Associate of Fine Arts

What You Will Learn

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.â€
~ Howard Thurman, author, philosopher, theologian, educator and civil rights leader

A Fine Arts Degree offers excellent preparation for any career rooted in aesthetics, good design, creative thinking, planning and production.

Why Study Visual Arts at CCM?

The faculty are a team of professionals, and nationally and internationally exhibited artists. Their artworks are displayed in museums, state and local governments and large corporations.

The facilities in Visual Arts are large, open spaces with natural lighting, state-of-the-art equipment and comfortable modern furnishings that facilitate and enhance students’ creative endeavors.

The Visual Arts Program offers students a solid foundation for advanced study in the areas of Studio Art (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture and Ceramics), Art Education, Art History, Art Therapy, Design, Graphic Design and Photography. Students develop an understanding of the visual arts through the intensive study of technique, history, theory, concept and hands-on approaches in studio work, and may take studio electives in a variety of media. The Visual Arts curriculum is designed for transfer into B.F.A. and B.A. degree programs in Fine Arts, Art Education, Art Therapy, Art History, Photography, Design and Graphic Design at four-year colleges, universities, schools of design and institutes of art.

All Design and Graphic Design fields begin with a general study of the Fine Arts. Many, if not all, foundational art courses are highly transferable to most Schools of Art, Design and Architecture.

Career Opportunities

  • Artists
  • Art Dealers
  • Art Teachers
  • Art Therapists
  • Conceptual Artists
  • Framers
  • Gallery Owners
  • Illustrators
  • Museum Curators
  • Painters
  • Printmakers
  • Professors
  • Sculptors
  • Special Effects Artists

Where You Can Go

Visual Arts Program 4140 curriculum is designed for the transfer of most, if not all credits to accredited universities, colleges, institutes or schools of art or design in the United States.

Students in the program have transferred to the following schools:

  • Boston
  • California College of the Arts
  • Drew University
  • Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • Fashion Institute of Technology
  • Jersey City State University
  • Kean University
  • Maine College of Art
  • Maryland Institute College of Art
  • Massachusetts College of Art and Design
  • Montclair State University
  • New Jersey Institute of Technology
  • Parsons The New School for Design
  • Pratt Institute
  • Ramapo University
  • Rider University
  • Ringling College of Art and Design
  • Rhode Island School of Design
  • Rutgers University
  • Savannah College of Art and Design
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts
  • The Art Institute of Boston
  • The College of New Jersey
  • West Virginia University
  • William Paterson University

Contact Info

Art and Design Department
973-328-5446
Emeriti Hall, Room 102

Professor Keith Smith
Visual Arts Special Projects
ksmith@ccm.edu
973-328-5779

Professor Kelly Whalen
Chairperson
kwhalenw@ccm.edu
973-328-5416