About Us

Facilities and Resources

In addition to the many instructional computer labs on campus, Art & Design students have access to four fully-equipped, dedicated computer labs located within the department. Purdue's undergraduate and humanities libraries house an extensive collection of art and design books, periodicals, professional journals, films, slides, and videotapes. In addition, the department maintains a collection of 130,000 slides in its own slide library. Lastly, the Purdue Gallery program offers an exhibition program as an important part of the learning experience.

Art & Design students at Purdue have the advantage of extensive campus resources and may participate in a wide variety of educational, cultural, and social events. Faculty members are practicing artists, designers, and scholars with established reputations in their fields. In addition to the museums and galleries available in the Greater Lafayette area, Purdue provides convenient access to the fine arts resources of two major cities: Chicago, 123 miles to the north, and Indianapolis, 60 miles to the south.

Department graduates often go on to a master of fine arts program at other universities. From there, many obtain teaching jobs at the collegiate level. Other graduates find careers as exhibiting artists, designers, and in art-related fields such as curating and arts administration.

Special Awards

Art & Design students have the opportunity to participate in events which recognize outstanding work. These opportunities include:

• Ralph G. Beelke Memorial Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts
• Dean's Freshman Scholar Awards
• Delta Phi Delta Stewart Trane Fine Arts Awards
• Industrial Design Award of Excellence
• Stephen F. Sprague Award for Excellence in Photography
• Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts
• Excellence in Visual Communications Design Award
• Outstanding Senior Awards in each area discipline

Career Experience

There are opportunities for Art & Design students to gain insight into their chosen profession and become familiar with actual career experiences. For example, art education students are placed in community schools as student teachers. Qualified undergraduates may find career related employment on campus as gallery assistants, slide library assistants, photography lab monitors, or shop assistants. We also offer summer internship and co-op programs for qualified students.

Purdue supplements class work through extensive field trips to galleries, museums, design exhibitions, and professional conferences. Workshops, demonstrations, and lectures by visiting artists, designers, and scholars occur frequently throughout the year.

Student Organizations

Purdue has over 500 special interest clubs and student organizations. Among those of special interest to Art and Design students are:

• American Society of Interior Designers, Student Chapter
• National Art Education Association, Student Chapter
• Delta Phi Delta Fine Arts Club
• Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)
• CLICK (Photo Club)
• American Institute of Graphic Arts
• Textile Art at Purdue (TAP)