UNTCVAD: A Leading Institution with 29 Degree Programs and Prestigious Ph.D. in Art Education

UNT's College of Visual Arts and Design is one of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools at a public university, offering 16 undergraduate and 13 graduate degree programs and concentrations in areas ranging from art history to communication design to new media art. The college includes several institutes and centers, including the renowned Texas Fashion Collection, and three art galleries to showcase student and professional work. Considered one of the best art schools in the South and Southwest, the College of Visual Arts and Design offers the first and only Ph.D. program in art education in Texas and the top-ranked program in Communication Design for Graphic Design.

As of the spring 2024 semester, the College of Visual Arts and Design has 2,459 students enrolled. With 29 degree programs, the undergraduate art programs have been part of the UNT curriculum since 1893-84. Master's degrees were initiated in the 1930s, with the first M.S. degree in art awarded in 1937, and UNT's Department of Art became its own school, the School of Visual Arts, in 1992. The College of Visual Arts and Design was formed in 2007.

• General fine arts program ranked 10th in Texas by Best-Art-Colleges.com
• College of Visual Arts and Design ranked 10th in Texas, 66th in the South by Best-Art-Colleges.com
• Produces one of the highest numbers of university-certified art educators in Texas
• UNT ranked 3rd as a best online university in Texas by EdSmart.org
• UNT ranked 6th as a best value online university in Texas by TexasOnlineColleges.com

Undergraduate Program Rankings

• Communication design program ranked first in Texas, first in the Southwest and sixth in the nation among public schools and colleges, Animation Career Review, February 2020
• The Graphic Design concentration in Communication Design is recognized as a Top Design School for 2022, 2023 and 2024 by GDUSA Magazine.
• Fashion design program ranked seventh in the nation by Fashion-Schools.org
• Interdisciplinary art and design studies program ranked 14th in the nation for best value by CollegeFactual.com
• Visual art studies program ranked third in Texas, 26th in the South by Best-Education-Schools.com

Graduate Programs

• Master's in design program with a concentration in interaction design ranked 38th in the nation by ValueColleges.com
• Graduate fine arts program at public and private institutions ranked 42th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and 21st among public institutions
• CVAD has the only accredited Ph.D. program in Art Education in Texas

Faculty and Staff

By providing access, welcoming diversity, and strengthening our collaborations with our many educational, business and community partners, CVAD's faculty and staff work to prepare students for the challenges they will meet in our changing world. Our dedicated faculty and staff members help build new partnerships across the globe while focusing on helping students to succeed. Our faculty include distinguished researchers, scholars, and artists who are mentors, innovators and leaders. Our staff includes experts in information technology, higher education and administration.

Facilities | Gallery of Building Images

Located in the expanded and renovated four-story art building, the College of Visual Arts and Design provides a world-class space for the college's unique resources and award-winning programs in art education, art history, design and studio arts.

The 238,000-square-foot building's open concept inspires creativity and encourages people to stay, sit and collaborate. Sky bridges and wide hallways offer plenty of light and space for pop-up exhibitions. Floor-to-ceiling windows bring the outdoors inside and reveal the creative work happening in classrooms.

A sweeping front porch on the building's east side serves as a gateway to the UNT and Denton communities, an open invitation to come and experience the college's world-class facilities. The UNT CVAD Art Gallery's expansive windows face streets and sidewalks revealing the works of renowned and emerging artists, while the central courtyard offers a place to enjoy a wide range of events from outdoor fashion shows to film screenings and student work installations.

CVAD Galleries at UNT

The building's three original galleries with new features and improvements include curatorial and installation projects by students and nationally and internationally accomplished artists.

Formerly the Lightwell Gallery, the Paul Voertman Gallery is a student-run gallery located on the first-floor atrium of the UNT Art Building. The Paul Voertman Gallery hosts weekly rotating exhibitions of undergraduate student works and is known for hosting both impromptu and formal performances, critiques and discussions. This gallery is named for the late Paul Voertman, a life-long arts patron and Denton business owner whose belief in arts education and UNT has made a lasting impact.

The Cora Stafford Gallery features two spaces, showcasing M.F.A. thesis exhibitions and the annual Voertman Student Juried Exhibition. The gallery is named after Cora Stafford, an imaginative and enlightened leader who was a faculty member and art department director from 1921 to 1965.

The CVAD Gallery focuses on the visitor experience, with exhibitions of curatorial and installation projects by nationally and internationally accomplished artists.

Location

While a metropolitan area offers many job opportunities, entertainment, culture, shopping and professional sports, a college town offers a peaceful haven for study and research. UNT has the advantages of both. The university is in Denton, Texas, a city in and the county seat of Denton County, Texas. With a population of about 138,500, it is only 36 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth, the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area. Denton is known for its active arts, music life, and events such as the North Texas State Fair and Rodeo, Denton Arts and Jazz Festival. Denton also averages 0 inches of snow per year. CVAD is an organization member of the Greater Denton Arts Council.