Pursue a Minor in Studio Art
If you are interested in becoming an Art Minor, please review the information below and submit the Art Minor Application Form (pdf) to the Department of Art at artadvisor@umass.edu. You will receive an email reply to indicate if your application has been accepted or denied. Accepted students will also receive detailed information about required courses.
What is the deadline to submit this form?
- 6 weeks after the first day of classes, each semester
- Late forms will not be considered
What are the eligibility requirements to request an Art Minor:
In order to ensure successful completion of requirements prior to graduation, applicants must have less than 57 credits to apply for an Art Minor. Exceptions will only be considered if a student has already taken ART104 or 110, and has completed the Art History requirement.
How do I enroll in Art classes once I am an Art Minor?
- All Art Minors must attend the mandatory minor advising fairs held each April for Fall enrollment and December for Spring enrollments. Individual advising meetings are not available.
- Art Minor students are not able to self-enroll in art classes. Overrides to enroll Art Minors are only processed during the advising fair.
- Students will receive an invitation via email to attend the Art Minor Fair.
- Students who are abroad should email artadvisor@umass.edu to make arrangements.
Important Notes:
- Although every effort is made to accommodate student interest, enrollment in desired art courses is not guaranteed. Advisors recommend planning numerous semesters ahead by choosing a top-3 list of desired courses each semester and completing prerequisites before moving on to upper-level studio courses.
- Art Minors do not declare a concentration in a studio area (painting, sculpture, animation, etc.), instead are encouraged to take a broad selection of courses in the visual arts.
- Art Minors cannot request an override into full courses without instructor approval.
What are the course requirements to complete an Art Minor?
To qualify, students must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 in all courses for the minor, listed below. All Art Minors must fulfill all of the Foundations, Studio, and Art History requirements. The Art Minor Requirements Checksheet also contains this information.
Foundations Program (7 or 8 credits)
- ART110 OR ART104
- ART131 OR ART105 OR ART142 OR ART153
Studio Requirements (9 credits)
- Three upper-level studio art courses (200 level or above)
- Foundations program must be completed before enrolling in upper-level courses
Art History Requirements (4 or 8 credits)
ART-HIST100 and ART-HIST110
*OR*
ART-HIST115
Note: No more than 6 credits may be transferred into the program. Currently, we do not offer any summer or winter art courses but you can take courses at any of the other Five Colleges or Massachusetts community colleges and transfer in the credits. Please make sure you fill out and submit the Prior Approval Form. For the Senior Year in Absentia, please use this form.
I have finished my Art Minor required courses, or am about to graduate and am currently enrolled in the last required courses. What must I do to finalize my minor?
Upon completion of the required courses, or before the end of your final semester, submit the following materials to the Art Department Undergraduate Advisor at artadvisor@umass.edu or submit physical copies of these forms to the Art Department office, Studio Arts Building Room 222.
- Art Minor Requirements Checksheet, completed
- Declaration of Minor form, TOP SECTION “A” ONLY completed; leave section “B” blank
- A copy of your unofficial transcript from SPIRE, with required Art and Art History courses highlighted
