The Program
What can you do with a two-year degree in Fine Arts? Everything!

A two-year Fine Art degree from Villa Maria College is an excellent exploration of the visual arts allowing students to experience many techniques and media before deciding on a career path. Explore the arts while expanding your skills in painting, drawing, printmaking and three-dimensional design.

Students completing the 2 year fine arts program at Villa easily transfer into baccalaureate art programs and can concentrate in a wide range of options in the visual arts including fine arts, graphic design, illustration, animation, photography, art history and art education. The Fine Arts program at Villa is a great place to start!

This transfer-based program is the only two-year program of its kind in Erie County. It is an excellent program for the student to explore many aspects of the visual arts to help decide a career goal. Students have transferred into programs in Art Education, Graphic Design, Photography, Illustration as well as Fine Arts. The program offers a wide range of studio courses designed to develop creative skills and dexterity with a variety of materials and methods. Students have the opportunity to explore courses in drawing, design, painting, printmaking, and three-dimensional design.

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The Requirements

Course requirements within the area of concentration for the Graphic Design Program are 39 credit hours:

  • Design I
  • Design II
  • Drawing I
  • Drawing II
  • Introduction to Photography
  • Internship I (optional)
  • Painting I
  • Painting II
  • Personal Exploration and Life Planning
  • Introduction to Printmaking
  • Three-Dimensional Design


Liberal Arts
The liberal arts core, a combination of humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, essential to a solid career foundation, is required in all degree programs.

The liberal arts core for Fine Art majors is 31 credit hours.


Employment Opportunities
Entry-level opportunities for Fine Arts graduates range from working as an artist/illustrator for advertising or design firms to sales of original work. Many students pursue the field of art education upon graduation.


Special Program Notes
At most four-year schools, the first two years of the art programs are similar to the Fine Arts Program at Villa. Students then can concentrate or transfer into many programs in the visual arts.

This is an excellent program for those unsure which area of the visual arts they want to specialize in.

The only 2 year program in WNY with screen printing as part of the curriculum.

Many professional artists on staff who have exhibited widely.

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