Visual Arts

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243 Arts and Administration Building
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The Department of Visual Arts provides an intellectual and creative environment where students reach their potential as emerging artists and art historians. Our program cultivates in each student a considered and articulated understanding of the visual arts within the context of history and contemporary culture. We provide a broad foundation of experiences that embrace traditional practices, as well as current approaches to the study of art. Students graduate socially engaged, aesthetically conversant and devoted to a life in the visual arts.
Art Programs
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Visual Arts
Concentrations: Drawing; Painting; Printmaking; Graphic Design; Digital Media; Sculpture; Photography; Art History; and Fabric Design
The 42-credit liberal arts Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts provides a strong studio art and art history foundation. Then, students select a 15-credit concentration for the degree from the following topics: Drawing; Painting; Fabric Design; Printmaking; Graphic Design; Digital Media; Sculpture; Photography or Art History. The BA is well suited for students who wish to pursue another major – like Psychology, Theater, Media and Journalism, for example.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Visual Arts
Concentrations: Drawing; Painting; Fabric Design; Printmaking; Graphic Design; Sculpture; Photography; Art History
The 75-credit professional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts provides a rigorous multi-disciplinary studio art, and art history foundation. Then, students select an 18-credit concentration for the degree from the following topics: Drawing; Painting; Fabric Design; Printmaking; Graphic Design; Sculpture; Photograph; or Art History. All Visual Arts BFA students also take coursework in digital art and graphic design electives. This degree is the highest-level undergraduate credentialing in Visual Arts.
Visual Arts – Minor
The 18-credit Minor in Visual Arts offers students the opportunity to study Visual Arts with a core of studio art and art history foundation courses and 9 credits from any Visual Arts courses in studio art, art history and/or graphic design.
The Classroom and Studio Experience
Over 95% of studio classes are in person at all Commonwealth University campuses. For Graphic Design, most courses are in person, with a few exceptions that will be taught online to all campuses synchronously. Art History courses are approximately 50% in person and 50% online with other Commonwealth University campuses.
During their third year, all visual arts students take a professional development Junior Seminar studio course online with their fellow juniors across the Commonwealth University triad (Studio Theory and Practice for Studio and Art History concentration students and Design Theory and Practice for Graphic Design concentration students). This offers Visual Arts juniors the opportunity to collaborate with and get to know their peers within our global Visual Arts department.