Studio Art, BFA - Area 4: Printmaking

What you will study

Our Studio Art BFA in Printmaking program curriculum begins with a solid foundation in fine arts. Study fundamentals like composition, art history, application and diverse cultural contributions of traditional print media. You’ll learn to think critically about what you’re trying to communicate with your work. 

Once you master core competencies, you’ll be encouraged to explore new applications of printmaking art. Projects in lithography, serigraphy, intaglio and relief printing will prepare you for advanced study of printmaking techniques and for working with complex content. 

As you build your unique visual language and create a cohesive body of work, you'll receive technical and creative coaching from our faculty dedicated to fostering innovation and personal expression in contemporary practice. You might innovate a technique or reimagine a printmaking tradition to make it your own the way some past students have done with projects like:

• Letterpress-printed promotional materials using custom-made plates  
• Screen-printed comics and zines
• Sculptural prints that break artistic boundaries, where a print becomes a building block for larger installation work

You’ll thrive as an artist and as a student with one-on-one faculty mentorship, a collaborative artistic environment and small class sizes centered around our students’ needs.

 

Studio Art Laptop Requirement

 

 

Unique learning opportunities in printmaking art

UCM students have access to the best printmaking technology in the field. Our faculty will train you in the safe use of the machines in our well-equipped print shop and letterpress studio. To ensure you can carry your printmaking art skills forward into your career, you will also learn to exhibit and communicate about your work with confidence. 

• Train on professional equipment: Master industry-standard printmaking tools, including a large-format exposure unit, commercial screenprinting press, etching and lithography presses and letterpress machines.
• Go to Art Camp: Get college credit for summer camp at the University of Central Missouri. Build community and creativity with our week-long intensive summer art experience.
• Gain professional exhibit experience: Learn how to set up, price, present and promote your work at local and regional art fairs and print shows. You’ll also learn how to curate and submit work for exhibition opportunities, including the annual student show for the chance to win recognition and cash prizes.

 

What can you do with a Printmaking Art degree from UCM?

Printmaking is a vocation, as well as an artistic discipline. You can expect a strong career built on your BFA degree from the University of Central Missouri. You will be poised to enter the job market and establish a career as soon as you graduate. Printmaking skills are in demand by many industries, including fashion, event management and retail. 

As a BFA Printmaking major, you will graduate with directly marketable skills that combine aspects of Studio Art, Illustration and Graphic Design into a unique form of artistic expression with numerous commercial applications. 

Your Printmaking BFA will qualify you for a job as a press operator in a commercial print studio, but many of our students take their bachelor’s degree further. You may decide to be an entrepreneur or small business owner with your own print shop, a freelance graphic artist or an educator who trains others in printmaking art. 

If you want to pursue further study in printmaking after you achieve your Studio Art BFA, our faculty and the Career and Life Design Center can work with you to identify the right internship or graduate program that fits your goals.

Printmaking is thriving — so can your career

Use our interactive tool below to explore current trends in careers that rely on printmaking art skills, such as craft and fine artistry.

 

 

Financial assistance options for your Printmaking BFA

With low tuition rates, the University of Central Missouri is committed to offering an affordable arts education. 94% of UCM students receive financial aid. We work with students from all circumstances to ensure they graduate with low debt, ready to move forward into their next phase of life with sound finances. We have university-wide scholarship, grant, loan and work-study options for financing college. 

Printmaking majors may also be eligible for these specialty programs:

• Portfolio-based scholarships for incoming students
• Endowed scholarships for current students
• Cash prizes at the annual, juried Citation Student Show

You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder.