Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Illustration

at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth USA

Illustration is the interpretation and translation of text and narrative into visual form. As you pursue your BFA in Art + Design: Illustration, you'll explore the art of telling a story through images.

A BFA is a professional degree with concentrated areas of specialization, so you will take more art courses than you would in a BA program. At UMass Dartmouth, you also have the advantages of a university education where you can diversify your studies and expand your career opportunities.

Your studies will focus on the understanding and application of meaning as it applies to visual communication. You will be introduced to specialized areas such as book illustration, character development, concept art, and documentary illustration and will gain experience in the fundamental principles of color, composition, drawing, and rendering.

As you develop your own personal style, you'll build a professional portfolio and learn about the business aspects of illustration. A degree in illustration will prepare you for careers in animation, illustration, multimedia design, scientific visualization, as well as for graduate study.

UMass Dartmouth's liberal arts major offers an intellectual challenge, encouraging you to pursue your interests across a variety of academic fields.

You'll develop your creativity, critical thinking skills, and sense of independence while you explore concentrations across the humanities, social sciences, and interdisciplinary programs:

• The humanities: art history, English, foreign languages, history, philosophy
• The social sciences: anthropology, economics, political science, policy studies, sociology, women's and gender studies
• Interdisciplinary programs: sustainability, urban studies, women's and gender studies

Recent studies have shown that a degree in liberal arts provides a strong foundation for professional careers and scholarly work. You'll develop the qualities that future employers prize most: strong communication skills, the ability to assess a situation and develop a course of action, and the confidence to work independently.

As a liberal arts major, you will design your own interdisciplinary path as you choose two concentrations and bring them together to create new ways of seeing, knowing, and expressing your academic and research interests.

Liberal arts majors find careers in business, communications, education, government, human resources, museums, non-profit organizations, public policy, and social work. You'll be prepared for graduate study in the fields you'll explore as you select your liberal arts concentrations.

UMass Dartmouth's Chemistry department offers a bachelor's degree in chemistry with an option in biochemistry.

Transform the ordinary into the amazing. When you study biochemistry, you study matter and its transformation.

Biochemists conduct research and experiments to discover new concepts about the universe. They try to solve society's problems, whether by developing a cure for cancer, monitoring the earth's ozone layer, creating new materials to heat our homes, or pursuing countless other challenges.

The knowledge you'll gain through the study of chemistry at UMass Dartmouth will open the door to many different career opportunities within the five divisions of chemistry: analytical, biological, inorganic, organic, or physical. You'll be prepared for biochemistry careers in education, forensics, government, law, industry, medicine, or research.

The Management major prepares you to succeed in environments that require initiative, professionalism, and the ability to work independently. You'll develop your analytical and leadership skills and gain knowledge in how to supervise others, develop and implement strategies, and advance organizational goals.

UMass Dartmouth's Management degree offers 2 study options that enable you to refine your management skills in your area of interest:

Small Business and Entrepreneurship option
You'll focus on how to identify, plan, and start a new venture—either as a start-up or an as an initiative within an existing business.

You will complete 3 core courses in Management, and elective courses that cover topics such as the identification of new products and services and the development of comprehensive business plans.

Leadership option
Organizational leaders plan and coordinate the activities of others, as well as doing hands-on work themselves. As a general manager, you'll combine day-to-day operations with special projects, personnel decisions, customer relations, and budgeting.

You will complete 3 core courses in Management, and elective courses that cover topics such as career development and human resources management.

Computer engineers apply electrical engineering techniques and computer science concepts to develop dependable, cost-effective hardware and software systems and components.

Computer engineering is a rapidly growing discipline and is also one of the highest-paid engineering fields. Specialty areas within computer engineering include:

• Computer architecture
• Computer networks
• Cybersecurity
• Embedded systems
• Mobile devices
• Wireless sensors
• Internet of Things

As a computer engineering major, you'll be prepared to meet the changing high-technology needs of industry and to continue with graduate studies. Our program prepares you for this evolving field by providing a strong background in science, mathematics, and engineering.

