Overview
The undergraduate Certificate in Illustration provides a focused sequence of courses, blending foundational training with advanced creative exploration. You’ll start with core classes in drawing and design, then build your skills through digital painting and illustration-specific courses. Electives let you tailor the experience by choosing from courses in typography, painting, printmaking and book arts.
This program culminates in a capstone course where you’ll develop a professional illustration portfolio and explore your role in the industry. With both analog and digital approaches available, the certificate is ideal for students who want to sharpen their voice as illustrators while gaining tools to succeed in visual storytelling fields.
Faculty and Staff
Our inspirational faculty and staff make sure students feel welcome and empowered to think outside the box and explore all possibilities of making art at UWM. Visit the Peck School of the Arts directory to meet these artists, explore their biographies and engage with recent work.
Minors and Certificates
Peck School of the Arts minors and certificates are open to all students who have already earned or are currently seeking a bachelor’s degree. Most certificates are also open to those not pursuing a degree (non-degree students).
To be admitted individuals must meet general University admission requirements. To determine aid eligibility, please review all financial aid requirements.
Contact us to get started and one of our Peck School of the Arts advisors will connect with you about your interests and opportunities.
Undergraduate Advising
Academic advising is a collaborative process that empowers students to realize their maximum educational potential. Students are encouraged to visit the Peck School of the Arts Advising & Student Services page to meet with your advisor prior to each semester’s registration period. Advisors provide students with individualized appointments to assist with degree requirements, course selection, campus resources, college success strategies, graduation assessment, academic policies and more.
Credits and Courses
Students enrolling in the Illustration Undergraduate Certificate Program are required to earn a minimum of 24 credits. The required credits are organized to be taken sequentially and range from 100-level courses to 500-level courses. Courses counting for the certificate may not be taken on a credit/no credit basis. Students must achieve a grade point average of 2.5 or above in all courses counting toward the certificate. Illustration Certificate students will create an Illustration Portfolio or Project as part of the certificate capstone requirement.
Credits earned at other institutions equivalent to courses in the certificate program may be accepted in partial fulfillment of the program requirements, subject to approval by the Certificate Program Committee.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required 200-Level Courses | ||
| ART 201 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ART 221 | Introduction to Design | 3 |
| 200-Level Elective | ||
| Choose one 3-credit course: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Typography | ||
| Introduction to Painting | ||
| Introduction to Printmaking & Book Arts | ||
| Required 300-Level Courses | ||
| ART 322 | Topics in Illustration: | 3 |
| ART 304 | Digital Painting | 3 |
| 300+ Level Electives | ||
| Choose two 3-credit courses: | 6 | |
| Figure Drawing | ||
| Topics in Illustration: 1 | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking & Book Arts: | ||
| Intermediate Color Photography and Digital Imaging | ||
| Intermediate Studio Lighting | ||
| Figure Painting | ||
| Drawing Strategies | ||
| Capstone Course | ||
| ART 522 | Topics in Advanced Illustration: | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
- 1
ART 322 is repeatable, and may count towards completion of this requirement with a change in topic.
Illustration Undergraduate Certificate Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the Certificate in Illustration will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of materials, tools and processes from a variety of art media (digital and traditional).
- Demonstrate an awareness of the culture at large and its relationship to contemporary illustration practice.
- Effectively combine illustration with textual information and typography (relationships between image and text).
- Research, imagine, and articulate visual ideas as solutions to illustration problems.
- Demonstrate an understanding of working professionals in the field of illustration.