Our Approach
The faculty of the Watkins College of Art work with one main goal in mind: to fully prepare our students for their professional or further academic careers. We believe this can be best achieved by the combination of a strong liberal arts background with intense study of the studio arts, art education or design. With strong connections to the BELL Core, opportunities for study abroad and internships, the professional programs prepare graduates for success in their chosen fields as well as to pursue new challenges.
Watkins College of Art also offers Community Education programs for artists of all ages and skills.
History of Excellence
In the Fall of 2020, the Watkins College of Art, Design & Film merged with Belmont University’s existing art and design programs—giving our students access to a broader range of courses and majors. While both institutions boast storied traditions of excellence dating back to the 1880’s, it is their combined strengths that truly provide our students with a comprehensive, world-class education in the visual arts.
The merger led to the creation of the $20+ million Watkins College of Art Scholarship Endowment, which is used exclusively to provide need and merit-based scholarships for incoming freshman, transfer or graduate students studying the visual arts within the College of Art.
Our Mission
Watkins College of Art uses the power of creative and critical thinking to educate purpose-driven artists and designers with global historical perspectives and an entrepreneurial mindset to be productive citizens of their communities.
Our Vision
To be a leading art and design college by offering innovative undergraduate and graduate curricula with cross-disciplinary emphasis and intentional community engagement.
Accreditation
The Watkins College of Art is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The Watkins College of Art recognizes the importance of a comprehensive education in art and design by offering programs relevant to a range of traditional artistic disciplines and encouraging creativity, practice and scholarship. Our programs integrate experiences in perennial foundational skills with emerging concepts and technologies for students desiring to pursue the visual arts as a profession or as a focus for graduate studies.
The Art Education degree path leads to certification upon successful completion of degree and passing the required Art assessment exams. The State of Tennessee certification for Art Education has teacher license reciprocity with many states. Click here to view a list of member states of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement who have signed reciprocity agreements with Tennessee.
