July 15, 2019 / Resources

BFAs for Jewelry & Small Metals

We have compiled a list of the best college metal programs and BFAs for jewelry across the country. ...

Are you interested in getting your BFA in jewelry and small metals? We have compiled a list of colleges across the country that offer jewelry or small metals as a major.

Getting a fine arts degree leads to different professions and opportunities than learning metal working at a vocational school. If you are interested in working professionally as a fine artist, teaching art at a college or university, attending graduate school to earn an MFA, or working in museums or galleries then pursuing a BA or BFA is the right choice for you.

When looking for a university program, there are colleges that offer small metals and jewelry as a major and others that offer a BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in metals/jewelry. Generally, the studio art programs are multidisciplinary and give more exposure to different art mediums. The curriculum for jewelry/small metals as a major usually has the majority, if not all, of the studio classes focused specifically on metals and jewelry design. BA programs are going to be less studio focused. 

Every college has different studio facilities and a unique curriculum. All of these metals programs are directed by passionate and experienced faculty. Scroll down our alphabetized list of university programss in Small Metals or Jewelry Design to find the right school for you. Click the websites to learn more about the program and the facilities at each college.

BFA Jewelry/Metals

Academy of Art University

BFA & MFA Jewelry Enamels Metals

Onsite and online options available

Director: Charlene Modena

San Francisco, CA

 

Arcadia University

BA/BFA in Art – Concentration in Metals and Jewelry Studio

Glenside, PA

 

Ball State University

BFA & MFA Visual Arts - Metals Concentration

Associate Professor: Jessica Calderwood

Muncie, IN

 

Boise State University

BFA Visual Arts - Art Metals

Professor: Anika Smulovitz

Boise, ID

 

Bowling Green State University

BA/BFA in Studio Art – Focus in Jewelry and Metals

MFA in Studio Art – Focus in Jewelry and Metals

Area Head: Tom Muir

Additional Faculty: Marissa Saneholtz

Bowling Green, OH

 

Buffalo State College - SUNY 

BFA in Art and Design – Concentration in Metals/Jewelry

Program Coordinator – Tara J. Nahabetian

Additional Faculty – Stephen F. Saracino

Buffalo, NY

 

California College of the Arts

BFA Jewelry & Metal Arts

Program Chair – Curtis Arima

Additional Faculty: David Cole, Marilyn Da Silva, Jo-Ann Donivan, and Deborah Lozier

Oakland, CA

 

California State University Long Beach

BFA Metal & Jewelry

Program Head: Susanna Ali

Long Beach, CA

 

Central Washington University

BA/BFA in Studio Art – Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Faculty: Keith Lewis

Ellensburg, WA

 

Cleveland Institute of Art

BFA in Craft and Design – Concentration in Jewelry and Metals

Faculty: Kathy Buszkiewicz, Gretchen Goss, and Matthew Hollern

Cleveland, OH

 

Colorado State University

BFA in Art – Concentration in Metal

Associate Professor: Haley Bates

Fort Collins, CO

 

Dine College

BFA in Navajo Silversmithing

Tsaile, AZ

 

Earlham College

BA with Studio emphasis in Jewelry/Metals

Richmond, IN

 

East Carolina University

BFA in Art – Metal Design Concentration

Faculty: Mi-Sook Hur and Tim Lazure

Greenville, NC

 

Eastern Illinois University

BFA Studio with 3D emphasis

Instructor of Metalsmithing: Erin M. Rice

Charleston, IL

 

Eastern Kentucky University

BFA Jewelry and Metals

Professor: Felicia Szorad

Richmond, KY

 

Eastern Michigan University

BFA in Studio Art – 3D Media Concentration

MFA in Studio Art – 3D Media Concentration

Ypsilanti, MI

 

Fashion Institute of Technology

AAS in Jewelry Design

Faculty – Karen Bachmann, Richard Barth, Dana Buscaglia, Michael Coan, Frank Fraley, Akiyo Matsuoka, Kim Nelson, Steven Parker, Gary Roskin, Tomoyuki Teratani, Paul Weisbroat, and Wendy Yothers

