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Igniting curiosity. Creating connections. Nurturing creativity.

Drawn by ambition and promise, students of Art & Design will grow in knowledge, creativity, and strength to make a more vibrant, innovative world. Find your creative self in SOTA's Art & Design program. We individually empower and educate the world’s next generation of artists, designers and thinkers to discover their true creative selves.

Including majors in Animation, Art Education, Art History, Drawing, Integrative Media, New Media Art, Painting, Photography, Pre-Art Therapy, Spatial Arts (Ceramics & Sculpture), and Visual Communication Design.

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Our programs are ideally suited to those who aspire to:

  • Practicing artists, designers, animators, and photographers
  • Part of thriving world class design region with numerous Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial startups
  • Inspire creativity as a K-12 teacher in public or private school
  • Become a creative director, exhibition designer, user interface designer (UI), user experience designer (UX), package designer, brand and identity designer to name a few.
  • College and university faculty
  • Storyboard artist, motion graphics artist, art or technical director, producer, special effects artist, character designer, concept artist, background designer
  • Allied fields within the creative industries.
  • Jump-start your career in the $1 trillion arts economy (* 2021 U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis and National Endowment for the Arts.)

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Unique Student Experiences & Opportunities

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Scholarships & Awards

Art & Design Merit Scholarships with over $85,000 awarded yearly. In addition, notable 4 year awards are available through NKU for students that participated in Kentucky Governor's School for the Arts or Kentucky Governor's Scholars Programs.

Learn About Scholarships

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Study Abroad

Inspired study abroad programs that put you in the center of global art and design trends. Art & Design encourages students to study abroad and explore the globe.  

See Our Opportunities

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Internships & Co-Ops

Professional exposure through industry-focused internships from galleries, design studios, agencies, and assisting artists

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STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Gina Erardi  

Gina Erardi   

Graduating Year: 2020

Education: BFA Painting

“I chose NKU's Visual Arts program first and foremost because of its professors. I researched their personal artwork and found a diverse array of styles unified by their respective excellence. I believed that these artists and teachers could expand my perspective and lead me towards a path that would elevate my own unique skill set, which is exactly what happened. I am eternally grateful for Kevin Muente, JeeEun Lee, Marc Leone, and Steven Finke.”

Gina recently brought her mural design for the Newport Flood Wall on Dave Cowens Drive to completion for the city's 225th Anniversary! This mural, entitled "Education Empowers", tells the story of the Southgate Street School; the original building stands today and is now the home of the Newport History Museum. It was the first and only school for Black children in Newport immediately following the Civil War. The 19-panel wall will eventually become a chronological timeline of Newport's rich history.

 

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