Academic Minors
Learn more about our visual and performing arts minors.
Minors are an important part of any college experience and can complement and enhance your major in unique ways.
Merrimack’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has seven minors to choose from:
Our minors are designed for you to gain valuable skills, understand history and critically engage with form and content. By choosing a minor, you can increase your competitive edge upon graduation.
Both the film studies and visual storytelling minors are interdisciplinary within the School of Liberal Arts. Film studies is intended for students who would like to better understand film history, analyze video production and editing. It can lead to opportunities in filmmaking, directing, editing, film criticism and provide students with the background necessary to pursue graduate studies. The Departments of Communication and Media, English Studies, Women and Gender Studies, World Languages and VPA all work together on the curriculum and coursework.
The interdisciplinary visual storytelling minor is offered by the Departments of English Studies and VPA. The minor integrates art, storytelling and technology, introducing students to the field of creative visual storytelling utilizing interdisciplinary methodologies. It weaves design, illustration and narrative analysis, providing students with a solid foundation in graphic design and narration; plus cinematic, digital, and traditional illustration techniques; as well as various approaches to storytelling for creative visual presentation.
No more than 2 courses, or 8 credits, from another major or minor, may count towards completion of any of the following minors.
Minor in Art History
The Art History Minor requires the completion of a minimum of 24 credits and a minimum of 6 courses. Go to our catalog for full Art and Art History minor program details.
Minor in Film Studies
The minor requires the completion of a minimum of 18 credits, with a minimum of 5 courses (including 2 foundational courses and 3 elective courses) and distributed so that no more than 2 elective courses can be taken from the same department. Visit our Film Studies minor dedicated page here or go to our catalog for full Film Studies minor program details.
Minor in Graphic Design
The Graphic Design minor requires the completion of a minimum of 24 credits and a minimum of 6 courses: 4 required courses, plus 2 electives from an extensive list of studio, art history, and graphic design related courses. Go to our catalog for full Graphic Design minor program details.
Minor in Music
The Music Minor requires the completion of a minimum of 20 credits and a minimum of 5 courses. Go to our catalog for full Music minor program details.
Minor in Studio Art
The Studio Art Minor requires the completion of a minimum of 24 credits and a minimum of 6 courses, as specified below. Go to our catalog for full Studio Art minor program details.
Minor in Theatre Arts
The Theatre minor requires the completion of a minimum of 20 credits and a minimum of 5 courses. Go to our catalog for full Theatre Arts minor program details.
Minor in Visual Storytelling
The minor offers students the opportunity to concentrate in this focused area to satisfy an interest in the printed book and its film, or digital adaptations; to prepare for further academic or professional study in visual storytelling and visual culture; or to work as cartoonists, graphic novelists, art directors in Advertising or Corporate Communication, Art or English teachers, or film and comics critics.
The minor requires the completion of a minimum of 18 credits, with a minimum of 5 courses chosen from the list below and distributed so that at least 2 are English courses and at least 2 are Visual and Performing Arts courses. Go to our catalog for full Visual Storytelling minor program details.
More Information
For more information about other programs at Merrimack, consult the online course catalog.