Computer engineers work in a variety of fields such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical, communications, consumer electronics, medicine, power, and space. As a computer engineer, you may work as a designer, researcher, scientist, educator, consultant, entrepreneur, executive, public official, or in the military.

Mathematicians are problem solvers and precise thinkers, applying their knowledge and skills in academia, government, industry, research, and technology.

UMass Dartmouth's mathematics program provides a foundation in both the theoretical and applied aspects of mathematics, preparing you for a variety of careers, including: actuary, algorithm design, biostatistician, computer information systems, data science, defense analyst, economics, education, finance, game developer, government, insurance, manufacturing, medicine, mathematical modeling consultant, psychology, science computing, software development, and statistician.
You'll also be well-prepared for graduate studies in math or in areas that emphasize math, such as economics, engineering, and the sciences.

The mathematics program is designed to provide a solid foundation in the theoretical and applied aspects of mathematics necessary for a variety of professional careers. The flexibility within the third and fourth years is established to enable mathematics majors to concentrate in areas of their interest. Students can choose their curricula so as to emphasize that role of mathematics which will be useful to them in later years, whether in K-12 school teaching, graduate school, a career in the public or private sector, a career in industry, or graduate study in areas that emphasize math, such as economics and the sciences.

The Charlton Master of Business Administration (MBA) provides advanced study in management for those with business or non-business bachelor degrees.
The Charlton MBA is responsive to the changing demands of the global, technology-driven economy. Taught by leading business scholars and seasoned industry professionals, this advanced degree also offers you the option to concentrate in specific areas.

10 concentrations available (on campus)

• Accounting
• Business analytics (STEM approved)
• Environmental policy (interdisciplinary)
• Finance
• Health systems management
• International business
• Marketing
• Organizational leadership
• Public management (interdisciplinary)
• Supply chain management and information systems

Economics is the science of decision-making. Economists identify and analyze the costs and benefits of financial and social decisions.

As an economics major at UMass Dartmouth, you'll learn how to:

• Advise businesses and government on economic issues
• Collect and analyze data
• Interpret and forecast market trends
• Research economic issues and design policies to solve them

Skills in cost-benefit analysis, the core of an economist's training, are widely applicable to and highly valued in current job markets.

Economists pursue careers in business, economic journalism, finance, government, insurance, management, public policy and real estate. Your studies will also prepare you for graduate study in areas such as accounting, business and law.

The Charlton College of Business Master of Science in Finance (MSF) program provides advanced and affordable education in finance for those with finance, business or non-business baccalaureate degrees. The MSF program is a high-quality, well-rounded program designed to prepare students to be competitive, market-ready, and successful in a rapidly changing global environment.

The MSF is a 10-course, 30-credit degree program. Students will be prepared to pursue nationally and globally recognized credentials, including the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. Our program covers the major topic areas of the CFA exams, so graduates will have a strong foundation from which to draw while completing required exams.

Quantitative finance concentration

• The quantitative finance concentration has mathematical and capital market focus that will appeal to students interested in quantitative financial analysis, risk management, investment management, and financial technology careers. The quantitative finance concentration is STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) designated, offering students on a VISA an extended OPT upon completion of the degree.

The Electrical & Computer Engineering Department offers a bachelor's degree in computer engineering with a concentration in cybersecurity: the application of measures to protect computers and computer systems from unauthorized access and attack.

With the expanding threat of cyber attacks, cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing fields in computer engineering.

As a concentration within UMassD's computer engineering major, your program of study will explore the foundations of cybersecurity—including hardware, software, and information systems—as well as contemporary issues in software reliability, security risk, internet of things, and smart and connected cities.

Your course work will cover:

• computer forensics: detection and prevention of digital criminal activity; ethical and legal issues in the collection, analysis, and reporting of digital data
• cyber threats and security management: trustworthy systems, security life cycles, social engineering, risk assessment
• design and implementation: real-time embedded resource management systems
• network security: defense of network resources, cryptography, models

As a computer engineering major, you'll be prepared to meet the changing high-technology needs of industry and to continue with graduate studies.

Computer engineers with a background in cybersecurity will find exciting and challenging work in a variety of fields including banking, communications, e-commerce, government, the military, and social media.