The Bachelor of Arts program in Visual Art provides students with a solid foundation in art through introductory courses in drawing, design and the history of art. The program offers advanced study in four areas of studio art as well as advanced work in art history. These department offerings are deeply integrated with the core curriculum of the Colleges of Arts and Letters, and Natural Sciences and Mathematics (humanities and sciences requirements and directed electives) with the purpose of using visual art as a special instrument for cognitive growth, knowledge discovery and cultural engagement. The B.A. in Visual Art is a special kind of liberal arts degree based in studio art - students seeking a professional degree should consider the B.F.A. in Studio Art degree program. Though there is no studio concentration offered, students may choose from 2D studies (drawing, printmaking, painting), 3D studies (sculpture, ceramics), and/or photography and digital media (photography, digital art, graphic design) for their advanced studio coursework.

The curriculum leading to the B.A. in Visual Art requires a minimum of 48 hours of courses in the major (50 hours maximum), which must include the following:

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The AAS courses provide a consistent framework of categories within each of the following areas: 2D, 3D, NM. Within each of these area categories, specific course topics and content are offered on a rotational basis and appear in the catalog using a prefix and descriptive course subtitle. For example, in a given semester, ART 3100  would appear as ART 3100: Screen-printing.

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Students may not take the same course in both the CORE and Advanced Studies categories. ART 4910 or 4940 can be taken with department approval to use in Advanced Studies.

Note: All Foundation Art Studies courses, 2 Core Art Studies courses, and either ARTH 2050 or ARTH 2060 Art History Survey should be taken before the 3000/4000 level. BA Visual Art students select from the same pool of course offerings as the B.F.A. students, except for the capstone thesis project.

Students pursuing the B.A. degree may not elect the PS/NC option in studio art or art history courses or in related courses.

Art majors should meet every semester with their Advisor.

Below is a sample plan of study. Consult your degree audit for your program requirements.

Honors in B.A. in Visual Art Degree

Qualified juniors and seniors may apply to the Honors Program in studio art. The following are requirements for entrance into the Honors Program in studio art:

1. Admission
   1. 3.5 minimum GPA in studio art
   2. 3.3 minimum cumulative GPA
   3. 6 hours must be completed in the area of concentration, plus 9 hours of Foundational Art Studies
   4. Instructors’ permission (areas of concentration: 2D Studies, 3D Studies, New Media Studies)
2. Requirements
   A student must have completed a minimum of six hours of honors course work in studio art before beginning the thesis project. (Note: This does not include six hours of concentration needed for admission into the Honors Program.) The student must take the BA Thesis Project capstone as an honors course with additional requirements. The designation “honors” on the diploma will be given to students who receive a grade of A on the honors thesis project and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5 in studio art.

• PLO 1: Aesthetic abilities: Students will create artworks with an aesthetic order that expresses meaning and furthers cognitive growth.
• PLO 2: Technique and the comprehension of a medium s potential: Students will use the appropriate tools and art/design materials to develop creative projects within and beyond their area of concentration.
• PLO 3: Presentation/career preparedness: Students will plan, develop and create artistic projects in an exhibition, portfolio, and/or publication format.
• PLO 4: Writing and communication skills: Students will discuss, interpret and summarize complex ideas effectively through written, oral, and visual rhetoric.
• PLO 5: Research skills: Students will use multiple global resources in the arts, humanities, and sciences for developing creative projects.