B.A. in Visual Art
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:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational Art Studies (Basic Skills Area) | ||
| ART 1040 | Foundations of Art Studio Technology | 3 |
| ART 1050 | Foundations of 2D Design | 3 |
| ART 1060 | Foundations of 3D Design | 3 |
| ART 1070 | Foundations of Digital Media | 3 |
| ART 1080 | Foundations of Drawing I | 3 |
| ART 1090 | Foundations of Drawing II | 3 |
| Core Art Studies | ||
| Guided Electives in 2D Core Studies | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Life Drawing | ||
| Introduction to Printmaking | ||
| Introduction to Painting | ||
| Guided Electives in 3D Core Studies | ||
| ART 2200 | Introduction to Sculpture | 3 |
| or ART 2210 | Introduction to Ceramics | |
| Guided Electives in New Media Core Studies | ||
| ART 2010 | Graphic Design: Print | 3 |
| or ART 2030 | Introduction to Photography | |
| Advanced Art Studies 2 | ||
| Select 18 credits total. A minimum of 12 credits must be completed at the 3000-4000 level. | 18 | |
| Graphic Design: Print | ||
| Graphic Design: Web | ||
| Introduction to Photography | ||
| Life Drawing | ||
| Introduction to Printmaking | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Introduction to Ceramics | ||
| Introduction to Painting | ||
| Visual Literacy-Data Visualization | ||
| Photography: Topics | ||
| Interactive Coding | ||
| Printmaking: Topics | ||
| 2D: Topics | ||
| Painting: Topics | ||
| Sculpture: Topics | ||
| Ceramics:Topics | ||
| Gallery Practices | ||
| Advanced Graphic Design:Topic | ||
| Outsider Art and Community Practice | ||
| Contemporary Design Methods and Practices | ||
| Special Topics in Art | ||
| Advanced Photography: Topics | ||
| Game Design: Topic | ||
| Time, Motion, Space: Topics | ||
| Advanced Printmaking: Topic | ||
| Advanced 2D: Topics | ||
| Advanced Painting: Topic | ||
| Advanced Sculpture: Topic | ||
| Advanced Ceramics: Topic | ||
| Bio-Design Challenge | ||
| Installation Art | ||
| Wearable Conditions | ||
| Mixed Media: Topics | ||
| BA Thesis Project 4 | ||
| Professional Practices | ||
| Internship | ||
| Design Project: Topics | ||
| Special Studies | ||
| Support Course | 3 | |
| Concepts in Art, Studio and Theory | ||
or ART 3850 | Gallery Practices | |
or ART 4850 | Professional Practices | |
| Related Course Work | ||
| ARTH 2050 | History of Western Art I | 3 |
| ARTH 2060 | History of Western Art II | 3 |
| ARTH 2080 | History Of Modern Art | 3 |
| or ARTH 2550 | History of Graphic Design | |
| Select one Non-Western Art History course: | 3 | |
| Asian Art | ||
| Ethnographic Art | ||
| Topics In Asian Art | ||
| Ancient Art Of The Americas | ||
| African Art | ||
| Art History Elective 3000-4000 level (not ARTH 1500) | 3 | |
| ARTH 3400 | Contemporary Art | 3 |
| or ARTH 3500 | History Of Photography | |
| or ARTH 4500 | Contemporary Art And Theory | |
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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.
| First Term | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| AR 1000 | First Year Orientation | 1 |
| ART 1050 | Foundations of 2D Design | 3 |
| ART 1080 | Foundations of Drawing I | 3 |
| ARTH 2050 | History of Western Art I | 3 |
| ENGL 1110 or ENGL 1010 | College Composition I or College Composition 1 Co-Requisite | 3 |
| MATH 1180 | Reasoning With Mathematics | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Term | ||
| ART 1040 | Foundations of Art Studio Technology | 3 |
| ART 1060 | Foundations of 3D Design | 3 |
| ART 1070 | Foundations of Digital Media | 3 |
| ENGL 1130 | College Composition II: Academic Disciplines And Discourse or Science And Technical Report Writing or Professional and Business Writing | 3 |
| Core Natural Science | 3 | |
| Natural Science Lab | 1 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Third Term | ||
| ART 1090 | Foundations of Drawing II | 3 |
| Select one of the following 3D Core courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Introduction to Ceramics | ||
| ARTH 2060 | History of Western Art II | 3 |
| ENGL 2710-ENGL 2800 Arts/Humanities Core (English Lit) | 3 | |
| Natural Sciences Core | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Term | ||
| ART 2010 or ART 2030 | Graphic Design: Print or Introduction to Photography | 3 |
| Select one of the following 2D Core Electives: | 3 | |
| Life Drawing | ||
| Introduction to Printmaking | ||
| Introduction to Painting | ||
| ARTH 2080 | History Of Modern Art or History of Graphic Design or History Of Photography | 3 |
| Social Sciences Core | 3 | |
| Arts/Humanities Core (History) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fifth Term | ||
| Advanced Art Studies | 6 | |
| Elementary Foreign Language I | 4 | |
| Arts and Letters Social Science | 3 | |
| ART History elective 2000-4000 level | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Sixth Term | ||
| Advanced Art Studies | 9 | |
| Select one of the following Non-Western Art/Non-US Diversity courses: | 3 | |
| Asian Art | ||
| Ethnographic Art | ||
| African Art | ||
| Elementary Foreign Language II | 4 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Seventh Term | ||
| ART 3400 | Concepts in Art, Studio and Theory or Gallery Practices or Professional Practices | 3 |
| Intermediate Foreign Language I or approved culture course | 3 | |
| US Diversity or Elective | 3 | |
| ARTH 3400 | Contemporary Art or History Of Photography or Contemporary Art And Theory | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Eighth Term | ||
| Advanced Art Studies | 3 | |
| Intermediate Foreign Language II or approved culture course | 3 | |
| Core Social Science | 3 | |
| Elective | 5 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
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:
- Admission
- 3.5 minimum GPA in studio art
- 3.3 minimum cumulative GPA
- 6 hours must be completed in the area of concentration, plus 9 hours of Foundational Art Studies
- Instructors’ permission (areas of concentration: 2D Studies, 3D Studies, New Media Studies)
- 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.
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
Presentation/career preparedness: Students will plan, develop and create artistic projects in an exhibition, portfolio, and/or publication format.
Writing and communication skills: Students will discuss, interpret and summarize complex ideas effectively through written, oral, and visual rhetoric.
Research skills: Students will use multiple global resources in the arts, humanities, and sciences for developing creative projects.