Dean: Geoffrey W. Newman, Ph.D.
Associate Dean: Ronald L. Sharps, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean: Linda Davidson, M.F.A.

The College of the Arts (CART) offers more than sixty graduate and undergraduate majors, minors and concentrations in art and design, broadcasting, communication studies, dance, music and theatre. Twice designated as a Center of Excellence in the fine and performing arts, the College maintains a commitment to quality programs, providing professional training and education for students seeking careers as practitioners, educators, public servants and managers of the arts.

Students in the College study and create with some of the finest artist-educators in the New York metropolitan area. Faculty include working composers, designers, fine artists, actors, musicians, directors, choreographers, arts managers, art historians, conductors, broadcasters and communication specialists including Fulbright, Guggenheim and Howard award winners. What's more, because we are only minutes from Manhattan, internationally recognized guest artists know the College well and come year after year to direct master classes, perform in staged productions, conduct student ensembles and teach what it takes to succeed in the arts.

For both the university campus and the region, CART provides arts events and community services, offering cultural enrichment of all kinds. Under the Peak Performances brand, the college’s Arts and Cultural Programming unit produces programs that include the presentation of national and international artists plus contemporary works that challenge the boundaries of convention. Events can be found in as many as six professionally equipped performance spaces on campus, including the state-of-the-art Alexander Kasser Theater–a venue unique to the region, combining exceptional acoustics and an over-sized proscenium stage within an intimate and comfortable setting.

Complementing the performing arts, CART’s University Art Galleries likewise provides visual arts enrichment through a comprehensive exhibitions program and growing art collection from the region and around the world. Our largest exhibitions are presented in the award-winning George Segal Gallery, while additional exhibits may be found in Gallery One, the MFA Gallery, and student-run Gallery 3-1/2. Beyond these spaces, artworks are installed throughout the campus grounds to create a visually satisfying aesthetic environment.

The DuMont Television Center is another major producer of CART programming.  Boasting two production studios, recently upgraded to full digital capacity, the Center serves both campus needs and industry clientele, while giving opportunities for MSU students to gain professional experience and contacts. Through student produced programs such as Inside MSU and Carpe Diem, campus and New Jersey citizens are kept informed of current events while students exercise what they’ve learned in the classroom.

Beyond its production facilities, CART’s Office of Student Services, Office of Education and Community Outreach, and the Music Preparatory Center each extend further opportunities for community engagement. Programs include arts training and related programming for pre-college students and P-12 teachers as well as academic support for enrolled students. Speaker programs such as Art Forum and Film Forum, offered by the Department of Art and Design, round out the cultural offerings while CART’s Creative Research Center provides a haven for interdisciplinary/industry collaboration.