criticism, jazz studies, music and music technology. Those students in the San Antonio area, who would like to learn about any of these programs, can contact the school’s information line at-210-458-4011, or they can find valuable information online at-http://www.utsa.edu. They may also request a program brochure by writing to-1 UTSA Circle, San Antonio, Texas, 78249.
Those students, whom choose to earn their bachelor’s degree in fine arts, will need to complete several basic skills classes as follows-Freshman Composition I and II, Mathematics, two Natural Science courses, Literature, United States History and Diversity, Introduction to American Politics, one additional Political Science course, Social and Behavioral Science, Economics, and World Society and Issues.
They will also need to complete an array of art-specific courses as follows-Survey of Art and Architecture from Prehistoric Times to 1350, Survey of Art and Architecture from Europe and the New World from 1350 to 1750, Survey of Modern Art, Two Dimensional Foundations, Three Dimensional Foundations, Drawing I and II, Painting Basic, New Media Basic, Printmaking Basic, Photography Basic, Sculpture Basic, Ceramics Basic, Contemporary Studio/Concepts and Practice, Senior Seminar and Exhibition, Contemporary Art, two Art History and Criticism courses, and at least four additional art-specific courses.
Odessa College
Odessa College offers an exceptional associate’s degree program in arts, as well as, programs in photography and music, accredited by the Commission on Colleges. Students in the Odessa or surrounding districts, who would like to learn the enrollment procedures of Odessa College, can read about them online at-http://www.odessa.edu/. They can also request information by phoning the college at-432-335-6400 or by writing to-201 West University, Odessa, Texas, 79764.
For students to earn their associate’s degrees in arts, they will need to take the following basic skills courses-Composition and Rhetoric, Composition and Literature, additional Communication elective, two History courses, Federal Government, Texas Government, Mathematics, two Natural Science courses, Social and Behavioral Science, two Physical Activity courses, Humanities, and Computers. They will also need to take the following program-oriented courses to earn their degrees-Drawing I and II, Visual and Performing Arts elective, Design I and II, Art History I and II, Digital Art I and II, and Photography I and II.
El Paso Community College
El Paso Community College, accredited with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, offers several fantastic art-related programs including graphic design, fine arts, culinary arts, dance, fashion technology, interior design and music. Those students, who would like to find out how to apply to the college, can call the admission’s office at-915-831-2150, or they can visit the college online at-http://www.epcc.edu. They can also choose to write to them at-905 Viscount Blvd., El Paso, Texas, 79925.
Students who choose to earn their associate’s degrees in fine arts will need to complete a total of 65 credit-hours comprised of both general education and art-related courses. The general education classes they will need to take are the following classes-Mastering Academic Excellence, Expository English Composition, History of the United States to 1865, Research Writing and Literary Analysis, History of the United States Since 1865, Communications, Humanities, American Government and Politics, Mathematics, two Natural Science courses, State and Local Government, and Social and Behavioral Science.
The art-related courses that they will need to complete are the following classes-Design I and II, Basic Drawing I and II, Pre-Renaissance Art History, Life Drawing I, Renaissance and Modern Art History, and at least one additional art-related elective.
Schools of Art
Below are the actual Art Schools in Texas.
The Art Institute of Houston
The Art Institute of Houston, accredited with the Commission on Colleges, offers an array of art programs including web design and interactive media, visual effects and motion graphics, photography, media arts and animation, interior design, graphic design, fashion, culinary arts, digital filmmaking and video production, and design and technical graphics. For students to find out about any of these programs, they need to call the institute at-800-275-4244, or they can read about the programs online at-http://www.artinstitutes.edu/Houston. They can also request information through the mail by writing to-4140 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas, 77027.
Depending upon the program that students choose to enroll within, they may need to submit a portfolio of their most recent work. For information on the requirements of the portfolio, applicants need to contact the institute and consult with an adviser. Culinary applicants should have at least two years of experience in the food service industry and have at least two letters of recommendation.
Students, who choose to earn their bachelor’s of fine arts in media arts and animation, will need to complete the following basic education requirements to earn their degrees-English Composition, College Algebra, General Psychology, Physics, Public Speaking, Social Problems, Humanities, two History courses, Mathematics or Science, Social Science, College 101, Introduction to the Career Portfolio, Computer Applications, Career Development, and Completion of the Career Portfolio.
They will also need to complete the following key requirements to earn their degrees-Design Fundamentals, Digital Imaging I, Observational Drawing, Perspective Drawing, Color Fundamentals, Acting and Movement, Concepts I/Storytelling and Script Writing, Drawing and Anatomy, Concepts II/Storyboarding, Life Drawing and Gesture, 2D Animation/Studio I and II, Digital Video I/Cinematic Principles, History of Animation, Character and Object Design, Modeling I/Hard Surface and Organic Modeling, Digital Video II/Advanced Techniques, Introduction to Animation 3D, Special Topics Broadcast Design, Modeling II/Advanced Techniques, Animation Studio I through IV, Special Topics Industrial Design, Modeling III, Texture Attributes/Advanced Materials and Lighting, Special Topics Particle Systems, Special Topics Compositing Effects, Animation Production Team, Special Topics Experimental Graphics, Animation Studio V Final Project, Professional Presentations I and II, Fundamentals of Audio, Digital Illustration I, Typography, Digital Photography for Designers, Audio for Interactive Design, and Internship.
