Northwest Nazarene University's graphic design program leads students to be creative, insightful, and morally responsible producers of visual communication. The program provides students with a balanced and comprehensive series of courses which prepare them to excel in the professional field. Students at NNU learn through individual attention in a positively oriented atmosphere. In our state-of-the-art Mac lab students work on projects designed to develop their technical and conceptual capabilities, expand their capacity for critical thinking, and stimulate their imagination. Students come to understand the various cultural, historical, and socio-political forces that give meaning and value to the work they produce through discussions with their peers, faculty, and professional designers.

Upon graduation, many of our students have secured positions with top design firms, corporations, and advertising agencies, while others have successfully pursued careers as independent designers, creating books, magazines, logos, posters, websites, exhibits, and advertising campaigns.

Building upon NNU's exemplary reputation in education, the NNU art education program provides each major numerous opportunities to design, implement, and evaluate art lessons using a comprehensive, discipline-based art curricula. NNU art education majors have frequent teaching opportunities at area schools. Majors also have the unique possibility to teach special needs students as well as the general school populations.

The studio art program is process oriented because we view the transformation of materials as a key experience and metaphor for the artist of faith. We not only teach process but also strive to create a well-rounded artist who thinks about their work in the context of Christianity and contemporary art practice.  Students in studio art share a strong foundation in drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture.

Typically, students in their junior year will choose a concentration, or series of classes, which emphasize their interests.