New York City, NY

 

Georgia Southern University

BFA 3D Studio Art Concentration

Professor: Christina Lemon

Statesboro, GA

 

Grand Valley State University

BFA in Studio Art – Jewelry and Metalsmithing Emphasis

Faculty: Renee Zettle-Sterling and Laurel Fulton

Allendale, MI

 

Humboldt State University

BFA Jewelry & Small Metals

Faculty: Marilyn Koch and Tressa Thompson

Arcata, CA

 

Indiana University of Pennsylvania IUP

BFA Studio Art - Jewelry and Metals

Professor: Sharon Massey

Indiana, PA

 

Kent State

BA/BFA in Studio Art – Concentration in Jewelry/Metals/Enameling

MA/MFA in Studio Art – Concentration in Jewelry/Metals/Enameling

Faculty: Andrew Kuebeck

Kent, OH

 

Maine College of Art and Design

BFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry

MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry

Department Chair: Sharon Portelance

Additional Faculty: Bryan Hansen and Kyle Patnaude

Portland, ME

 

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

BFA Jewelry & Metalsmithing

Faculty: Heather White, Venetia Dale, and Joseph Wood

Boston, MA

 

Miami University

BFA in Studio Art – Metals and Jewelry Design Concentration

Faculty: Geoff Riggle

Oxford, OH

 

Missouri State University

BFA 3D Studies

Assistant Professor: Jin A. Seo

Springfield, MO

 

MSU Denver

BFA in Art - Jewelry Design and Metalsmithing

Area Coordinator: Leslie Boyd

Additional Faculty: John Sullivan

Denver, CO

 

Northern Illinois University

BFA in Art Studio and Design – Metalwork, Jewelry Design, and Digital Fabrication

MFA in Art and Design – Metalwork, Jewelry Design, and Digital Fabrication

Program Coordinator & Associate Professor: Jamie Obermeier

DeKalb, IL

 

PennWest Edinboro

BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Concentration Head: Suzanne Amendolara

Additional Faculty Professor: Cappy Counard

Edinboro, PA

 

Radford University

BFA in Studio Art – Concentration in Jewelry

Radford, VA

 

Rhode Island School of Design

BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

MFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Department Head – Tracy Steepy

Additional Faculty: Brian Bergeron, Klaus Burgel, Rachael Colley, Moam Elyashiv, Lauren Fensterstock, Jonas Levi, Hannah Oatman, Seth Papac, Carolanne Patterson, Suzanne Pugh, Barbara Seidenath, MJ Tyson, Johan Van Aswegen, and Timothy Veske-McMahon

Providence, RI

 

Rochester Institute of Technology

BFA in Studio Arts – Metals and Jewelry Design

MFA in Studio Arts – Metals and Jewelry Design

Faculty: Juan Carlos Caballero-Perez and Hector Carmona-Miranda

Rochester, NY

 

San Diego State University

BA in Applied Design – Jewelry and Metalsmithing emphasis

MA/MFA in Applied Design – Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Faculty: Sondra Sherman, Kerianne Quick, Leslie Shershow, and Jessica Andersen

San Diego, CA

 

Savannah College of Art and Design

BFA in Jewelry

MA/MFA in Jewelry

Department Chair: Jay H. Song

Additional Faculty: Adam Grinovich, Lanelle Keyes, Hongsock Lee, and Annika Pettersson

Savannah, GA

School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

BFA in Metals

MFA in Metals

Faculty: Tanya Crane, Hannah Oatman, and Kendall Reiss

Boston, MA

Southwest School of Art

BFA Studio Art - Metals

Department Chair & Professor: Jillian Sortore

Additional Faculty: Sarah Roberts, Alejandra Salinas Pérez and Laura Quiñone

San Antonio, TX

 

