Students may wish to develop an understanding of the diversity of art and its global perspectives through other cultures via a number of the University’s off-campus programs. Majors and minors in Studio Art, Art History, and Architecture and Design Studies are highly encouraged to take part in at least one of the University’s off-campus programs such as the fall semester in London, the New York Arts Program, or many other opportunities both domestic and abroad in the junior or senior year.

Study Abroad

Southwestern University, in collaboration with IES, has created a program in London, England specifically designed for Southwestern students.  The SU London Program is a fifteen-week, sixteen-credit program for students who have attained at least sophomore status at the start of the program. 

Internships

Through association with the New York Arts Program, Southwestern has regularly been able to place qualified students in internships in the studios and offices of some of the most prominent artists, architects, museums and galleries in New York. 

The semester provides students a rare opportunity to serve in apprenticeships and to gain additional experience in the world of the established professional artist and/or arts institution. Participants spend a semester sharing the experiences of New York’s professional writers, performers, artists, and media groups representing all fields of fine and commercial art.

Each student has a faculty advisor in New York who teaches an Area Study course and works closely with both the student and the student’s apprenticeship sponsor. Professional artists conduct specially designed courses dealing with current issues in the arts. Applicants should plan to visit New York City for interviews to secure an apprenticeship. Students reside in the program’s five-story dormitory/office town house in Chelsea, a residential area of Manhattan.

Organizations

The Student Art Association promotes interest in the visual arts and provides artistic growth for students of the arts and is open to all majors. This group meets to show art films, plan for trips to exhibitions, discuss theories of art, and hold events that promote the visual arts. In the past they have organized bus trips to see major exhibitions in Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Houston, Texas.

For more information, contact faculty advisor, Patrick Hajovsky.