The Art Institute of Dallas
Accredited with the Commission on Colleges, The Art Institute of Dallas offers a variety of art programs including the following-interior design, culinary arts, media arts and animation, graphic design, advertising, photography, web design and interactive media, and fashion design. Those students in the Dallas area, who would like to learn how to enroll to the institute, can visit them online at-http://www.artinstitutes.edu/Dallas. They may also request information by calling-214-692-8080 or by writing to-8080 Park Lane, Suite 100, Dallas, Texas, 75231.
Depending upon the career path that students may choose, they may need to submit a portfolio of their most recent artwork before they can study within the institute. The portfolio should reflect the students chosen interests and should include at least 15 pieces of work.
Students, who choose to earn their associate’s degrees in graphic design will need to take the following basic skills classes-College Mathematics or Creative Geometry, Oral Communications, Writing I and II, and Introduction to the Web. They will also need to complete the following career-related courses-Survey or Art History, Traditional Typography, Introduction to Design Applications, Layout Design, Digital Illustration, Concept Design, Digital Layout, Survey of Graphic Design, Typography Hierarchy, Digital Grid Systems, Digital Photography for Designers, Web Scripting, Print Production, Conceptual Imagery, Package Design, Portfolio I, Professional Practices, Perspective Drawing, Design Fundamentals, Observational Drawing, Color Fundamentals, and Image Manipulation.
The Art Institute of San Antonio
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges, The Art Institute of San Antonio has a vast array of programs for those interested in art. Some of the terrific programs that the institute offers are graphic arts, culinary arts, animation, photography and web design. Those persons, who would like to find out about the admission procedures of the institute can visit the school online at-http://www.artinstitutes.edu/san-antonio. They can also acquire information by phoning the school at-888-222-0040 or by writing to them at-10000 IH-10 West, Suite 200, San Antonio, Texas, 78230.
Students who want to enroll within the institute, with the exception of culinary arts students, will need to submit a portfolio containing at least 15 pieces of original artwork. They should contact an adviser for exact specifics on the portfolio’s contents. Culinary students should have no less than two years experience in food service and will need at least two letters of recommendation.
Those students, who choose to earn their associate’s degrees in web design, need to complete the following basic education courses-English Composition, College Algebra, General Psychology, Public Speaking, History or Humanities, Political Science, US History I and II, World Civilizations I and II, Environmental Science, Biology, Physics, College 101, Introduction to the Career Portfolio, Computer Applications, Career Development, and Completion of the Career Portfolio.
They will also need to complete the following career-specific courses-Design Fundamentals, Digital Imaging I through III, Perspective Drawing, Color Fundamentals, Digital Design and Typography, Introduction to Scripting Languages, Introduction to Authoring, Digital Video Composition, Intermediate Authoring, Intermediate Scripting Languages, Desktop Video, Concepts in Motion Design, Audio for Interactive Design, Advanced Authoring, Portfolio I and II, Media Business Practices, Interactive Motion Graphics, Animation Graphics, Project Management, Fundamentals of Audio, and Internship.
Exploring Other Institutions in Texas
There are many other educational institutions in Texas that offer art-related programs for people who want to begin careers in art. Following are some of these other superb schools.
- The Art Institute of Austin in Austin
- The Art Institute of Fort Worth in Fort Worth
- Amarillo College in Amarillo
- Baylor University in Waco
- Central Texas College in Killeen
- Dallas Baptist University in Dallas
- Del Mar College in Corpus Christi
- Rice University in Houston
- St. Phillips College in San Antonio
Requirements for an Art Degree in Texas
Most colleges and universities require art students to complete an art capstone/senior project or thesis near the end of their program. While the way in which people accomplish this may vary depending upon the professor, the common ways students accomplish these requirements are through such things as art projects or portfolios, research projects, essays, presentations and exhibitions/galleries.
The materials that art students may need for their courses may vary, as well, depending upon the program they enroll within. However, many fine arts programs require students to have the following basic materials.
- Tracing Pads and Sketchbooks
- Pens, Conte Crayons, Pencils and Pencil Sharpeners
- Masking Tape and Glue Sticks
- X-Acto Knife and Blades
- Staedler Mars Plastic Eraser and Kneaded Eraser
- Scissors
- 36 inch Metal T-Square, Measuring Tapes and Steel Rules
- Staple Gun and Staples
- Digital Camera
- Water Containers, Palette Knives, Palette and Brushes
