At which campus can I study this program?
Entrance Procedures
Incoming First Year Students
Incoming first year students must apply to Penn State. Students who are accepted to Art through the undergraduate admissions application will be admitted to the School of Visual Arts pre-major (AAART). Students will typically submit a portfolio for entrance to Art (B.F.A) at the end of their 3rd or 4th semester.
Change of Major/Change of Campus Students
Change of major/Change of Campus students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above and are required to submit a portfolio to enter the AAART pre-major. Portfolios to enter pre-major are submitted through Slideroom and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Portfolios should include 10-12 images of the applicant’s work and a statement (500-word max) to describe one of the artworks. Students will typically submit a portfolio for entrance to Art (B.F.A) at the end of their 3rd or 4th semester.
Transfer Students
Transfer students must apply for undergraduate admissions to Penn State. Undergraduate applications for admission to Penn State must be complete and submitted before uploading the required portfolio for entry to AAART pre-major. Portfolios are submitted through Slideroom and are reviewed on a rolling basis and should include 10-12 images of the applicant’s work and a statement (500-word max) to describe one of the artworks. Students will typically submit a portfolio for entrance to Art (B.F.A) at the end of their 3rd or 4th semester.
Degree Requirements
For the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art, a minimum of 123 credits is required:
Requirement | Credits |
---|---|
General Education | 45 |
Requirements for the Major | 84 |
6 of the 45 credits for General Education are included in the Requirements for the Major. This includes 6 credits of General Education GA courses.
General Education
Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.
The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.
Foundations (grade of C or better is required.)
- Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
- Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits
Knowledge Domains
- Arts (GA): 6 credits
- Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
- Humanities (GH): 6 credits
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
- Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits
Integrative Studies (may also complete a Knowledge Domain requirement)
- Inter-Domain or Approved Linked Courses: 6 credits
University Degree Requirements
First Year Engagement
All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.
Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.
First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.
Cultures Requirement
6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements
- United States Cultures: 3 credits
- International Cultures: 3 credits
Writing Across the Curriculum
3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.
Total Minimum Credits
A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.
Quality of Work
Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.
Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition
The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.
Requirements for the Major
To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Prescribed Courses | ||
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
ART 11 | First-Year Seminar- School of Visual Arts | 1 |
ART 110 | Ideas as Visual Images | 3 |
ART 111 | Ideas as Objects | 3 |
ART 122Y | Commentary on Art | 3 |
ARTH 111 | Ancient to Medieval Art ![]() | 3 |
ARTH 112 | Renaissance to Modern Art ![]() | 3 |
Additional Courses | ||
Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
Select 15 credits at the beginning level from the following: | 15 | |
ART 201 | ||
ART 203 | ||
Introduction to Digital Art and Design Criticism | ||
Figure Drawing | ||
Drawing: Techniques, Materials, and Tools | ||
Beginning Sculpture | ||
Beginning Printmaking | ||
Beginning Oil Painting | ||
Beginning Ceramics | ||
Independent Studies | ||
Special Topics | ||
Foreign Study--Art | ||
Introduction to Photography ![]() | ||
A Chronological Survey of Photography | ||
Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
Select 6 credits in art history | 6 | |
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
Select 47 credits in Art at the 300 or 400 level 1 | 47 |
1 | 24 of these 47 credits must be in an area of concentration from the following:
|
Learning Outcomes
- Achieve the conceptual and technical knowhow evident in a developed body of work that demonstrates personal commitment, aesthetic intent, and a clear notion of an artistic voice;
- Apply a level of competence in the pursuit of a professional career in art and cultural production;
- Be prepared for specialized graduate studies in visual arts and design;
- Participate in a comprehensive program of discourse of art theory and criticism, direct engagement with contemporary artists, and the ongoing production of exhibitions;
- Demonstrate a capacity to use and apply art skills, artistic knowledge and material thinking processes able to be applied to learning situations across disciplines.
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Angela Rothrock
School of Visual Arts Advising Coordinator
211 Patterson Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0444
arb184@psu.edu
Suggested Academic Plan
The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2020-21 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition (Note: the archive only contain suggested academic plans beginning with the 2018-19 edition of the Undergraduate Bulletin).
