Future Students
We want to help you fulfill your potential.
Why CSU?
As an incoming art major, you’ll find a warm and welcoming community of artists, makers, thinkers, and scholars who are dedicated to the pursuits of artmaking, education, design, and research. We believe in the transformative nature of community and encourage our students to engage in the arts community on local, regional, national, and international levels. Campus life at CSU is rich, with ample opportunities to meet other passionate, dedicated students, immerse yourself in arts, culture, and wider social issues, and explore what Fort Collins and Colorado have to offer. Incoming first-year students have the option to join the Arts & Creative Expression (ACE) community, a residential learning community housed in Parmelee Hall.
Make a real impact on the world.
We want our students to embrace the ideals of a liberal arts education and believe that they have the ability to make an impact on the world around them. In addition to rigorous academic programs, many of our students participate in internships or service-learning opportunities relating directly to their area of study or enjoy the collegiality offered through student art organizations.
Space to Make
Our building is a laboratory. It provides space for professional quality artmaking practices, collaboration with peers and faculty, original research, and hands-on learning.
You are provided tools to master traditional fine art and craft techniques alongside cutting-edge technologies such as digital fabrication and 3D printing. Our Digital Fabrication Lab supports all of our students in bringing their abstract vision to concrete reality.
As part of a large research university, you have access to a wide array of knowledge; facilities, and classes to enrich your learning experience.
Hands On
CSU provides students with numerous opportunities to experience art hands on through the many galleries and museums on campus. Our connection with the Gregory Allicar Museum of Art provides ample opportunities for you to have a personal and immersive experience of art history and theory. The five teaching galleries housed in the Visual Arts Building give our students access to the work of visiting artists and allow an intimate look at the work of faculty and graduate students. The galleries also allow our students to show their own work on a regular basis.
As a student at a research university, you have access to a wide array of knowledge, facilities, and classes to enrich your learning experience. Our students often elect to minor in another field to enhance their studies and two of our degrees require one. Additionally, students have an option to study abroad, and many of our of faculty lead art-specific international trips.
Draft a blueprint for a creative life.
As working artists, art historians, educators, and researchers, we know the challenges of what it means to be passionate about the arts in our culture today. Our faculty and staff come from diverse backgrounds and are full of specialized knowledge that supports our students’ curiosity, expression, research, and craft. We have all followed our own paths and we want to help you start on yours.
All of our degree programs provide our students with a wide range of desirable job skills. They include time management and organization, project management, research, written and verbal communication skills, emotional intelligence, giving and receiving constructive criticism, problem solving, and critical thinking, among many others. We want our graduates to be engaged, ambitious, and equipped to step into the next stage of their lives where their skills, knowledge, and confidence will allow them to pursue a successful career as creative thinkers in the rapidly changing world of the 21st century. As part of the College of Liberal Arts, student in the Department of Art and Art history have access to career resources that help them find their way in the world.
How do I get in?
Applications are accepted through the university’s online system at the link below, which includes information on how, where, and what you need to submit to apply and current deadlines.
What About Financial Aid and Scholarships?
The links below will give you more information about financial resources, aid, and available scholarships.
OUR ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS HAVE THE SAME PROCEDURE AND ACADEMIC STANDARD AS THE REST OF THE UNIVERSITY