Visual Arts (Studio Fine Arts Concentration), B.A.

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Requirements for the Major:

Students take at least twelve courses in the department, with four required for the core that must be one course from each of the 100 numbered courses in the following four areas: Drawing, Sculpture or Three-Dimensional Design, Photography, and Printmaking. Students also take two intermediate courses with 200 or 300 numbered courses, two advanced courses numbered 300 or 400, and two Art History courses. Students take two additional Studio courses chosen in consultation with a Visual Arts faculty advisor (most often the senior honors thesis sequence, or an independent study and a 1-term senior project that fulfills the WS requirement).

Senior Show Requirements

Most majors will do either a two-term senior honors project (AVA 498 - AVA 499 ) leading to a solo exhibition in the spring term, or a one-term independent senior studio project (with an optional exhibition). These comprise in-depth study in a studio discipline in the senior year. A senior honors project takes the form of a two-term independent study focusing on the student’s particular area of interest in the visual arts during consecutive terms (first term, 498, pass/fail; second term, 499, with an overall grade for both terms).

Requirements for Honors in Studio Fine Arts:

To qualify for departmental honors, a student must fulfill the following requirements: (1) cumulative grade point average of 3.3; (2) a grade point average of 3.3 in the Art History concentration; (3) successful completion of a two-term senior thesis (“A” or “A-minus”); (4) installation of the body of work from the thesis in the spring exhibition during senior year; and (5) documentation of the thesis must be left with the department’s collection and college archives. Having fulfilled the above, the student must then be nominated by the department for honors. Further guidelines for the senior thesis and departmental honors are available from the Art History faculty.

Course Selection Guidelines

Placement: Incoming first-year students with strong Studio background from high school who are interested in the Visual Arts-Studio Fine Arts courses should contact the department chair to arrange for a portfolio review placement beyond an introductory course should contact the department chair to arrange for a portfolio review. Under certain circumstances, students may place into courses beyond the 100-level.

100-level courses: These courses are introductions to the study of Studio Fine Arts, and cover specific disciplines. Some are cross-listed or approved for credit in other departments or interdisciplinary programs. These courses are suitable for first-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Many are pre-approval courses, and serve as the prerequisites for 200-level courses.

200-numbered courses: These courses are intermediate courses in a specific Studio discipline in Studio Fine Arts. They may be medium-specific or thematic. Most require prerequisites or permission of the instructor, and they may be cross-listed or approved for credit in other disciplines or interdisciplinary programs. These courses are suitable for first-year students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

300-numbered courses: These courses concentrate on specific disciplines at an advanced level. They typically have prerequisites drawn from the 100- and 200-level Studio Fine Arts courses or require permission of the instructor. These courses are generally suitable for sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

400-numbered courses: These courses are for Visual Arts majors in their junior and senior years. They involve advanced work in one or more media on a specific topic, theme, and body of work.

Internships, Independent Studies, and Thesis: These courses are generally reserved for advanced Visual Arts students, who must consult with the Studio faculty and arrange for academic sponsorship prior to registering for them.

Architecture Track:

The Visual Arts department can advise students who are interested in architecture as well as related fields of historic preservation, landscape architecture, and urban planning. While graduate schools in these areas don’t require a specific major, a thorough and strong Studio Art portfolio is essential and greatly enhanced by specific course work in engineering, art history, math, and science. Students interested should consult any of the Studio faculty or the department chair as early as possible for specific details.

Design Track:

The Visual Arts Department can advise students interested in Graphic, Industrial, and Digital Fabrication Design with a series of recommended courses. While graduate schools in these areas don’t require a specific major, a thorough and strong Studio Art portfolio is essential and greatly enhanced by specific coursework in our department in conjunction with other relevant departments. Those interested should consult any of the Studio faculty as early as possible for specific details.