Visual Arts BFA Foundation Requirements
All Bachelor of Fine Arts programs—Art Education, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture—begin with foundation courses in the first year. These courses provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their chosen major, which students declare during their sophomore year.
Requirements
All first-year, first-time students will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, a general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements are flexible and can be satisfied in many different ways, through coursework in and beyond the major and, in some cases, through cocurricular activities. As part of the Visual Arts BFA Foundation course of study, students majoring in Art Education, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture will begin to fulfill BU Hub requirements. Some of these requirements will be fulfilled through the foundation courses themselves, and some through first-year writing courses. Remaining BU Hub requirements will be satisfied in the second, third, and fourth year through coursework within and outside the major or, in some cases, through cocurricular experiences.
First-Year Course of Study for All BFA Majors
| CFA AR 131 and 132 Drawing I (fall and spring semesters) | 8 cr |
| CFA AR 141 Foundation Painting (fall or spring semester) | 4 cr |
| CFA AR 121 Foundation Sculpture (fall or spring semester) | 4 cr |
| CAS AH 111, 112 Art History (fall and spring semesters) | 8 cr |
| First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 120) (fall semester) | 4 cr |
| Writing, Research & Inquiry (e.g., WR 150/151/152) (spring semester) | 4 cr |
| CFA FA 100 Doing, Making & Knowing: The CFA Experience (fall semester) | 2 cr |
Requirements for Entering Major Areas
To enter into a major, students must have completed foundation requirements.
A student who has received a grade of D and is therefore disqualified from entering any major area may submit a portfolio of work to a committee composed of the faculty member who gave the grade of D and the faculty teaching in the major area, with a petition that the admission requirements for entrance to the major area be waived. The requirement for admission may be waived at the director’s discretion in consultation with the faculty committee.
To be permitted to move from the junior to the senior year, a student must receive a grade of C or higher in their major subject.
BFA/MA in Art Education Program
Undergraduate students who wish to major in Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, or Sculpture, and would also like to obtain state licensure to teach art in the public schools, can combine an undergraduate studio art major (BFA) with a Master of Arts (MA) in Art Education with Initial License. This program includes all licensure requirements.
Refer to the program page for full details.
