B.A. Studio Art

The studio art degree emphasizes an observation based approach with an exposure to a broad range of art media. The foundation level courses are based on the fundamentals of drawing and design leading to more advanced courses that examine aesthetics, history, criticism and studio practice. Students are also encouraged to develop their abilities to clearly articulate visual concepts and ideas and critically examine their own art and the art of others. Advanced studio courses are offered in the disciplines of ceramics, photography, painting, sculpture and digital art.

Students wishing to pursue a BA in Studio Art or BA in Design Studies with a concentration in Graphic Design will submit a portfolio after completion of the freshman level foundation courses: Design Fundamentals (ART 1050) and Drawing (ART 1060). Upon successful completion of both courses and faculty review of the portfolio, students will be officially accepted into the major.

For Portfolio Review, students submit a portfolio of work that consists of selected projects from the freshman-level foundation courses. Faculty will evaluate the quality of the portfolio of work along with the student’s professional behavior (attendance, work ethic, ability to accept constructive criticism) and overall GPA. The program does not have a quota and can accept all students that meet the department’s standards. It is, however, unlikely that students will pass Portfolio Review if the student has below a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a grade of C- or below is received in either of the two foundational courses. Students must pass both courses to be eligible to apply for admission into the major. Students may retake the course and reapply at the end of that semester; however, students may not apply to the program more than twice.

To graduate with a B.A. in Studio Art or a B.A. in Design Studies with a concentration in Graphic Design, students must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher per the University’s requirements.

Opportunities for experiential learning in studio art

The art department within the School of Art and Design has many opportunities for experiential learning as well as studios, exhibition spaces and labs, including:

The annual art trip to NYC and Washington D.C. allowing students to tour world famous art galleries and meet with gallery directors
Study abroad opportunities in France and Italy
The HPU Sechrest Art Gallery houses a renowned permanent collection of 18th through 21st century American and European Art as well as rotating exhibitions of various contemporary artists
Frequent exhibitions of student work around campus
The Mac digital art lab with industry-leading hardware and equipment
A fully-equipped darkroom for photography
Fully-equipped 2-D and 3-D studios

Opportunities unique to studio art

Fully equipped Sculpture and Ceramics Studio
Faculty focus on a one-on-one approach to develop each student’s artistic and expressive abilities
Students exposed to a wide variety of artistic mediums, ranging from sculpture, painting, ceramics and digital art to digital and darkroom photography
A program committed to developing conceptual skills and technical know-how through creative and critical analysis of practical, historical and theoretical knowledge crucial to the understanding of art

What can I do with this major?

In the spirit of the liberal arts tradition, the Art major encourages students to supplement their Art degree with a minor or even another major in order to create a trajectory that meets their individual professional goals. Students frequently pursue supplemental course work in strategic communications, business, entrepreneurship and computer science. Past students have crafted the following career paths: