Western Carolina University - School of Art and Design

Welcome to the School of Art and Design at Western Carolina University!

Whether your creative passion lies in the studio arts, graphic design, interior design, or a blend of art history and studio arts, Western Carolina University’s School of Art and Design will provide you with the skills necessary to launch your passion into your dream profession. You will combine your chosen discipline’s concepts and theories with hands-on experiences that offer collaborative studio projects, improved creativity, enhanced critical thinking, project development, community engagement, as well as mastery of technique and craftsmanship. Our smaller studio class sizes offer you an exceptional opportunity to work closely with our dedicated faculty, as they bring to the classroom a commitment to the process of innovation and skill building, as well as a wide range of experience as makers, designers, collaborators and researchers. Your learning environment will include cutting-edge art and design studio facilities, the on-site Fine Art Museum with four gallery rooms, dedicated critique rooms, a 1000-seat theatre in the John W. Bardo Fine & Performing Arts Center and a robust visiting artist program with internationally recognized artists and designers.

Western Carolina University is located in the beautiful Southern Appalachian Mountains of Cullowhee, North Carolina. Furthermore, The State of North Carolina established the NC Promise Tuition Plan to increase access to a quality university education by reducing student tuition costs to $500 per semester for in-state students and $2500 for out-of-state students. Additional fees and costs still apply on top of reduced tuition. To help further lighten your expenditures, the School of Art & Design offers you robust opportunities for scholarships. If you're looking for a university ready to fight as hard for your success as you are, WCU and the School of Art and Design is the place for you!

Degrees offered in the School of Art and Design are listed below, along with application requirements:

   Degrees Offered                                                                    Admission Requirements

   BA (Bachelor of Art)                                                               general WCU admissions only

   BS (Bachelor of Science) in Interior Design                          Acceptd application: essay required/ max of 40 students

   BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art), emphasis in Studio Arts              general WCU admissions only

   BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art)- emphasis in Graphic Design      Acceptd application: portfolio and essay/ max of 18 students

   BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art), emphasis in Art Education          general WCU admissions only

Admission Requirements and Processes:

Students interested in Interior Design or Graphic Design must pre-apply via Acceptd, due to enrollment capacities. Choose the program application located on the drop-down menu on the left side of this page.

For all other degrees, apply via WCU’s standard undergraduate admissions and admission: https://www.wcu.edu/apply/undergraduate-admissions/index.aspx After you are accepted to WCU via the general admissions process, you can simply declare your intended major with the Admissions office or Registrar’s Office.

Please note that BFA Studio Art will require a portfolio submission around 59 credit hours, after you are enrolled at WCU. The portfolio will be submitted via an internal process. Students will be notified before the due date which is the 4th Friday of each Fall and Spring semester.

Please visit the degree pages to find the 8-semester plans and degree checklists for specific program requirements. https://www.wcu.edu/learn/departments-schools-colleges/FPA/artdesign/index.aspx

Acceptance into Interior Design and Graphic Design is competitive, so early applications via Acceptd are encouraged. Once application packages have been submitted through Acceptd, students will receive notification within 2 weeks with results of their acceptance, non-admission or if they have been waitlisted into their program of choice. Once admitted, students have 30 days to respond, in Acceptd, confirming that you will be enrolling in the program. Those not replying within the allotted 30 days will automatically be placed on the program waitlist. If you are waitlisted and a slot becomes available, you will be notified immediately. 

Please visit our website for additional information on individual program details and offerings. 

Questions about the School of School of Art and Design? Please reach out to:

Ron Laboray, Director
828-227-3881
relaboray@wcu.edu

Beth Moore, Administrative Support Associate
828-227-7210
bethmoore@wcu.edu