Department of Art, Design & Letters

The Department of Art, Design & Letters recognizes the dynamic relationship between the visual arts and the literary arts. Converse’s exemplary programs in Art Education, Art History, Art Therapy, Creative and Professional Writing, Interior Design, and Studio Art represent a unique range of opportunities for dedicated students in the professional and liberal arts fields.

Utilizing “Creativity that Works” as a model for our programs, the Department of Art, Design & Letters provides options for internships, research, and travel-study to ensure the highest quality experiential learning. Students learn from dedicated award-winning art, design, and creative writing educators, who are skilled professionals in their fields.

Converse University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Education (CIDA).

We value the artistic skills you have already developed and Converse offers several Visual Arts Scholarship Days for dedicated high school senior art students. After a personal interview and portfolio presentation, students may be considered for four-year awards of up to $2,000 per year.

Degrees & Programs

Explore our programs in art and design below; Converse University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Make your plans for a campus visit or request information about our programs. We’re eager to meet you!

Undergraduate Degrees

*Our Interior Design program is accredited byCouncil for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA)

Graduate Degrees

MAT in Art Education

Interdisciplinary Degrees

Arts Administration minor

MISSION

The Department of Art, Design & Letters provides our students with authentic visual, written, and intellectual experiences, which advance originality, cultivate scholarship, and establish professional skill development within a creative and collaborative community.

Departmental Goals

To provide a comprehensive, sequential curriculum that encompasses all artistic disciplines and evolving directions within our various programs of study.
To provide critical thinking and creative expression in all areas of study.
To provide career advising and mentorship for students through pre-professional educational experiences outside of the standard classroom setting.
To promote skill proficiency in the use of innovative equipment and techniques.
To foster an understanding of the relationships between various visual and literary arts.

Student Work

Request Info

Art, Design & Letters Faculty

Visual Arts Scholarships

Milliken Art Gallery

Department News

Faculty

Professor Mulkey Celebrates Multiple Publications

September 8, 2025

Associate Professor of English; Director of Creative Writing, Professor Rick Mulkey worked on a new chapbook of poetry during his summer sabbatical, which has been accepted for …

Converse Now

Converse Art Education Summer Intensive Holds Graduate Exhibition

July 25, 2025

Converse University’s MEd in Art Education students united on campus for the annual two-week residency summer session. The online MEd in Art Education at Converse includes four …

Faculty

Professor Thomas Featured Artist at Upstairs Artspace

July 14, 2025

Associate Professor of Art Jena Thomas is one of 12 art educators spotlighted in Upstairs Artspace’s summer exhibition. Professor Thomas’s abstract landscape paintings explore the contemporary context …

Announcements

Converse Celebrates 2025 Emerging Young Artists Winners

May 5, 2025

Converse’s Department of Art, Design & Letters held its annual Emerging Young Artists Juried Exhibition this spring. The Converse Emerging Young Artists Exhibition provides a venue …

Alumni

From the Soccer Field to the Art Studio: Alum Joel Houston’s Journey

April 2, 2025

Written by Luciana Ugalde Garcìa ’27 When Joel Houston ’24 first stepped onto the campus of Converse University, he envisioned his college years as a soccer …