Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (Studio Art)

Website: https://twu.edu/visual-arts/undergraduate-programs/studio-art/

Our undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art is a flexible program that will allow you to explore all areas of art offered by the division. Course offerings include introductory, intermediate, and advanced classes in practical art making, art theory, and art history. This interdisciplinary degree allows students to draw from multiple disciplines, while also focusing on a set of courses in one of three areas (3D Studies, Painting and Drawing, Photography) within Studio Art, learning traditional techniques, while also exploring new technologies and approaches to art making. This degree prepares students for careers in the arts and any other field where self-motivation, collaboration, verbal and visual articulation, and creativity are advantageous.

Marketable Skills

Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."

  1. Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  2. Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  3. Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  4. Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
  5. Fine Arts: Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
  6. Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  7. Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Admissions

All applicants must meet the general undergraduate admission requirements.

In addition, all students must submit a portfolio to SlideRoom consisting of a PDF that includes name, artist’s statement, and 10 high quality images of the applicant’s strongest artwork, each on its own page and captioned with title, media, dimensions, and date completed.

Degree Requirements

Total Semester Credit Hours (SCH): 120   

Major: 33 SCH

Program Code: ART.BFA.STUDIOART;  CIP Code: 50.0701.00

Texas Core Curriculum

ENG 1013Composition I3
ENG 1023Composition II3
Mathematics3
Life & Physical Sciences6
Language, Philosophy, & Culture3
Creative Arts3
HIST 1013History of the United States, 1492-18653
HIST 1023History of the United States, 1865 to the Present3
POLS 2013U.S. National Government3
POLS 2023Texas Government3
Social & Behavioral Sciences3
CAO: Women's Studies3
CAO: First Year Seminar, Wellness or Mathematics3
Total SCHs42

Course Required for Major

Students who have not taken a Global Perspectives course, will either need to take one in this section, or will need to add 3 SCH to the overall degree and take one in another department.
Art History Foundation (12 SCH)
ART 2423World Art History I3
ART 2433World Art History II3
ART 3053Global Perspectives in Art3
or ART 3343 Women in the Visual Arts
ART 3173Contemporary Issues in Art3
Studio Art Foundation (12 SCH)
ART 12032D Foundations3
ART 12133D Foundations3
ART 1303Drawing Foundations3
ART 2223Digital Art Foundations3
Introductory Electives - Choose 9 SCH9
Introduction to Painting
Introduction to Photography
Introduction to Sculpture
Introduction to Ceramics
Principles of Art Education
Animation
Total SCHs33

Intermediate and Advanced Studies

Focus Area15
Must choose one Focus area (15 SCH), where substitutions will be allowed with the consultation of faculty mentors of a given focus area.
3D Focus
Sculpture: Installation Art
Sculpture: Process and Possibilities
Ceramics: Functional
Ceramics: Sculptural
Interactive Digital Art
Painting & Drawing Focus
Figure Drawing
Intermediate Painting
Alternative Drawing
Advanced Painting I
Advanced Painting II
Photography Focus
Black and White Photography
Alternative Photographic Processes
Color Photography
Photographic Possibilities
Looking at the Landscape
Electives21
Up to 9 SCH can be at the ART 2000 level.
The remaining 12 SCH must be from ART 3000/4000 levels OR from the following MGT courses:
Entrepreneurship
Small Business Management
Total SCHs36

Capstone

ART 3393Professional Practices for Visual Arts3
ART 3903Professional Writing for Visual Arts3
ART 4993BFA Exhibition3
Total SCHs9

Recommended Plan of Study

First Year
FallTCCNSCHs
ART 12032D Foundations ARTS 13113
ART 1303Drawing Foundations ARTS 13163
ART 2423World Art History I ART 13033
ENG 1013Composition I ENGL 13013
UNIV 1231Learning Frameworks: The First Year Experience EDUC 1100, EDUC 1200, EDUC 13001
Wellness CAO Core2
 SCHs 15
SpringTCCN
ART 12133D Foundations ARTS 13123
ART 2433World Art History II ART 13043
ENG 1023Composition II ENGL 13023
Mathematics Core3
Social/Behavioral Science Core3
 SCHs 15
Second Year
FallTCCN
ART 2223Digital Art Foundations ARTS 23483
ART 3053
or 3343
Global Perspectives in Art
or Women in the Visual Arts
3
ART Introductory Electives6
HIST 1013History of the United States, 1492-1865 HIST 13013
 SCHs 15
SpringTCCN
ART Focus area courses6
ART Introductory Elective3
ART Elective3
HIST 1023History of the United States, 1865 to the Present HIST 13023
 SCHs 15
Third Year
FallTCCN
ART 3173Contemporary Issues in Art 3
ART 3903Professional Writing for Visual Arts 3
ART Focus area course3
POLS 2013U.S. National Government GOVT 23053
Life and Physical Science Core3
 SCHs 15
SpringTCCN
ART 3393Professional Practices for Visual Arts 3
ART Focus area course3
ART Elective3
POLS 2023Texas Government GOVT 23063
Life and Physical Science Core3
 SCHs 15
Fourth Year
FallTCCN
ART Focus area course3
ART Electives9
Component Area Option (Multicultural Women’s Studies)3
 SCHs 15
SpringTCCN
ART 4993BFA Exhibition 3
ART Electives6
Creative Arts Core3
Language, Philosophy, and Culture Core3
 SCHs 15
 Total SCHs:  120