The BFA in Studio, General Fine Arts
The BFA in Studio with a concentration in General Fine Arts is the professional track for students who plan to practice as artists. It pairs a wide range of studio experience with one-on-one mentoring from faculty artists.
Its stated proficiencies are creative and critical thinking, visual literacy, preparing a body of work for exhibition, and the artist as maker and interdisciplinary practitioner.
The BFA totals 128 credits, with 76 in the major, 36 to 44 in the university core and 8 to 16 in electives. Students who want a broader liberal arts degree built to pair with a second major can choose the B.A. in Studio Art.
What Fine Arts Students Study
Fine arts coursework includes:
- Fundamentals of Design (ART 1050). Covers the principles and elements of design through two- and three-dimensional projects and color theory.
- Drawing (ART 1060). Builds observational drawing skills in charcoal, pencil, conte crayon and wet media, with attention to structure and composition.
- Art History Survey (ART 2000). Traces painting, sculpture and architecture from prehistory to the mid-20th century through religion, politics and culture.
- Painting I (ART 2160). Introduces oil painting, from blocking in and mixing color to color schemes, composition and a personal voice.
- Three-Dimensional Design (ART 2350). Explores volume, mass, space and texture through hands-on construction projects, group critique and a sketchbook practice.
- Sculpture I (ART 3090). Studies form through additive, subtractive and ephemeral methods in paper, stone and found objects.
- Contemporary Concepts in Art (ART 3860). Examines art since the 1960s, from new mediums and popular culture to non-Western influences and social concerns.
- Intermedia Studio (ART 4040). Students work across image making, objects, performance, installation, print and video to test the boundaries of their practice.
Students also work across ceramics, digital art, museum studies, photography and printmaking in fully equipped 2-D and 3-D studios, a darkroom and a Mac digital art lab, with an average student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.
Read full course descriptions in the HPU Undergraduate Bulletin.
The Sechrest Art Gallery and Visiting Artists
The Sechrest Art Gallery holds a permanent collection of 18th through 21st century American and European art alongside rotating contemporary exhibitions, and student work is shown frequently around campus. Recent visiting artists include painter Monique Rollins and potter Ben Owen III, whose work is held by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Smithsonian.
Students travel to New York and Washington, D.C. each year to tour galleries and meet gallery directors, can study abroad in Italy, and can join the Creative Arts Fellows Program, a four-year cohort with a dedicated director.
Studio Work in Practice
HPU studio art students carry their studio work into graduate study and careers. Madeline Murray built a professional portfolio and a distinct painting style, then continued to Hofstra University for creative arts therapy counseling. Emily Judson, advised by Professor Mark Brown, continued to the University of Leicester for museum and gallery studies.
Casey Garr balanced long labs and long studios as a biology and studio art double major and continued to biomedical visualization at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
At the 14th annual High-PURCS symposium in April 2026, more than 410 undergraduates delivered 260 presentations across 40 disciplines, and the Council on Undergraduate Research recognized HPU with its 2025 Campus-Wide Award.
The Princeton Review gives High Point University a 95 out of 99 rating for professor accessibility, based on its student surveys.
How HPU Studio Art Students Describe the Coursework
General Fine Arts students and graduates describe the classes and mentors behind their work.
Lauren Henkel Engler
Studio Art and Theatre major · Lead Scenic Painter, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
“In conjunction with HPU’s scenic painting professor, Matthew Emerson, the art department gave me the skills and confidence in my abilities to seek out scenic painting opportunities.”
Gina Figliozzi
Studio Art major · Digital Comics Intern, Marvel Entertainment
“His advice and creativeness has really impacted me in applying to Marvel and taking on new projects with confidence.”
Madeline Murray
Studio Art major · Creative Arts Therapy Counseling graduate program, Hofstra University
“My art classes helped me develop a professional portfolio and a distinct style of painting, and my psychology classes helped me confirm that I want to be a therapist.”
General Fine Arts in the News
Benita VanWinkle
Research and Innovation: October 2025
Benita VanWinkle, an associate professor of art, completed her first book, “America’s Hometown Movie Theaters: Please Remain Standing,” …
Renowned Artist Monique Rollins Encourages HPU Students During Campus Visit
With colorful, abstract paintings on display in art galleries and museums across the globe, Rollins spoke to a class of Painting I and Painting II students about her experiences as a working artist.
Explore the General Fine Arts BFA at High Point University
See how HPU general fine arts ranks and where its graduates go next.
Accreditation & Awards Careers & Student Organizations
Questions about the program? Email Mark Brown, chair of the Department of Art and Graphic Design, at [email protected].