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Minor in Art & Design

Make creative problem solving, hands-on making, and visual communication a part of your education.

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For students interested in design thinking, visual composition, working collaboratively, critical thinking and analysis, and gaining skills with tools and techniques relevant to a wide range of material processes, the Stamps School offers an eighteen-credit minor in studio art and design to students in the following programs:

  • Literature, Science and the Arts (LSA)
  • School of Music, Theatre & Dance
  • School of Information
  • College of Engineering
  • Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
  • Ross School of Business
  • School of Kinesiology
  • School of Public Health

Art & Design Minor Requirements

  • Two 100-level studios (minimum 6 credits; see below for details)

  • Two 200-level studios (minimum 6 credits)

  • One 300-level studio (minimum 3 credits)

  • Minimum three academic credits

  • To become a declared minor, students must have a currently declared major.

See full, step-by-step information by clicking the drop-down menus below.

How to Earn a Minor in Art & Design

  • Step 1: Get Started
    • Explore the Art & Design Minor Canvas course for more information.
    • Attend a Minor in Art in Design info session. Note: info sessions have been suspended for Fall 2023. Please check back here in the future for information on when they will be re-established. It is required that all interested students attend an info session as the first step of the process. If you have questions, please email [email protected].
  • Step 2: Make it Official

    In any order, complete two 3-credit courses, one from Group A and one from Group B:

    A. Drawing Studio: Drawing: Observation (ARTDES 100) or Drawing: Visualization (ARTDES 105)

    B. Dimensional Studio: Studio 2D (ARTDES 115), Studio 3D (ARTDES 120) or Studio 4D (ARTDES 125)

    Once you have finished both of these courses, you're ready to apply for your minor by completing the Minor Application Form. This form indicates that you've completed the first two prerequisite courses, discussed the Art & Design Minor with a Stamps advisor, and established a plan of study.

    Note: The Stamps Minor Application is closed for Fall 2023. We expect to re-open the application in February/March 2024.

  • Step 3: Choose Courses

    With the help of your minor advisor and the Stamps Course Guide, choose four courses (minimum 12 credits) as follows:

    1. Two 200-level studio courses (minimum 6 credits).

      Options offered at Stamps include ARTDES 200 - 299, a wide variety of introductory courses focused on developing skills in specific studio areas. 200-level classes are often prerequisites for more advanced studios.

      A maximum of one University of Michigan 200-level studio course offered outside the Stamps School (a non-ARTDES studio) can also count toward this requirement. Choosing a non-ARTDES studio course may result in not having the appropriate prerequisites for higher level courses. Non-ARTDES minor course options are:

      ARCH 255, Imaging + ARCH 256, Immersion (4 credits)
      ARCH 257, Assembly + 258, Translation + 259, Orientation (Choose 2 of the 3 courses = 4 credits)
      MECHENG 250, Design & Manufacturing I
      PAT 201, Intro to Computer Music
      PAT 202, Computer Music
      PAT 280, Sound Reinforcement
      RCARTS 260 Photography I
      RCARTS 270 Sculpture I
      RCARTS 250 Printmaking I
      RCARTS 290 Ceramics I
      FTVM 290, Intro to Media Production
      THTREMUS 240, Intro to Design
      THTREMUS 256, Lighting Design I
      THTREMUS 260, Scene Design I
      THTREMUS 263, Design Rendering
      THTREMUS 270, Costume Design I
      UARTS 250, Creative Process

    2. One 300-level studio course (minimum 3 credits).

      Options offered at Stamps include ARTDES 300 - 389, a variety of more advanced, project-based courses where you can apply and refine the skills acquired in introductory classes.

      A maximum of one University of Michigan 300-level studio course offered outside the Stamps School (a non-ARTDES studio) can also count toward this requirement. Choosing a non-ARTDES studio course may result in not having the appropriate prerequisites for higher level courses. Non-ARTDES minor course options are:

      ARCH 312, Architectural Design
      PAT 331, Sound Recording I
      PAT 380, Sound for Theatre
      RCARTS 369 Photography III
      RCARTS 399 Ceramics III
      FTVM 300, Movie/Serial Television Production I
      FTVM 305, The Experimental Screen
      FTVM 306, Animation & Digital Media Practices I
      THTREMUS 356, Lighting Design II
      THTREMUS 360, Scene Design II
      THTREMUS 370, Costume Design II
      Higher-level (400) studio courses can also count toward this requirement, with approval.

    3. One academic course (3 credits minimum), selected from the Minor Canvas Academic Course Requirement list in Canvas.


    Art/design-related courses offered by other University of Michigan units can also apply to the minor. Please see this Canvas link for more information.

  • Step 4: Complete

    Complete the Minor Release Form during your last year at U-M. The purpose of this release form is to inform the student and the student’s home unit which courses for the Stamps Minor in Art & Design have been completed, and which courses are still required to complete this minor successfully. A completed minor consists of 6 courses (minimum 18 credits) as outlined above. You must return this completed form to your home unit to have your Stamps minor listed on your transcript.

Minor Policies

  • The minor is open to all undergraduates who are not Stamps Majors and who have already declared a major

  • A portfolio is not required

  • All coursework must be selected from the list of approved courses

  • Test credits may not be used to meet the requirements of the minor

  • A maximum of two non-ARTDES studio courses can fulfill minor requirements (one at the 200-level, the second at the 300-level)

  • Students who are approved to declare the Stamps minor as of October 15, 2023 will only be able to elect to use the studios listed above to satisfy the Stamps minor.

  • Students may not elect the pass/​fail grading option for courses included in the minor

  • A maximum of one course may be shared between the requirements of a minor and a major

  • A stu­dent must earn an over­all GPA of at least 2.0 in the minor, includ­ing any pre­req­ui­sites nec­es­sary for com­ple­tion of the minor

  • Students may not add, complete, or declare a minor after graduation

  • AP/IB test scores in studio art courses cannot be applied to the minor requirements