Book Arts
-
Degree Type
Certificate of Proficiency
-
College
-
Contact
Advising Contact: Eden Barney
Phone: 479-788-7564
Train in letterpress, fine printing, and bookmaking with a 9-credit-hour Certificate of Proficiency in Book Arts, open to UAFS students in any major.
Get hands-on training in letterpress, fine printing, papermaking, and bookmaking with a 9-credit-hour certificate you can earn within your degree plan. Across three courses, taught in the studios of the Center for Book Arts within the Windgate Art and Design Building, this certificate provides practical knowledge of traditional and ongoing practices of book arts. Students will learn how papermaking, letterpress printing, and bookbinding can be harnessed in production of thoughtful and intentional contemporary artwork.
The relationship of these skills to libraries, museums, design, publishing, conservation, and beyond prepares you for unique career opportunities. The Certificate of Proficiency in book arts is a 9-credit-hour credential for makers, studio art and graphic design students who want to add a specialization, and students in any major who want to discover the craft.
The program is open to students of any major, and it stacks cleanly within the Bachelor of Arts in studio art, the Bachelor of Science in graphic design, and the studio art minor. Your academic advisor will help you fit the sequence into your degree plan.
What can I do with a Certificate of Proficiency in Book Arts?
The Certificate of Proficiency in book arts prepares you for work in graphic design, publishing, book conservation, archives, museums, and libraries and strengthens an independent creative practice.
Paired with a degree, this certificate supports careers such as graphic designer, letterpress printer, book conservator, archivist, museum preparator, special collections librarian, and working studio artist.
Some of these paths, including conservation and librarianship, typically involve graduate study. This certificate offers highly unique qualifications to pursue continued study in these specialty fields. The certificate equips designers and artists with modes of working that set them apart and broaden their skillset, allowing them to more aptly connect with viewers, clients, and employers.
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the book arts Certificate of Proficiency, students will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of artworks, trends, and histories in the field of book arts.
- create artworks using book arts traditions that exhibit intent and self-evaluation through the creative process.
- develop refined craftsmanship and material sensitivities through experience with book arts techniques and processes.
- apply visual literacy knowledge and skills.
Related Programs
Studio Art (B.A.)
The Bachelor of Arts in studio art provides advanced study in drawing, painting, printmaking, letterpress, and book arts, building your visual literacy through foundations coursework and art history. Studio art majors can complete the book arts certificate entirely within their degree electives.
Graphic Design (B.S.)
Graphic design students receive hands-on instruction in a professional studio environment, training as well-rounded designers in typography, publication design, branding, and interactive media. The book arts certificate fits within the degree plan.
Studio Art (minor)
This 21-credit-hour minor in studio art builds foundational and upper-level skills in drawing, design, and book arts, backed by art history coursework. Its Introduction to Book Arts option connects directly to the book arts certificate, making it a natural pairing for students who want book arts training built into a minor.
Art History (minor)
The 18-credit-hour minor in art history builds critical and historical fluency through survey courses and upper-level study in global arts traditions, deepening your preparation for careers in archives, museums, and conservation.