Art Studio, BFA

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The BFA is comprised of a group of core courses spanning all areas of of Art and Art History, course requirements for chosen emphases in studio arts, and BFA seminar and professional practices courses. Students accepted into the program decide on an area of emphasis from the following choices: painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

Throughout the BFA program, candidates must complete 51 upper-division units in art and art history in residence, maintain a 3.00 GPA and high level of performance in art, and be subject to review at all times. Advisors direct students in their specific course of study based on regular critiques. To complete the program, candidates will meet all course work for the degree and participate in the BFA art exhibition, which will be reviewed by the art faculty to determine the candidate’s professional competence in a chosen area of emphasis.

Program Learning Outcomes

Apply critical analysis to formal, aesthetic and conceptual qualities in their and others’ art.
Use visual observations to display understanding, and resolve decisions, about the form and content of an artwork.
Ask critical questions about artistic processes, challenges, ideas and materials.
Develop a comprehensive body of work, exhibiting experimentation and growth.
Demonstrate technical proficiency of media to display finished artwork.
Express complex original ideas through an independent approach to materials, media and process.
Articulate original concepts, ideas, and questions in visual, written and oral forms.
Acquire awareness of historical and contemporary considerations, from global to local communities, in relationship to their own work.
Professionally practice, produce, document, exhibit, promote, and develop original artwork.

Degree Requirements

See the “Degree Requirements ” in the University Catalog for complete details on general degree requirements.

General Education Requirements (48 units)

See the “General Education ” requirements in the University Catalog for information on General Education requirements. Some major requirements may double count for GE requirements.

Major Core Requirements: 47 Units

Lower Division Core: 27 units

Foundations Core (6 units)

ARTS 101 - Art Fundamentals Unit(s): 3
ARTS 102 - Fundamentals of Three Dimension Design Unit(s): 3

Art Studio Foundations (6 units)

Choose two of the following:

Photography BFA and Photomedia BA students required to take ArtS 105

ARTS 105 - Media Art Fundamentals Unit(s): 3
ARTS 202 - Beginning Drawing Unit(s): 3
ARTS 204 - Beginning Life Drawing Unit(s): 3 Meets Lower Division GE Area A3: Critical Thinking

Art History Foundations (6 units)

Choose two of the following:

Select ARTH 210 & 211, ARTH 160A & ARTH 160B, or ARTH 270A & ARTH 270B

ARTH 160A - Humanities Learning Community Unit(s): 4
ARTH 160B - Humanities Learning Community Unit(s): 4
ARTH 210 - Introduction to Art History Unit(s): 3
ARTH 211 - Introduction to Art History Unit(s): 3
ARTH 270A - Survey of Islamic Art Unit(s): 3
ARTH 270B - Survey of Asian Art Unit(s): 3-4

Lower Division Breadth (9 units)

Complete at least three lower-division studio courses from the following list. One of those courses should include the foundational course associated with your emphasis ARTS 210/12 (Photography) ARTS 220 (Painting) ART 229 (Ceramics) ARTS 236 (Sculpture) ARTS 245 (Printmaking)

Introduction (200) level courses are pre-requisites for the corresponding intermediate (300) and advanced (400) level courses.

ARTS 210 - Introduction to Digital Photography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 212 - Introduction to Analogue / Darkroom Photography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 220 - Beginning Painting Unit(s): 3
ARTS 229 - Beginning Ceramics Unit(s): 3
ARTS 236 - Beginning Sculpture Unit(s): 3
ARTS 245 - Beginning Printmaking Unit(s): 3
ARTS 298 - Selected Topics in Art Studio Unit(s): 1-4

Upper Division Core: 20 units

Upper Breadth/Auxiliary Outside Area of Emphasis (12 units)

ARTS 302 - Intermediate Drawing Unit(s): 3
ARTS 304 - Intermediate Life Drawing Unit(s): 3
ARTS 305 - Special Topics in Photography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 310 - Intermediate Digital Photography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 312 - Studio Lighting Unit(s): 3
ARTS 320 - Intermediate Painting Unit(s): 3
ARTS 329 - Intermediate Ceramics Unit(s): 3
ARTS 336 - Intermediate Sculpture Unit(s): 3
ARTS 340 - Intermediate Etching and Woodcut Unit(s): 3
ARTS 342 - Intermediate Lithography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 382 - Intermediate Monoprint Unit(s): 3
ARTS 402 - Advanced Drawing Unit(s): 3
ARTS 404 - Advanced Life Drawing Unit(s): 3
ARTS 420 - Advanced Painting Unit(s): 3
ARTS 429 - Advanced Ceramics Unit(s): 3
ARTS 430 - Large Scale Clay and Installation of Ceramic Sculpture Unit(s): 3
ARTS 435 - Bronze Foundry Unit(s): 3
ARTS 436 - Advanced Sculpture Unit(s): 3
ARTS 437 - COMMENCE: Sculpture Projects Unit(s): 3
ARTS 440 - Advanced Etching and Woodcut Unit(s): 3
ARTS 442 - Advanced Lithography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 457 - Advanced Photography Unit(s): 3
ARTS 458 - Advanced Media Arts Unit(s): 3
ARTS 482 - Advanced Monotype Unit(s): 3

Upper Division Art History (8 units)

Complete 2-3 courses to reach at least 8 units. Only one of ARTH 467, ARTH 468, ARTH 493, and ARTH 494 will meet this requirement.

ARTH 420 - Pre-Classical Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 422 - Greek Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 430 - Medieval Art In and Around the Mediterranean Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 432 - Medieval Art: Post-Millennial Issues Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 440 - 15th C. Italian Renaissance Art: Vision, Representation, Space Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 442 - The Self-Conscious Italian Renaissance Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 444 - Northern Renaissance Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 450 - Baroque: Object to Artwork Unit(s): 3
ARTH 452 - Art in the Age of Enlightenment Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 454 - Art and the Emergence of Modernity Unit(s): 3
ARTH 456 - The History and Theory of Photography Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 464 - Avant-Gardes of the Early 20th Century Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 465 - Modern Art from 1945 to 1979 Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 467 - Museum Collections Management Unit(s): 3
ARTH 468 - Curatorial Practice Unit(s): 3
ARTH 470A - Survey of Islamic Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 470B - Asian Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 480 - Selected Topics in Art History Unit(s): 1-4
ARTH 490 - Seminar in Visual Art and Culture Unit(s): 4
ARTH 493 - Museum and Gallery Management Unit(s): 3
ARTH 494 - Museum Theory and Practice Unit(s): 3
ARTH 424 - Roman Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTH 474 - Topics in Islamic Art Unit(s): 3-4

BFA Core Courses: 10 units

Complete all courses listed.

ARTH 466 - Contemporary Art Unit(s): 3-4
ARTS 465 - B.F.A. Seminar Unit(s): 1-4
ARTS 466 - BFA Portfolio Artists’ Practices Unit(s): 3
ARTS 491 - Visiting Artists’ Lecture Series Unit(s): 1

Areas of Emphasis: 21 units

In addition to the major core requirements, each B.F.A. student must complete one of the following 21-unit emphases requiring 9 units of 300-level courses, and 12 units of 400-level courses.

Units

Units in GE: 48

Units in Major Core: 47 (6 units also count for GE)

Units in Emphasis: 21

Units in BFA: 10

Total units required to graduate: 120

Program Roadmaps

Art Studio, BFA, Sample Four-Year Plan

Art Studio, BFA, Sample Two-Year Plan