The Art & Design Department offers the Bachelor of Arts degree with options in Studio Art or Graphic Design, Bachelor od Arts degree in I-Design, and the Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education for K-12 teachers. Through a combination of studio and art history courses, art majors build cognitive skills while engaging in the inherently creative activities of the art process. Majors acquire interrelated skills in visual perception, creative problem-solving, and critical thinking, all of which complement the objectives of a liberal arts education. Majors and minors study the history of art, focusing on human achievements of the past and present, as well as the various criteria by which they are evaluated. Studio majors develop expertise in specific media areas such as painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, or printmaking.

The teaching program prepares graduates for Minnesota certification in art (K-12) and is offered in conjunction with the College of Education. Teaching majors must take all courses in the art (K-12) Professional Education Sequence in addition to courses in the content area.