The Department of Visual Arts offers several undergraduate degree programs in studio art. Our programs combine practical, theoretical and critical approaches to the study of art and art history providing the historical and intellectual basis common to a university art education.

Housed in the William H. Buset Centre for Music and Visual Arts, our facilities are equipped with teaching studios for drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics and art history. Students enrolled in any of our degree programs take a broad range of courses to explore the various disciplines and in preparation for a future as professional artists.  Small classes allow students to benefit from individual attention and a supportive learning environment. A unique feature of the Department of Visual Arts is the annual juried student art exhibition held every spring at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.

Graduates of our programs have launched careers in various art related fields.  Many have established themselves as professional artists, exhibiting in galleries nationally and selling their work both privately and commercially.  Graduates have also entered the workforce as educators, art administrators and small business owners. Completing the Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts (HBFA) degree provides the opportunity to continue study toward a Graduate degree in studio art or to enroll in the one-year consecutive education program for teaching certification.