Founded in 1879 as the first professional, university-affiliated art school in the United States, the College of Art offers rigorous graduate and undergraduate programs in art and design while drawing from the resources of a top-tier research institution. You'll work closely with our distinguished faculty, utilizing expansive studios and spaces for making, while taking courses in a wide range of areas—animation, book arts, comics, design for social practice, fashion design, foundry + metalsmithing, graphic design, hybrid + experimental media, illustration, interaction design, installation art, narrative design, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textile design, typography, video + time arts, and visual reportage.
Graduate Programs
The Graduate School of Art offers two Master of Fine Arts programs. The Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art, a two-year intensive program, empowers students to expand their creative and intellectual reach and to engage in the discourses that shape contemporary art. The Master of Fine Arts in Illustration & Visual Culture explores the idea of illustration authorship by combining studio practice in illustration with curatorial training in visual and material culture.
Undergraduate Programs
The College of Art offers undergraduate degrees focused on three primary areas of study: studio art, communication design, and fashion design. You can earn a degree with a deep studio focus, or one with a broader liberal arts orientation. Whether you want to make illustrated books, create sculptural installations, design for public health initiatives, or launch your own fashion line, you can create an educational path to pursue a career in any field you choose.
There are multiple opportunities for other WashU students to take courses in art and design. This includes through our minors—art, design, creative practice for social change, and human-computer interaction—as well as our second majors in art and design.
Spaces for Making
The Sam Fox School is an inspiring place for learning, making, and creative research. Our six-building complex features the world-class Kemper Art Museum, a dedicated art and architecture library, and numerous exhibition, installation, and maker spaces, including a new digital fabrication studio, an integrated printmaking suite and illustrated book studio, a textile studio, and numerous wood and metal shops. The Sam Fox School is also home to Island Press, a research-based printmaking workshop committed to creating and publishing innovative prints and multiples, educating students and the broader community about print media, and advancing the printmaking field. Check out our spaces for learning and making>>
Faculty
Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized with practices representing a broad range of work: curation, fashion design, graphic design, illustration, information design, installation, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, social impact design, time-based media and performance, typography, user interface design, and visual culture.
Apply
For details about applying to our undergraduate programs in art, communication design, and fashion design, click here>>
For details about applying to our MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture program, click here>>
For details about applying to our MFA in Visual Art program, click here>>