Boise State University provides a liberal arts core and elective courses for its students. The central mission of the Art Department is to provide students with the requisite technical skills and theoretical knowledge for competitive and successful careers as professional artists, art teachers, art historians, graphic designers and illustrators. The department provides professional practice and leadership in the represented disciplines through individual faculty research and creative activity. The departments programs emphasize creativity, proficiency in skill and technique, fluency in written and verbal communication, engagement with contemporary theory and criticism and an understanding of historical, social and aesthetic issues pertaining to art and visual culture. The department prepares students to situate their work within diverse cultural and visual contexts through the presentation of a range of viewpoints, projects, and studies designed to broaden their cultural perspectives.
The campus features the Visual Arts Center (VAC) which organizes and presents a variety of regional, national and international visual art exhibitions in two campus galleries. The work of students is also featured in BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions annually and faculty research is shown in the Biennial Art Department Faculty Exhibition.