Through the making of art and the study of art history, criticism and aesthetics, the department seeks to:
a) develop proficiencies in the studio and design arts,
b) advance visual literacy through the study of art history, art criticism and aesthetics,
c) promote the cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and aesthetic life of students and the university,
d) prepare students for art-related careers or graduate studies. Students who major in art or design in the PLNU Department of Art and Design choose from a range of visual arts disciplines. As they move through the program, they make choices to concentrate in selected areas of the field: visual art/studio or art history, graphic design, or art education. These areas of art/design study engage students in seeing, thinking, writing, analyzing, and creating original works of art. These experiences in the arts also ask students to examine how their art/design learning interfaces with growth in their own creative, spiritual, ethical, and aesthetic lives.