The School of the Arts (SOA) at Utah Valley University (UVU) serves more than 1,800 students making it one of the largest art schools in the state. More than 20 SOA programs are housed across four departments including Art & Design; Music; Theatrical Arts for the Stage and Screen; and Dance.
Across departments, students have opportunities to intern at place such as Paramount Pictures Studio; The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), New York Public Theater; National Gallery of Art, Washington; and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (Utah MOCA). Students also have opportunities to complete an international internship in places such as the UK, Italy, South Korea, and Germany.
The SOA Department of Art and Design at Utah Valley University has two paths to study Illustration: the Art and Design AAS and the Art and Design BFA. The Art and Design AAS is a two-year degree that provides an emphasis in Design/Illustration. Course examples include Illustrative Media Techniques I-II; Observational Drawing; 3D Modeling; Imagination and Visual Literacy; and Digital Painting. Students will complete 63 credit hours to graduate.
Graduates are prepared for entry-level jobs in Illustration for publishing firms, film studios, animation studios, advertising agencies, game design studios, design firms, and graphic design studios. Program alumni are also prepared for entry into UVU’s Art and Design BFA program.
Consisting of 120 credit hours, the Art and Design BFA at Utah Valley University is a professional program that provides an emphasis in Illustration. Areas explored include Traditional Illustration, Digital Illustration, and Animation. Course examples include Narrative Illustration; 2D and 3D Design; Illustrative Media I-II; Computer Graphics Applications; Conceptual illustration; 3D Modeling; Advanced Illustration; Figure Drawing I-III; Digital Painting; and The History of Illustration.
Electives allow students to focus in an area of interest within Illustration. Elective examples include Children’s Book Illustration; 2D Animation for Illustration; Sequential Illustration; Digital Painting II; Character Design; 3D Texturing and Rendering; Environment Design; and 3D Sculpting.
The Art and Design BFA culminates with the BFA Project, which focuses on the development and execution of a gallery exhibition or professional portfolio. This includes collaborative work with a gallery or museum professional in preparation of the exhibition's public viewing.
Graduates of Art and Design BFA program at Utah Valley University are prepared to pursue advanced roles at publishing companies, animation studios, printing companies, graphic design studios, toy design and development companies, game design studios, newspapers and magazines, film studios, and advertising agencies. Some UVU Art and Design alumni go on to launch their own studios or freelance businesses, while others continue on to graduate school.
Utah Valley University was established in 1941 as Central Utah Vocational School (CUVS). The school’s primary function was to provide war production training. Today, UVU serves a record 44,653 students making it the largest public university in the state. The school provides more than 200 degree and certificate programs across eight colleges and schools. Utah Valley University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).