Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès — Arts plastiques

Overview

The Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès (UT2J) is the major university of humanities, arts, letters and languages in Toulouse. Its main campus, le Mirail, hosts a range of artistic programs, including the department devoted to visual arts and design.

Unlike an art school, the university curriculum closely combines artistic practice with theoretical culture. Students alternate between studio work (drawing, painting, volume, photography, video, digital image, installation) and courses in aesthetics, art history, theory of images, and research methodology.

Programs and strengths

The department offers a licence followed by masters programs in visual arts and design, with possible orientations toward research (continuing to a doctorate) or toward teaching professions, notably preparation for the competitive exams to become a visual arts teacher.

The university backs these programs with research laboratories in the arts, which fosters seminars, study days, and creative-research work. The Toulouse artistic ecosystem (museums, art centers, performing arts venues) and the presence on the same site of other arts programs — film and audiovisual, performing arts, music, communication — allow for crossovers and transdisciplinary projects.

Who it suits

This is a suitable path for students wishing to pursue sustained artistic practice supported by a solid theoretical foundation, within a university framework with reduced tuition fees. Admission takes place via national platforms (Parcoursup for the licence, Mon Master).