Mindful of
the past, We contemplate
and create a better future

We inspire rigorous paths of study through individual expression and collaboration across many disciplines of art, art history, and design. Through education and encouragement of broad dialogue within arts, we promote positive and sustainable change in our global community.

Art and Design at MSU

Undergraduate

graduate

community

Majors

women with blue eyeliner and blue lipstick, wearing a blue veil
APPAREL & TEXTILE DESIGN
canvas covered in paint with paint brushes lying on top
ART EDUCATION
museum with paintings in intricate gold frames
ART HISTORY & VISUAL CULTURE
cluttered desk up against a wall covered in graphics and typography
Graphic Design
Abstract ergonomic sculpture mounted on a wall
STUDio ART

Minors

A light blue background with a dark strip down the center, two colorful angular polygons are on either side of the strip
ART HISTORY & VISUAL CULTURE
a camera with a purple reflection in the lense

Art photograhy

a collection of layered comic books
Comic Art & Graphic Novels
A colorful page spread
Graphic Design

Master of Fine Arts

Our MFA program seeks to expand our empathic understanding, cultivate the voices of underserved populations and ideas, and mitigate and critique damage done to ecologies, marginalized cultures, and the environment brought about by several centuries of colonialist pursuits. 

woman in art exhibit speaking to interviewer

new program studies race through art

We have established a Critical Race Studies Residency Program that will bring an Artist-in-Residence and a Designer-in-Residence to campus to enrich the life of student experiences and the greater community by facilitating practices of inclusion through art and design as part of the Department of Art, Art History, and Design.

SPARTAN'S JOURNEY OF DETERMINATION

Born with no hands and missing her big toe along with the supporting bones on each foot, Kathryn Bailey, a 24-year-old Studio Art graduating senior hasn’t allowed her quadrilateral limb deficiency to keep her from living a “normal” life and now is about to graduate with a degree in Studio Art and a concentration in Painting and Graphic Design.

Woman in art studio painting on canvas
Woman with glasses and brown hair placing a glass cylinder over an unseen object, against a colorful background

MFA in Art, Art History, and Design

The Master of Fine Art program seeks highly motivated students who have the artistic and scholarly vision to guide us into equitable, sustainable, and creative futures. We encourage new and rigorous forms of artistic expression and design innovation that transcend typical constraints to make meaningful contributions to the world. A 100% funded program, your able to customize your student experience at one of the leading research institutions in the world.

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Portrait of blonde woman, wearing a red shirt
“I knew design was what I loved doing. It wasn’t until I started job searching that I found there were so many possibilities to use the skills I learned in my degree. I love working for American Girl because I get to work on such a diverse range of projects.”

Rebecca dekuiper

Apparel and Textile Design Alumna
Lead Designer, American Girl

featured News

Student View: An Evening of Afrofuturism at the MSU Museum

Aditi Gonuguntala is a fourth-year undergraduate student at Michigan State University majoring in Experience Architecture with a minor in Graphic Design. She also is a Communications Intern in the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact and University Communications and Marketing. In this Student View, she writes about the Speculative Futures: Afrofuturism and the Art of Stacey Robinson event hosted by the MSU Museum.

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The bronze Spartan statue on Michigan State University’s campus is shown in the foreground, backlit by the sun, with trees, blue sky, and campus buildings visible in the background.

From AI to Urban Trees: College of Arts & Letters Faculty and Students Lead Ethics Week Events Inviting MSU Community into Critical Dialogue

This week, Feb. 16-20, 2026, Michigan State University celebrates Ethics Week, a week-long series of events designed to engage students, faculty, staff, and the community in meaningful discussions about ethics and to encourage campus-wide engagement with contemporary moral challenges. Organized by the Ethics Institute, Ethics Week is dedicated to exploring the key roles ethics plays in our professional and personal lives and the many dimensions of ethical inquiry, with a focus on issues that resonate within our current societal context. Throughout the week, participants will have opportunities to engage with a wide range of themes through various formats, including

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MSU Celebrates Promoted Faculty, Honoring 24 from the College of Arts & Letters

During the 2025-2026 academic year, 24 faculty members within the College of Arts & Letters received promotions. The success of these individuals was celebrated at special ceremonies hosted by the Office of the Provost. “On behalf of the College of Arts & Letters, I want to congratulate our faculty members who have earned promotions this year,” said Thomas Stubblefield, Dean of the College of Arts & Letters.

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Events

Events

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