Career outcomes and alumni accolades
WMU College of Fine Arts graduates work in the fields they studied. They direct on Broadway, design for the auto industry, dance with the Milwaukee Ballet and run makeup departments for film and television. Explore where our alumni are today and how their time at Western got them there.
Alumni making their mark
Our alumni are proof that a College of Fine Arts education at WMU builds foundations for extraordinary careers. They are leaders, innovators, and changemakers across the globe, earning accolades for their profound influence in every corner of the creative industries.
Internships
From the moment they step onto campus, our students dive into artistic exploration and professional development. Careers are built on these early projects and internships.
Music student amps up audio production experience with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame internship
Aiden Lambert, a multimedia arts technology student, beat out applicants from across the country to land an audio production internship at the epicenter of rock music: the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In his experience, he learned from professionals and had opportunities to work concerts for touring bands.
From a ‘shot in the dark’ to a national honor: Inside one Bronco’s summer at SmithGroup
Abby Naugle, an interior architecture and design major in Western Michigan University’s Richmond Institute for Design and Innovation, took what she thought was a “shot in the dark” when she applied for SmithGroup’s competitive Design a Better Future Scholarship. But she had developed skills at Western that her competitors hadn’t, and 12 weeks later, she had worked on projects for Yale University, Google and the Arizona Cardinals, and had been named to Interior Design magazine’s exclusive 30/30 Class of 2026—an exclusive national honor.
ArtPrize internship helps kinetic imaging students see big picture
Through an Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant, Jacklyn Brickman and Eric Souther hired interns Sofia Huffman, Avery McNew and Mackenzie Willey to curate their own ArtPrize gallery and support in the instructors' development of the first-ever all-digital gallery in the international competition's history.
WMU Theatre students bring medieval-inspired production to Switzerland for international debut
A bold new work by Western Michigan University Theatre will travel to Switzerland this month, marking an extraordinary opportunity for students to perform on the global stage. The Book of Silence, which made its world premiere in May as part of WMU’s renowned International Congress on Medieval Studies, will be featured at the prestigious International Festival of Medieval Theatre (IFTM) in Freiburg, Switzerland, from July 18-22.
Western students leave their mark near campus through mural experience
Brad Zenz, B.F.A.'09, designed a mural channeling Bronco spirit and teamed up with art instructor Heidi Weiss, B.F.A.'04, M.F.A.'09, to enlist the help of students in her summer mural course to bring his vision to life.
Record number of undergraduate patent applications filed at WMU
Students in the new Venture Studio course within the Richmond Institute of Design and Innovation came up with a number of innovative product ideas, from a food allergen testing device to an accessible laundry basket. Today, 16 of them have patents pending.