Program type:

Minor
Format:

On Campus
Est. time to complete:

2-3 semesters
Credit Hours:

18
Add to your education by learning more about the ancient practices and modern techniques behind ceramics. This art form is a creative outlet as a minor or for a lifetime of creativity!
We believe clay is a means of expression, a tool for communication and a conduit for critical thinking. Students work with the oldest of materials while practicing contemporary methods of fine art, craft and design. As a minor, it's also a great creative outlet you will have for the rest of your life!

Want more info?

We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.

Request More Info

Why Earn a Ceramics Studio Art Minor?

We believe clay is a means of expression, a tool for communication and a conduit for critical thinking. The Minor in Ceramics offers knowledge, aesthetics, technical approaches and invention through hands-on experiences with raw materials and technical processes. We strive to have a diverse and inclusive outlook on contemporary ceramic art history and theory, which also encompasses non-western art and craft. In the classroom, we cover current issues of social practice, sustainability and interdisciplinary practices which reflect the contemporary cultural landscape.

Students in the Ceramics program have active contact with the faculty and technical staff, who provide critical and rigorous mentorship while encouraging exploration and guidance in professional practices.

Throughout the curriculum, students learn traditional methods, such as hand-forming, wheel-throwing and mold making, alongside contemporary methods of computer-aided design, digital fabrication and industrial production.

All students prepare clay bodies and glazes, stack the kilns and learn building procedures, firing processes — electric, gas, wood, raku, and soda — and surface techniques. The studio environment is where functional and sculptural aesthetics are equally valued.

Ceramics Studio Art Minor Highlights

Our facilities include new equipment including 3D printers, a clay printer, ram press, and Blauuw kilns. The new Art Annex Building completed in 2022 is home to the Ceramics program.
Many faculty members are nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and scholars who impact communities worldwide. In addition, some are active members and leaders of national organizations. These organizations include NCECA, The Archie Bray Foundation, and the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC).
The College of Visual Arts and Design – one of the nation's most comprehensive visual arts schools and one of the best in the Southwest – is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, which means the college meets or exceeds high standards of academic excellence.

Ceramics Studio Art Minor Courses You Could Take

Beginning CeramicsThrowing (3 hrs)
Introduction to functional and non-functional wheel-throwing and glazing techniques and practices.
Intermediate CeramicsMolds and Multiples (3 hrs)
The study and practice of the creation of molds for slip casting and press molding and the practical and conceptual approach to the ceramic multiple. Clay and glaze mixing, firing theory and practice, and conceptual ideas will be employed in this class.
Intermediate CeramicsMaterial Studies (3 hrs)
The study and practice of ceramics materials, clay body and glaze formulation/mixing, kiln building practices, and firing techniques.
Intermediate CeramicsSurface and Ornamentation (3 hrs)
The study and practice of ceramic surfaces through the implementation of decorative surface techniques, glaze application, and firing methods.
Intermediate CeramicsForm, Function, and the Body (3 hrs)
Technical and conceptual understanding of functional object design, utilitarian pottery, and their relation to the body.
Beginning Ceramics: Handbuilding (3 hrs)
Introduction to hand-building techniques to fabricate functional ceramics forms and ceramic sculpture.

Learn More About UNT

Watch this video to learn more about what makes UNT great!