Illustration, BFA

Your major will provide you with a wide array of opportunities including but not limited to:

• Study abroad (Semester, Maymester or Summer)
• Study away for a semester in alternate markets through Belmont USA (N.Y.C., L.A., Washington D.C.)
• Internships- Our relationship to Nashville’s professional creative community is personal and rich. We will assist you with internship placement to ensure the experience is a good fit.
• Four campus gallery spaces to professionally exhibit your work
• Opportunities to present at campus-wide research symposiums and professional conferences
• Kappa Pi, an international honorary art fraternity
• Watkins students are consistently juried into local, regional and national competitions, including AAF Student ADDY Awards, Society of Illustrators-NYC and Graphis New Talent Annual

We encourage you to explore the exceptional work our students create in their programs.

View Student Work

The Watkins College of Art requires all students applying for a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree to submit a portfolio as a part of the admissions process. You must first be admitted to Belmont before hearing a decision from Watkins. 

Portfolios submitted before December 1 will be considered for the Watkins Merit Scholarships. Any applications submitted after December 1 will be considered for admission, but not for departmental scholarships.  

View all Portfolio Guidelines

Deadlines for the Portfolio and Belmont application: 
December 1 for scholarship consideration 
April 1 for incoming freshmen students 
June 1 for incoming transfer students 

What if I am accepted to Belmont but not the BFA program? 
Any applicants not accepted into a BFA program will have the option to be enrolled in a second major of their choice. We encourage applicants to select one of our Bachelor of Arts majors (Art Studies, Art History, or Photographic Studies). At the end of the student’s freshman year and completion of foundational courses, the student will be eligible to reapply to the BFA program through another portfolio review. 

The Watkins College of Art has significant scholarship opportunities for students. Last year, the college offered more than 55 scholarships to incoming students valuing over $380,000.

Applicants who intend to pursue a degree in the Watkins College of Art and wish to be considered for the merit-based scholarship must submit a portfolio of work in art and/or design. Students must have their Belmont application and portfolio submitted by December 1 to be eligible for the scholarships.

Please visit the Portfolio Guidelines page for more specific details.

Learn more.

Need-based scholarships will be determined from a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is the official form that families use to apply for college financial assistance from the federal government.

In addition to Belmont University's Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accreditation, the Watkins College of Art is a fully accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

The Illustration program allows students to dig deeper into narrative and visual development, sequential art, graphic novels, children's books, art licensing and more. This minor is the perfect companion for every storyteller at Belmont. Visual stories predate oral and written traditions by a long shot, so dive into the deep end of human DNA and show your stories. Learn how to craft successful images combining what you see with what you imagine. Excellent drawing skills are not required but a sense of play and purpose will aid in your journey to visualize short and tall tales.