School of Art Scientific Illustration Certificate

The Certificate in Scientific Illustration is an interdisciplinary set of courses focusing on illustration in the biosciences. Students interested in continuing on to graduate work in medical or scientific illustration should work closely with the Certificate Program Coordinator. Seeking admission to the certificate in the sophomore year is recommended. Students have focused development of perceptional drawing skills and technical abilities necessary for realistically rendering plant and animal forms. You will have an understanding of relationships between form and function of organisms as well as relationships of organisms to their environments and develop interdisciplinary knowledge bridging science and illustration.

Certificate in Scientific Illustration Requirements

Admission Requirements

Students seeking this certificate must demonstrate basic drawing competencies through a portfolio review with the program coordinator or by completing ART 101 and ART 125 with a C- or better.

Scientific Illustration Certificate Courses

Total Credits: 27-29

Core Requirements (16 credits)

  • ART 203L Digital Illustration (4)
  • ART 203H Introduction to Figure Drawing (4)
  • ART 303H Scientific Illustration (4)
  • BIOL 115/BIOL 115L Organismal Biology & Lab (4)

Restricted Electives (11-13 credits)

  • ART 400L Individualized Studies in Illustration (2) OR
  • ART 400H Individualized Studies in Figure Drawing (2)
  • CHEM 150/CHEM 150L General Chemistry I and Lab (4)
  • CHEM 210/CHEM 210L General Chemistry II and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 111/BIOL 111L Cell Biology and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 305/BIOL 305L General Botany and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 321/BIOL 321L Invertebrate Zoology and Lab (3)
  • BIOL 322/BIOL 322L Vertebrate Zoology and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 323/BIOL 323L Human Anatomy and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 326/BIOL 326L Minnesota Plant Identification and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 347/BIOL 347L Plant Physiology and Lab (4)
  • BIOL 349/BIOL 349L Human Physiology and Lab (4)

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Develop perceptional drawing skills and technical abilities necessary for realistically rendering plant and animal forms.
  • Understand relationships between form and function of organisms as well as relationships of organisms to their environments.
  • Develop interdisciplinary knowledge bridging science and illustration.

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