| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | Milwaukee |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Eau Claire |
Our 2024 ranking of the top illustration schools in Wisconsin. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) has an Illustration BFA program that prepares students for roles such as Illustrator, Designer, or Art Director. The program accomplishes this through features such as the Seminar Series, which provides the opportunity for students to interact one-on-one with outside professionals from all areas within the field.
Illustration BFA students also benefit from access to MIAD’s new Illustration studios, classrooms, and the Emerging Technology Center; portfolio development courses; internships at local and regional companies and studios; and participation in semester-long study abroad experiences.
Consisting of 120 credit hours, the MIAD Illustration BFA program begins with the First Year Experience (FYE). Each semester in the FYE consists of 15 required credits including major courses and beginning liberal studies. Course examples include Process of Inquiry; Introduction to the Practice of Art & Design History; Systems Drawing; Digital 2D; Visual Language; Intro to Advanced Study; and Digital 4D.
Upon completion of the FYE, students will take courses such as Illustration I-IV; Advanced Figure Drawing for Illustrators; Illustration Media; History of Illustration and Communication Design Since 1850; Advanced 2D Digital; Patterns in Nature; Typography; and The Creative Professional in Context.
BFA students may also add a minor to enhance the degree. Popular options include Book Arts, Writing, Digital Media Production, Copywriting, Advertising, Arts Management, and Business.
The Illustration BFA program at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design culminates with the Illustration Thesis Project, Portfolio, and MIAD Exhibition. Students are required to be actively involved in the overall preparation of the Exhibition including signage, lighting crew, gallery monitoring, painting crew, etc.
Graduates of the MIAD Illustration BFA program are prepared to pursue positions in children’s book publishing, editorial, graphic design, comics, advertising and marketing, architecture, exhibit design, animation, game design, forensic illustration, textile design, medical illustration, storyboard art, new media, and fashion illustration.
BFA program alumni have been hired at places such as Hallmark, Kohl’s Corporate, Harley-Davidson, Kohler, Estee Lauder, Hanson Dodge Creative, Rockwell Automation, Kimberly Clark, Milwaukee Public Television, Santa Fe communications, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Graduates have also gone on to launch tier own studios such as THIEL Design and Studio8Design.
Founded in 1974, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design serves 900 degree-seeking students, 600 pre-college students, and 250 outreach/special programs students. For degree-seeking students, MIAD provides seven degree programs, five studio minors, and nine liberal studies minors. The school’s affiliation with Marquette University provides access to additional courses in Humanities and Sciences, and other resources.
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD)—a consortium of 39 leading art schools in the United States and Canada. The school is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
The College of Arts and Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UW-Eau Claire or UWEC) houses the Department of Art and Design. Within the department is Integrative Visual Arts BFA program with an Illustration focus. To enhance the degree, students can also select a “Theme” such as Sequential Expression (illustration narratives, video for artists, visual communications, etc.) or Communication in Contemporary Culture (illustration editorials, UX design, photography, etc.).
Other program features include field trips to local museums and studios and to Chicago, New York, and Minneapolis; professional workshops and lectures led by visiting artists; study abroad experiences in Rome, Florence, or Paris; and access to UW-Eau Claire Foster Gallery—the largest art gallery in the Eau Claire area. This creative space provides opportunities to view and participate in exhibitions, attend guest speaker presentations, and participate in the Annual Juried Student Art Show.
Integrative Visual Arts BFA students may also participate in student organizations such as the Graphic Communications Design Club; Art Student Association (ASA); and None of the Above (NOTA).
All Integrative Visual Arts students will complete 15 credit hours in Foundations. Courses include Drawing and Composition; Two-Dimensional Design; Three-Dimensional Art; Digital Frameworks; and Art of the 20th Century. Other course examples include Illustration Narratives; Illustration Editorials; Advanced Graphic Communications; Digital Painting; Artists Books; Painting—Space and Process; Intermediate Drawing; Visual Communications; Advanced Studio Practice; UX Design; Video for Artists; Introduction to Photography as an Art Form; and Global Art History to 1400.
All UW-Eau Claire BFA students must complete 30 hours of approved service-learning activity to graduate. Integrated Visual Arts students will also complete two of the following courses to graduate: Portfolio and Professional Development; Methodologies of Art History; Design for Community and People; Advanced Studio Practice (repeat); and the Internship.
The Integrative Visual Arts BFA program at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire culminates with the BFA Senior Exhibition. Graduates are prepared to pursue titles such as Illustrator, Design Manager, Animator, Exhibition Designer, Fine Artist, Graphic Designer, Product Designer, and Creative Director.
UWEC Art and Design alumni have freelanced for or been hired at places such as Marvel Entertainment, Rock Candy Games, Orange Hat Publishing, and Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. UW-Eau Claire alumni have been also hired at places such as Microsoft, IBM, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and Hyatt Hotels.
Founded in 1916, UW-Eau Claire is part of the University of Wisconsin System, which consists of 13 public universities with 26 campuses across the state. The school serves more than 9,000 students enrolled in over 200 academic programs across four colleges including Business; Arts + Sciences; Education + Human Sciences; and Nursing + Health Sciences. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
