Ceramics at Ball State is about community. Working together is essential in all aspects of the ceramic process.
Ceramic students learn a range of skills such as hand-building, wheel-throwing, casting, glazing, kiln-firing, and even kiln-building.
Functional ceramics is only part of what our students do. Our professors encourage students to step out of their comfort zone and create their own style and forms.
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Ball State's art major (BFA) with a focus on ceramics provides comprehensive training in clay aesthetics while emphasizing complex vessel construction, figural sculpture, glaze design, and a broad range of firing options.
Our programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Learn more.
Our ceramics concentration offers a broad education in the ceramic arts. The studio environment is one where vessel aesthetics like form and surface design are taught alongside ceramic sculpture. To foster an understanding of historical and contemporary practices in ceramics, students are exposed to a variety of experiences including numerous visiting artists, attendance to a national conference, museum trips, and visits to artists' studios and various galleries. You are encouraged to apply for artist residencies at ceramics centers around the country.
We engage with the local artistic communities by hosting pottery sales, volunteering for events, submitting to exhibitions, and conducting community workshops and charity events.
What Will I Study?
As a student, you will learn conceptual development and innovative contemporary processes in addition to traditional hand-building and wheel-throwing techniques. Educational experiences include technical explorations with an introduction to clays, ceramic chemistry, glaze calculations, kiln construction, technology, and firing processes.
View Degree Requirements
Get to Know Our Faculty
Achieving Academic Excellence
Ted Neal
Ted Neal knows how to harness fire for creative purposes, and he passes that knowledge onto his students. Learn more about his work.
What Can You Do with a Ceramics Degree?
As a graduate of our ceramics program, you’ll be prepared for:
- continued study in excellent graduate programs
- working professionally as an artist
Paying for Your Education
Scholarships are a terrific way to help with costs. On top of the University’s scholarships available to you, the School of Art has several programs of its own. Begin searching.
Ready to Apply?
Have you decided that our ceramics concentration is right for you? Then it’s time to begin the admission process. The program maintains a policy of selective enrollment. Admission requires a review at the end of the spring term.
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