Minor in Art & Design

Make creative problem solving, hands-on making, and visual communication a part of your education.

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For students interested in design thinking, visual composition, working collaboratively, critical thinking and analysis, and gaining skills with tools and techniques relevant to a wide range of material processes, the Stamps School offers an eighteen-credit minor in studio art and design to students in the following programs:

Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA)
School of Music, Theatre & Dance
School of Information
College of Engineering
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
Ross School of Business
School of Kinesiology
School of Public Health

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How to Earn a Minor in Art & Design

Art & Design Minor Requirements
- Two 100-level studios (minimum 6 credits; see below for details)
- Two 200-level studios (minimum 6 credits)
- One 300-level studio (minimum 3 credits)
- Minimum three academic credits
- To become a declared minor, students must have a currently declared major.
Step 1: Get Started
- Explore the Art & Design Minor Canvas course for more information.
- Attend a Minor in Art in Design info session, held online approximately twice a month. It is required that all interested students attend an info session as the first step of the process. If none of the available dates/times work for you, please email Stamps Minor Advisor Kristy Watkins.
- After you've attended a Minor in Art in Design info session, you can set up a Minor Advising appointment via Google Calendar. Using the Canvas course listed above, research minor requirements and course options prior to this meeting.
Step 2: Make it Official

Complete the first of two 3-credit courses from either Group A or Group B:

A. Drawing Studio: Drawing: Observation (ARTDES 100) or Drawing: Visualization (ARTDES 105)

B. Dimensional Studio: Studio 2D (ARTDES 115), Studio 3D (ARTDES 120) or Studio 4D (ARTDES 125)

Once you have finished one of these courses, you're ready to declare your minor by completing the Minor Declaration Form. That form indicates that you've taken the first prerequisite course, discussed the Art & Design Minor with a Stamps advisor, and established a plan of study.

Completion of the minor will require that you also take a second 100-level studio, taken from the alternate group. Note: Although most students complete both 100-level courses before taking courses at the 200- or 300-level, the order of courses may be flexible. For example, you can choose to enroll in a 200-level course right after your first 100-level studio if you've completed the prerequisites for that 200-level course.
Step 3: Choose Courses
With the help of your minor advisor and the Stamps Course Guide, choose four courses (minimum 12 credits) as follows:
1. Two 200-level studio courses (minimum 6 credits).
  Options include ARTDES 200 - 299, a wide variety of introductory courses focused on developing skills in specific studio areas. 200-level classes are often prerequisites for more advanced studios.
  
  200-level studio courses offered outside the Stamps School can also count toward this requirement. These options include:
  
  ARCH 255, Imaging + ARCH 256, Immersion (4 credits)
  ARCH 257, Assembly + 258, Translation + 259, Orientation (Choose 2 of the 3 courses = 4 credits)
  MECHENG 250, Design & Manufacturing I
  PAT 201, Intro to Computer Music
  PAT 202, Computer Music
  PAT 280, Sound Reinforcement
  RCARTS 260 Photography I
  RCARTS 270 Sculpture I
  RCARTS 250 Printmaking I
  RCARTS 290 Ceramics I
  FTVM 290, Intro to Media Production
  THTREMUS 240, Intro to Design
  THTREMUS 256, Lighting Design I
  THTREMUS 260, Scene Design I
  THTREMUS 263, Design Rendering
  THTREMUS 270, Costume Design I
  UARTS 250, Creative Process
2. One 300-level studio course (minimum 3 credits).
  Options include ARTDES 300 - 389, a variety of more advanced, project-based courses where you can apply and refine the skills acquired in introductory classes. 300-level studio courses offered outside the Stamps School can also count toward this requirement. These options include:
  
  ARCH 312, Architectural Design
  PAT 331, Sound Recording I
  PAT 380, Sound for Theatre
  RCARTS 369 Photography III
  RCARTS 399 Ceramics III
  FTVM 300, Movie/Serial Television Production I
  FTVM 305, The Experimental Screen
  FTVM 306, Animation & Digital Media Practices I
  THTREMUS 356, Lighting Design II
  THTREMUS 360, Scene Design II
  THTREMUS 370, Costume Design II
  Higher-level (400) studio courses can also count toward this requirement, with approval.
3. One academic course (3 credits minimum), selected from the following:
  ARTDES 150: Art and Design in Context
  ARTDES 151: Art and Design History
  ARTDES 130: Methods of Inquiry
  ARTDES 160: Penny W. Stamps Lecture Series (1 credit/semester for 3 semesters)
  HISTART 271: Origins of Modernism: Art and Culture in Nineteenth Century France
  HISTART 272: Modern Art: Avant-Garde to Contemporary
Art/design-related courses offered by other University of Michigan units can also apply to the minor. Only courses offered by the University of Michigan can count toward the minor. No exceptions.
Step 4: Complete

Complete the Minor Release Form during your last year at U-M. The purpose of this release form is to inform the student and the student’s home unit which courses for the Stamps Minor in Art & Design have been completed, and which courses are still required to complete this minor successfully. A completed minor consists of 6 courses (minimum 18 credits) as outlined above. You must return this completed form to your home unit to have your Stamps minor listed on your transcript.