Mar 28, 2024  
2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Art, B.F.A.


College of the Arts   > School of Art  > Art, B.F.A.

 

Students seeking the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree must fulfill the 42 hour university core curriculum and complete 81 semester hours in studio art and art history courses as follows:

  1. Twelve semester hours of any 1000-level foundation program studio courses.
  2. Thirty semester hours in approved related arts courses.
  3. Twelve semester hours in art history including ARTH 1380  and ARTH 1381  and six semester hours of art history at the 2000-level or above.
  4. Twenty-seven semester hours in a single 3000- or 4000-level major concentration: graphic design, painting, photography, or sculpture.
  5. A minimum of 42 semester hours must be earned in 3000- or 4000-level studio courses.

Students should refer to the recommended courses of study for each of the four specific studio majors. This information is available in the Art Office.

Foundation Program

Any four 1000-level studio courses and the History of Art I and II (ARTH 1380 :ARTH 1381 ) constitute an acceptable Foundation Program (FP) for any major concentration.

Students may check in the department office for information on which studio fundamentals courses are specifically recommended for each major.

Related Arts

A basic prerequisite for any related arts studio course is completion of 12 semester hours of foundation program studio courses. A minimum of 30 semester hours in related arts courses is required for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Students may check in the school office for information on which related arts courses are specifically recommended for each studio major.

The term “related arts” is meant to include all intermediate level courses offered by the school beyond the foundation program and outside the major concentration. Students must have completed the fundamental course in a discipline before they take an intermediate level course in that discipline, or have specific consent of the instructor. Specifically, any art history course at the 2000 or higher level, any course approved by a major program’s faculty that is offered by another department, and any 3000-4000-level art or design studio course may be applied to this requirement.

Exception: Students wishing to begin work in any studio discipline field not previously taken in their foundation program should take the fundamental 1000-level course, which will be approved for related arts credit.

Normally, students are expected to complete a minimum of 18 semester hours of related arts courses, including at least one 3000-level premajor studio course in the same discipline as the intended major, before applying for admission to the junior major program (also referred to as the major concentration, or “block”).

Admittance to a junior major program is not guaranteed. This process involves a competitive portfolio review and a vote by the faculty of the major area.

Major Concentration

Prerequisites for the major concentration include satisfactory completion of the 18 semester hour foundation program, satisfactory completion of the mandated premajor related arts course, competitive portfolio review, and formal individual approval by the major faculty.

Every major concentration includes three nine-credit per semester groups of courses that must be completed within a four-semester period. The two final 4000-level senior major course groups must be taken consecutively.

On completion of the junior major course group, a review of the student’s progress by the major faculty is mandatory. No student is allowed to continue in the major concentration until formal approval has been granted by the major faculty. Students must have an approved degree plan on file in the Art Office before they begin their senior major program. Any substitutes for junior or senior major concentration courses must be approved by the faculty of the major area.

All Bachelor of Fine Arts degree candidates must maintain a 2.50 minimum grade point average in their advanced studio classes to qualify for graduation.

At a minimum, transfer students must take the final 30 semester hours of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, including one three-credit premajor studio course and a full 27 semester hours major concentration, in the department. Students may not apply any major concentration courses completed more than seven years prior to the graduation semester in fulfillment of degree requirements.