Associate Degree in Fine Arts -­ Art and Design

Parkland College Art & Design courses are designed to enhance your skills, build your portfolio, and develop the fundamentals needed to successfully transfer to a four-year college or university. Parkland's Art & Design faculty are working artists who have the experience and skills necessary to provide a strong foundation for students planning to transfer and pursue a bachelor's degree. Not looking to transfer? That's okay, our dedicated faculty can help you make the most of your talent and achieve your dream.

Why study Art?

Careers in Fine and Applied Art fields include opportunities to work as entrepreneurs or to work in for-profit and not-for-profit industries.

Our programs prepare you for jobs organizing, managing and promoting, producing, directing, teaching, or using creative and technical skills. Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics to view the annual average salaries for the visual arts industry.

Parkland art graduates are employed as art educators in high schools and universities, curators, photographers, art librarians, graphic designers, industrial designers, animators, exhibition managers, and business owners of their own studios.

At Parkland, you'll have the advantage of small class sizes, taught by master faculty - never teaching assistants. Your success is our priority.
Offering more than 100 2­ year Associate Degree and Certificate programs, Parkland College is well known for its small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, inclusive learning environment, and personable faculty. Parkland boasts the largest international student body of any 2 ­year colleges in the state of Illinois, with more than 300 students representing more than 40 countries.

The Associate Degree offers an ideal and inexpensive doorway for international students wanting to enter the American education system. Having worked to perfect their English language skills through the English as a Second Language (ESL) program or earned two years­-worth of transferable credits, many of Parkland’s international students then transfer on to 4 ­year universities (2+2 transfer) around the United States, where they continue their educations, earning Baccalaureate and graduate degrees.

Parkland College faculty are well accustomed to the challenges faced by international students who are experienced in dealing with them. Parkland strives to enhance global awareness and multiculturalism through education and faculty welcome the perspective brought by international students in their classes.

Why Choose Parkland College

• Small class sizes and a personalized education
• Intensive English as a Second Language (ESL) program for Non-­English speakers
• Complete two years and transfer credits to a 4­-year university
• In the same city as the University of Illinois, a top research university
• Around ½ the yearly cost of 4 ­year universities
• A diverse international student population, more than 300 international students
• Faculty focus on global awareness and multiculturalism
• Stand out!

Explore different areas of art and develop verbal, technical, and aesthetic skills.

Art and Design courses provide you with a strong foundation of study that helps you transfer to a college or university for a bachelor’s degree. The culture among faculty and students is congenial and productive, with rigorous coursework and attention to craftsmanship. One­-on-­one instruction from experienced faculty artists gives you a competitive edge when applying for admission and scholarships to colleges and universities. After completing a bachelor’s or in some cases a master’s degree, you can go on to have a career in the studio arts, graphic design, illustration, industrial design, art education (K­-12 or college­-level), museum work, gallery work, exhibition design, exhibit preparation, curation, art critiquing or writing, art handling, art restoration/preservation, art therapy, medical illustration, photography, furniture design, fashion design, interior design, jewelry design or textile design.

Courses

• ART 121 Two­Dimensional Design
• ART 124 Three­Dimensional Design
• ART 122 Drawing I
• ART 123 Drawing II
• ART 161 Art History I
• ART 162 Art History II
• ART 221 Figure Drawing
• ART 283 Portfolio Seminar
• Beginning Studio Art Courses
• Painting (ART 201, Painting I)
• Ceramics (ART 145, Ceramics I)
• Sculpture (ART 181, Sculpture I)
• Jewelry and metalworking (ART 185, Metalwork/Jewelry I)
• Photography (ART 128, Digital Photography; ART 129, Photography)
• Graphic Design (GDS 102 and 120)
• Advanced Studio Art Courses
• Painting (ART 141, Watercolor I; ART 202, Painting II; ART 241, Watercolor II)
• Ceramics (ART 245, Ceramics II)
• Sculpture (ART 182, Sculpture II)
• Jewelry and metalworking (ART 186, Metalwork/Jewelry II)
• Color (ART 125, Color)
• Photography (ART 228, Advanced Digital Photography; ART 229, Advanced Photography)
• 3D Computer Animation I (CSC 187)
• Graphic Design (GDS 122)