Art, B.F.A. at University Park Campus
The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.
First Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
ART 11* | 1 | ART 111* | 3 |
ART 110* | 3 | ART 122Y (W; US)* | 3 |
ARTH 111 (GA; IL)*† | 3 | ARTH 112 (GA)*† | 3 |
ENGL 15, 15A, or 30H‡ | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | ||
16 | 15 | ||
Second Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
CAS 100A, 100B, or 100C‡ | 3 | Additional Course, 200-level Studio (see list)*1 | 3 |
Additional Course, 200-level Studio (see list)*1 | 3 | Additional Course, 200-level Studio (see list)*1 | 3 |
Additional Course, 200-level Studio (see list)*1 | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
Supporting Course from Art History2 | 3 | Supporting Course from Art History2 | 3 |
15 | 15 | ||
Third Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
Additional Course, 200-level Studio (see list)*1 | 3 | General Education Course | 3 |
General Education Course | 3 | General Education Course (GHW) | 1.5 |
General Education Course (GHW) | 1.5 | Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 | Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 3 |
Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 | Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
15.5 | 15.5 | ||
Fourth Year | |||
Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
ENGL 202A, 202B, 202C, or 202D‡ | 3 | Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 | Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
Supporting Course for Concentration, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 | Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 | Supporting Course for Major, 300/400-level Studio*2 | 4 |
15 | 16 | ||
Total Credits 123 |
* | Course requires a grade of C or better for the major |
‡ | Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education |
# | Course is an Entrance to Major requirement |
† | Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement |
1 | ADDITIONAL COURSES (15 credits) |
2 | SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (53 credits) |
University Requirements and General Education Notes:
US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy University Requirements (United States and International Cultures).
W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.
GWS, GQ, GHW, GN, GA, GH, and GS are abbreviations used to identify General Education program courses. General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ) and Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS, and Integrative Studies). Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of ‘C’ or better.
Integrative Studies courses are required for the General Education program. N is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate an Inter-Domain course and Z is the suffix at the end of a course number used to designate a Linked course.
All incoming Schreyer Honors College first-year students at University Park will take ENGL 137H/CAS 137H in the fall semester and ENGL 138T/CAS 138T in the spring semester. These courses carry the GWS designation and replace both ENGL 30H and CAS 100. Each course is 3 credits.
Program notes:
Students enrolled in the School of Visual Arts may seek entrance into the B.F.A. program no earlier than the second semester and no later than the fourth semester.
There will be a continuous review of portfolio and performance of students enrolled in the B.F.A. program throughout the entire program. Students who do not meet the standards or who do not want to continue in the B.F.A. program may return to the B.A. program in art or choose another program of study.
Career Paths
An art major is a life-long learner who is forever curious and captivated by the personal journey of everyday life. As you hone your artistic dispositions with working techniques and practical studio skills you establish your own artistic vision and voice. We help you foster dialogue among peers about the place of art in society and how you participate and contribute to these changing debates. As you deepen your understanding of your own potential as an artist within a challenging and quickly evolving world you become equipped with the means necessary to embark upon a career in the visual arts.
Careers
An art major possesses very distinctive human attributes, which is a creative capacity to readily adapt to change, a resilient ability to make do with limited resources, and an inventive desire to seek alternative solutions in times of challenge. This independence is powered by a sense of intrinsic motivation and confidence that anything is possible. These creative capabilities are applied by artists in extraordinarily diverse professional activities, occupations, and careers. Although there are many BFA graduates who achieve professional success as artists in their area of specialty, most ‘creatives’ will use their artistic skills in innumerable ways their entire lives.
Opportunities for Graduate Studies
As a BFA graduate you have achieved a level of competence that grounds your creative and critical capabilities, which enables you to pursue a range of professional options in visual arts and related fields. As a creative artist with a distinctive practice and specialized expertise in art media of your choosing, you are informed and prepared to negotiate the different forms of professional participation in the art world that can be built around artist residencies, sustained studio practice, and gallery work. You will also have a body of work that will ensure you can prepare a competitive portfolio for application to graduate school.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES
Professional Resources
Contact
University Park
SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS
210 Patterson Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0444
arb184@psu.edu