<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My nephew is looking at art programs at public universities in Illinois. </p>
<p>Which school have the best art programs? He's not sure whether he wants to get a studio art degree, or study graphic design, so a school with both is best.</p>
<p>UIUC is out because it's just way too big for him. He's extremely shy, and would do better at a smaller school...Also - not sure that he could get in to a school that competitive</p>
<p>UIC has an interesting program; it was written up in businessweek "D-Schools: The Global List"... The question is: How's the student life there? It's a big commuter school, so is it social?</p>
<p>What about the other schools? Illinois State, SIUC, SIUE, Western, Eastern...</p>
<p>thanks.</p>
<p>Illinois State has a solid art program. UIC is very modern and avant garde. UIUC is thematic in the art, seems to always have a social message. Look at the portfolio of art students and department art teachers for an idea of where they take the students.
I liked Illinois’s program but it was still too big a school for the introvert DD. When we went to se NIU my daughter thought the school was having a yard sale…it was a sculpture display. NIU art department is in the basement.</p>
<p>I think I’ve heard some pretty well things about SIUE’s program. I know a couple graduates of the program have continued to get Masters at large schools and then gone on to teach at a couple big art schools. I know two grads currently work at MICA. One in the ceramics department and the other printmaking.</p>