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Printmaking: Studio Art, B.F.A.

College of Arts and Sciences

Enjoy a hands-on way of bringing your creative vision to life. From making your own paper and ink to printing custom T-shirts and fine art, printmaking combines traditional and experimental techniques for a unique art experience.

As a printmaking student, you will learn how to operate a variety of printing presses and combine traditional tools with modern technology. You will learn all the major printmaking techniques ― relief, intaglio, screen printing, lithography and digital imaging ― while building skills for work in design and fine arts.

Program Highlights

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    Professional Practices

    Learn skills that apply to a variety of art fields, such as crafting an artist's resume or creating a website.

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    B.F.A. Exhibitions

    Finish your education by presenting a thesis exhibition in professional gallery spaces.

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    Travel the World

    Attend national printmaking conferences, galleries and museums in New York, Chicago and other major cities.

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    Launch Your Career

    Open pathways to success after college such as museum or gallery work, commercial design or starting your own business.

What You’ll Study

Some of our most popular courses include Introduction to Printmaking and Screen Printing. Students also have the opportunity to make dye and paper from plants in our Natural Dye and Paper Garden or printmaking matrices by carving wood, etching metal or drawing on limestone.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Continuous Improvement

    Identifying and implementing incremental changes to enhance quality, efficiency and effectiveness

    Attention to Detail

    Being meticulous and thorough in all aspects of a task or project

    Entrepreneurship

    Identifying opportunities and creating and launching new ventures

  • Multicultural Awareness

    Understanding cultural variation and adapting behaviors and communication styles accordingly

    Problem Solving

    Identifying, analyzing and resolving problems or challenges using creative and effective strategies

    Collaboration

    Working with others to achieve a common goal or objective

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats, a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

  • Textile and Surface Designer
  • Museum Staff
  • Gallery Staff
  • Professional Exhibiting Artist

Job Titles of Alumni

  • Art Director
  • Creative Director
  • Fine Artist
  • Principal Creative
  • Shop Manager / Tattoo Apprentice
  • Teacher

Average Alumni Salary

Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $66,398

Workplace Settings

  • Museums and Galleries
  • Art Studios
  • Technology Manufacturers
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Academia

Employers of Alumni

  • Google
  • Nike
  • Richland Library
  • Hubbell Incorporated
  • University of South Carolina
  • Gupta Media

It gave me one of the best experiences that I’ve had to experiment and learn in a way that worked for me. I worked with a gallery after graduating and my foundation in printmaking helps me to solve technical problems even as I’m doing commercial design work.

Philip Muller
Portrait of Philip Muller

Is USC Right For You?

There are many reasons we could be your ideal university. There's the award-winning academics, the globally modeled student life, and abundance of study abroad and experiential learning options. Take a closer look at what USC could mean for you.

Degree content is provided for informational purposes only. The Academic Bulletin is the source of record for all degree information.
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