Make your mark on the world

Do you find yourself staring at shadows and everyday objects to understand how light moves? Would you like to learn how to express visuals in new ways? If you are nodding “yes” to at least one of these, you may have just discovered your future career: Professional Illustrator. Drawing offers you the chance to communicate without using words. Through both physical and digital illustrations, we can share in common experiences of beauty, joy, and pain (among others). If you are starting to get excited about all that can be accomplished through illustration and you love the process of drawing, consider applying to our program. That passion will help you improve on and enjoy studying illustration.

Credits120
Sample Careers
  • Graphic Designer
  • Multimedia Artist
  • Mechanical Drafter
Financial Aid

The average undergraduate student award is $23,395.

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Program Overview

To be successful within this program, you must possess an exceptional drawing ability. Because we want you to have every opportunity to develop your skills, CUW has partnered with the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) to create the illustration bachelor’s degree. Your 15 credits that take place at MIAD allow you to use the very latest in illustration concepts and technologies. Most of your classes (all core requirements, over half major requirements, and your minor) will be taught right on the CUW campus. You will experiment with both digital and physical illustration mediums to develop your own unique illustration style. Because aspiring illustrators need to distinguish themselves in the workplace, we recommend choosing a compatible minor in business or marketing.

What to Expect

Illustration is a very competitive field, demanding excellent drawing skills and the ability to produce images quickly and meet firm deadlines. You can anticipate this same rigour during your time as a student. Faculty will expect you to spend a substantial amount of each day on observational drawing to improve your technical abilities. A great deal of patience, self-discipline, and dedication will be asked of you. Upon graduation, you will be well-equipped to create both physical and digital drawings for books, magazines, websites, and other media.

Concentrations / Specializations
This degree is also available as a minor. 

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