Visual Art, B.F.A.
The School of Art and Design offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art with areas of emphasis in ceramics, fibers, graphic design, painting, photography, print-making, sculpture, and studio art. The B.F.A. is a pre-professional degree that prepares students to be studio artists, graphic designers, and dynamic creatives. Major requirements include a core of art foundations, history, and capstone, complemented by eleven studio courses.
Admissions Requirements
Prospective students who wish to apply for admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts program in Visual Art must meet the general admission requirements for Marshall University.
Graduation Requirements
Candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (B.F.A.) with the major in visual art are required to complete seventy-three (73) hours of credit in art courses. Majors must also satisfy the following requirements:
- After completing the required six foundation courses (ART 101 Visual Culture and Research and ART 214 Foundations: Grid/Chroma, ART 215 Foundations: Form/Space, ART 217 Foundations: Record/Layer, ART 218 Foundations: Surface/Matrix, ART 219 Foundations: Frame/Time), students pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts are required to present a portfolio of work for review by the Art and Design faculty. To do so, B.F.A. students must register for ART 298 Foundations Review: BFA before completing 21 credit hours in studio art courses. Successful completion of ART 298 Foundations Review: BFA, is required and is a prerequisite for program advancement. Students who do not receive a passing grade of C in the Foundations Review and are within the studio art credit hour range listed above may apply for reconsideration.
- Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program must complete all work in the major with a minimum grade of C. A student who receives a D or F in an art course counted toward graduation must repeat it and earn at least a C before graduation or before using that course as a prerequisite for another required course.
- Thirty-nine (39) credit hours must be earned in courses numbered 300-499.
- No course in the major requirements for graduation may be taken Credit/Non-Credit unless the course is so specified.
- A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for the degree.
- A successful exhibition of creative work must be presented by all students during the senior year as a requirement for graduation. To do so,
- B.F.A. students in all areas of emphasis except Graphic Design must register for ART 497 Capstone Studio, and ART 498 Senior Capstone Exhibition BFA.
- Students in the Graphic Design emphasis area must register for ART 489 Graphic Design Portfolio; ART 490 Apprenticeship; and ART 498 Senior Capstone Exhibition BFA.
- B.F.A. students in all areas of emphasis must register for ART 498 Senior Capstone Exhibition BFA (Capstone Exhibition)
Course Requirements
The Core Curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking skills and introduce students to basic domains of thinking that transcend disciplines. The Core applies to all majors. Information on specific classes in the Core can be found at https://www.marshall.edu/gened/.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | ||
| Core I: Critical Thinking | ||
| FYS 100 | First Yr Sem Critical Thinking | 3 |
| MTH 121 | Concepts and Applications (CT) | 3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Core II | ||
| ENG 101 | Beginning Composition | 3 |
| ENG 201 | Advanced Composition | 3 |
| CMM 103 | Fund Speech-Communication | 3 |
| MTH 121 | Concepts and Applications (CT) | 3 |
| Core II Fine Arts | 3 | |
| Core II Humanities | 3 | |
| Core II Social Science | 3 | |
| Core II Natural/Physical Science | 4 | |
| Art Major | ||
| Foundation Courses | ||
| ART 101 | Visual Culture and Research | 3 |
| ART 214 | Foundations: Grid/Chroma | 3 |
| ART 215 | Foundations: Form/Space | 3 |
| ART 217 | Foundations: Record/Layer | 3 |
| ART 218 | Foundations: Surface/Matrix | 3 |
| ART 219 | Foundations: Frame/Time | 3 |
| Portfolio Presentation | ||
| ART 298 | Foundations Review: BFA | 1 |
| Total Credit Hours | 53 | |
Visual Art, BFA
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art Core | ||
| ART 201 | History of Art I (CT) | 3 |
| ART 202 | History of Art II (CT) | 3 |
| ART 389 | 20th Century Art | 3 |
| or ART 464 | History of Modern Design | |
| ART 390 | Professional Practice | 3 |
| ART 497 | Capstone Studio | 3 |
| ART 498 | Senior Capstone Exhibition BFA | 3 |
| Art history elective | 3 | |
| Electives | 12 | |
300/400 Level Courses outside the Area of Emphasis | ||
| Areas of Emphasis in Visual Art | ||
| Students will complete 21 credit hours in a studio area of emphasis. 1 | 21 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 54 | |