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Art & Design

Visual Narrative

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

You've always been a storyteller.

Your ideas come to life through your art. And as a storyteller, you've always been able to express yourself through written and visual mediums. At Lesley, you'll harness those skills to refine your voice and develop a distinct visual language.

As you work with different storytelling styles, you’ll learn to showcase your unique perspective as an artist and writer. You'll learn all about publishing, layout, and design as you make comics and graphic novels. You'll learn to hone your voice in zines and illustrated books. You'll also work on memoirs, visual histories, board games, gifs, and infographics.

With a visual narrative degree from Lesley, you'll blaze a trail in our contemporary visual landscape as you grow into your career as a graphic novelist, cartoonist, book illustrator, set designer, creative strategist, and many more possibilities. Your fully realized stories will be ready to make their mark. And, with our reimagined general education curriculum, you’ll learn the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly complex, diverse, and global world.

In preparation for your professional and creative life, you’ll also gain real-world experience at Lesley. With early and guided support from faculty, you'll learn at companies like National Geographic, Disney, Charles River Laboratories, the Cartoon Network, and many more. The connections you make will launch you into a career in the rapidly evolving creative economy.

And as you prepare to move your art into the public realm, you'll work with dedicated faculty in our creative writing and illustration programs to learn about the publishing world. As you practice your story pitch, you'll become immersed in alternative and traditional publishing methods so you’ll leave Lesley confident in your ability to tell your story.

Undergraduate Program Inquiry Form

Program Structure

Full-time or part-time on-campus program

120 Credits
Thinking about transferring here?

Log in to Transferology, add the courses you've taken, and see how they'll transfer to Lesley University.

Craft Creative Combinations
As a Visual Narrative major, you can pursue a second major or one of our 45+ minors—in art & design or a liberal arts subject—to expand your career opportunities.

Forge your own path with a creative combination:
Jess Rizkallah sits on steps at Lesley University.

Jess Rizkallah ’15

Crafting Poetry from the Heart: As a Lebanese-American, Jess draws inspiration from her Arab heritage and identity, which infuses her poetry and illustrations with unique color.

student working on art in studio

Small Art School, Big University

We're a premier art and design school of about 700 students, but we're also part of a dynamic university with a liberal arts college. This means you'll have the small studio, hands-on experience of a professional art school where you'll gain industry-specific knowledge. And, you'll benefit from a broader perspective of a liberal arts educational experience—something most art schools can't provide.

Windows by Julia Denos Book Front Cover
Alumni
Julia Denos '05
Julia Denos is living her childhood dream as a children’s book author and illustrator. A 2005 graduate, Denos spends her days gathering inspiration and information, breathing life into a fantasy world of color.
Career
Jobs you could have
Greater Boston is a great place to start your career in visual arts. Some of the top job titles for someone with a visual narrative degree include:
doble campus during the fall

Cambridge is our campus. Boston is our neighbor.

Cambridge is one of the most creative cities in the country. In fact, there are about 96 art and culture events happening in the Greater Boston area every day. And while you'll benefit from our dynamic surroundings, you'll also be a big part of them. You'll take art and design classes in our $48 million Lunder Arts Center. And our $7 million Visual Effects (VFX) studio—a state-of-the-art facility where our VFX curriculum comes alive—is the only one of its kind in New England.

Faculty

Approximate cost, before financial aid, for one year of study in this undergraduate program.
Visual Narrative
Housing Options
Compare the cost of the program for students who live on campus in a residence hall with the cost for commuter students.
  • Tuition
    Fall Tuition
    $15,945
    Spring Tuition
    $15,945
  • Fees
    Fall Comprehensive Fee
    $445
    Spring Comprehensive Fee
    $445
  • Room & Board
    Fall Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Spring Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Fall Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Spring Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Fall Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Spring Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Housing Deposit (one-time fee)
    $300
  • Total cost before financial aid
Estimated Cost

Merit Scholarships & Financial Aid

It’s our goal at Lesley to break down financial barriers so that students who want to learn here, can learn here. That’s why we offer generous, customized aid packages for students based on their individual needs. In fact, more than 98% of our full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. Learn more about Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Tuition & Fees

Other fees may apply. Review all undergraduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

Housing Options
Compare the cost of the program for students who live on campus in a residence hall with the cost for commuter students.
  • Tuition
    Fall Tuition
    $15,945
    Spring Tuition
    $15,945
  • Fees
    Fall Comprehensive Fee
    $445
    Spring Comprehensive Fee
    $445
  • Room & Board
    Fall Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Spring Health and Wellness Fee
    $445
    Fall Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Spring Room (double, triple, or quad room)
    $5,740
    Fall Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Spring Meal Plan
    $3,790
    Housing Deposit (one-time fee)
    $300
  • Total cost before financial aid
Estimated Cost

Merit Scholarships & Financial Aid

It’s our goal at Lesley to break down financial barriers so that students who want to learn here, can learn here. That’s why we offer generous, customized aid packages for students based on their individual needs. In fact, more than 98% of our full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid. Learn more about Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Tuition & Fees

Other fees may apply. Review all undergraduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

Apply Now

Ready to get started? We're here to make the application process as smooth as possible. Just answer a few quick questions, and get your customized application guide.

Approximate cost, before financial aid, for one year of study in this undergraduate program. Tuition and fees are for the 2023-2024 academic year.
Use our step-by-step guide to apply for federal, state, and university funding. Scholarships, grants, Work-Study, and loans. It’s all right here.

Next steps to apply

Ready to get started? We're here to make the application process as smooth as possible. Just answer a few quick questions, and get your customized application guide.