SUNY New Paltz

BFA in Metal

MFA in Metal

Faculty – Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, Lynn Batchelder, and Adam Mastropaolo

New Paltz, NY

 

Syracuse University

BFA in Studio Art – Jewelry and Metalsmithing

MFA in Studio Art – Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Syracuse, NY

 

Temple University – Tyler School of Art

BFA Metals/Jewelry/CAD-CAM

Department Head – Doug Bucci

Additional Faculty: Mallory Weston, Barb Baur, and Domenic D’Andrea

Philadelphia, PA

 

Tennessee Tech

BFA in Metals

Department Head: Daniel Randall

Cookeville, TN

 

Towson University

BA/BFA in Art and Design – Concentration in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Area Coordinator: Luci Jockel

Additional Faculty: Katja Toporski

Towson, MD

 

Texas State

BFA in Studio Art - Metals

Professor: Beverly Penn

Additional Faculty: Nicole Deschamps-Benke and Laritza Garcia Janiga

San Marcos, TX

 

Texas Tech

BFA Studio Art Jewelry Design & Metalsmithing

Faculty: Robly Glover and Nancy Slagle

Lubbock, TX        

 

University of Akron

BA/BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Area Coordinator: Sherry Simms

Akron, OH

 

University of Arkansas Little Rock

BA/BFA in Art and Design – Emphasis in Metalsmithing and Jewelry

MA in Visual Art – Metalsmithing and Jewelry

Faculty: Lydia Martin

Little Rock, AR

 

University of the Arts

BFA in Art (Interdisciplinary) – Jewelry

Faculty: Mallory Weston and Rod McCormick

Philadelphia, PA

 

University of Georgia

BFA in Studio Art - Concentration in Jewelry/Metalwork

MFA in Studio Art - Jewelry

Department Chair: Demi Thomloudis

Additional Faculty: Mary Hallam Pearse, Jeremy Diamond, and Shaunia L. Grant

Athens, GA

 

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

BFA in Art and Design: Integrated Studio Arts – Jewelry/Metals

Dartmouth, MA

 

University of Oregon

BA/BFA in Art – Concentration in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

MFA in Art – Concentration in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Area Head: Anya Kivarkis

Additional Faculty: Claire Webb

Eugene, OR

 

University of Wisconsin Madison

BA/BFA in Studio Art – Art Metals and Jewelry

Faculty: Lisa Gralnick

Madison, WI

 

University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

BA/BFA in Studio Art – Focus in Jewelry ad Metalsmithing

MA/MFA in Studio Art – Focus in Jewelry and Metalsmithing

Area Head: Yevgeniya Kaganovich

Additional Faculty: Erica Meier

Milwaukee, WI

 

University of North Texas

BFA in Studio Art – Concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry

Faculty: Ana M. Lopez and Sarah Lock-Test

Denton, TX

 

University of Texas at El Paso UTEP

BFA Studio Art - Metals

Program Head & Assistant Professor: Jess Tolbert

El Paso, TX

 

Virginia Commonwealth University

BFA Craft Material Studies in Metal/Jewelry & MFA Jewelry/Metalworking

Metals Area Coordinator - Kathleen Kennedy

Additional Faculty: Susie Ganch and Sarah Parker

Richmond, VA

 

Western Michigan University

BFA – Emphasis in Metals/Jewelry

Faculty – Melis Agabigum

Kalamazoo, MI


Further reading:

Career Services for Jewelry Students: Explore Jewelry Job Opportunities

Sell is Not a Four Letter Word: Making a Living in Jewelry

Finding Your Creative Identity Through Design

Written By: Sylvie Alusitz
Sylvie is the current Studio Coordinator here at Halstead. She teaches jewelry and metalsmithing classes to Halstead employees and coordinates with guest instructors when they visit. Sylvie received her BFA in Jewelry and Metalsmithing from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MFA in Metal from SUNY New Paltz. She loves to share her knowledge, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!