Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Art
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in Art is awarded in recognition of successful completion of prolonged and intensive studio coursework with supportive studies in art history and criticism. The final two years of study include a specialized area of study in one of the following: ceramics, new media, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture. The University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
Transfer students who wish to receive credit for upper-division art courses taken at another institution should present a portfolio of work to the department before the registration period. This portfolio should consist of 10 original examples or two-inch by two-inch slides of work from upper-division studio courses taken at other institutions.
Most students will fulfill the requirements for this degree with 120 semester credit hours, of which 42 hours are Core Curriculum requirements. Due to the large number of major courses in the B.F.A. degree, full-time art students should enroll in two studio art courses, one art history and criticism course, and one or two Core Curriculum courses each semester. Art majors in the B.F.A. program should request an appointment with the undergraduate advisor for art programs before all enrollment periods. In order to complete all B.F.A. degree requirements in a timely fashion, both full-time and part-time art students should register every term for twice as many credits in their major course requirements as in Core Curriculum courses. Students seeking teacher certification should consult the College of Education and Human Development Advising and Certification Center.
All candidates for the degree must complete 63 semester credit hours of art (ART) and 18 semester credit hours of art history and criticism (AHC).
Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both degree requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements see pages 5–9 of this catalog.
| Core Curriculum Component Area | Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements |
|---|---|
Communications |
English Rhetoric/Composition (6 semester credit hours) |
Mathematics |
Mathematics (3 semester credit hours) |
Natural Sciences |
Science (6 semester credit hours) |
Humanities & Visual and Performing Arts |
Literature (3 semester credit hours) |
Social and Behavioral Sciences |
United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours) |
World Society and Issues |
(3 semester credit hours) |
Major Requirements
- 39 semester credit hours of specifically required lower-division studio art and art history foundation courses completed as part of the first 60 hours of the curriculum:
AHC 1113 Survey of Art and Architecture from Prehistoric Times to 1350 AHC 1123 Survey of Art and Architecture in Europe and the New World from 1350 to 1750 AHC 1133 Survey of Modern Art ART 1003 Design: Two Dimensional ART 1013 Design: Three Dimensional ART 1213 Drawing I ART 1223 Drawing II ART 2113 Painting: Basic ART 2223 New Media: Basic ART 2413 Printmaking: Basic ART 2513 Photography: Basic ART 2613 Sculpture: Basic ART 2713 Ceramics: Basic - 21 semester credit hours of upper-division art courses, including:
ART 3033 Contemporary Studio: Concepts and Practice ART 4983 Senior Seminar and Exhibition
15 semester credit hours of upper-division art courses in one of the following specialized areas of study: ceramics, drawing, new media, painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.
- 9 additional semester credit hours of upper-division art history and criticism courses:
AHC 3113 Contemporary Art AND 6 elective hours of upper-division art history and criticism courses
Students may substitute a specific course in the philosophy of art or a humanities course with a strong art history component for an upper-division art history course with consent of the undergraduate advisor for art programs.
- 12 additional semester credit hours of art course electives are required, at least 9 hours of which must be upper-division
Note: For the B.F.A. degree in Art, the major grade point average is calculated using only ART and AHC courses.