BA Art

The BA in Art is designed for students who desire a studio education in the visual arts that incorporates substantial study in the liberal arts. Engaging students’ intellectual and creative capacities, the program integrates arts research with broad-based studio art training.

Degree Type

Undergraduate

Formats

In-Person

Availability

Full-Time

Location

On-Campus

Link to the bulletin

Course of Study

All students entering the BA in Art are required to take a 4-credit drawing course and a series of studio electives from the Foundation program to prepare them for the fundamentals of artmaking, in addition to foundational History of Art & Architecture courses and coursework chosen from across the university that fulfill requirements in the BU Hub.

In the Spring semester of the Sophomore year, BA students take the Research Topics seminar, a unique requirement of the BA program. Focusing on artistic research practices, the seminar trains students to apply multiple research methodologies from across disciplines to studio practice. Introducing students to the ways in which practicing artists use research and draw from other disciplines, the seminar prepares students to begin thinking through their own interdisciplinary capstone project. Seminar faculty help Sophomores to plan their coursework and to focus their creative and intellectual research for the remaining two years of the program.

The senior Capstone course is the culmination of the BA in Art.

In this course, students develop an independent project, developed in consultation with advising faculty, that combines creative work in the studio with research informed by their chosen area of study from other disciplines across the University.

The capstone project requires a written component, but can take forms as diverse as an exhibition of artworks, a publication, a curated series of live events, or a website, to name just a few.

The BA in Art degree offers a range of intermediary studio courses, allowing students to develop a broad understanding of the diversity of skills, tools, and modes of thinking found in the visual arts.

The BA in Art also requires substantial electives outside of the School of Visual Arts, allowing students to explore their interests beyond the Visual Arts and integrate other areas of study with their creative work, whether they be the Liberal Arts, Computer Science, or Business, among many others.

Facilities

Through electives, BA students have access to facilities across the School of Visual Arts, including: an undergraduate woodshop; black-and-white photography studios; a digital photography lab; printmaking facilities for etching, relief print, silkscreen, and lithography; a ceramics studio; and facilities for vinyl cutting and inkjet, laser, 3D, and Risograph printing.

The Visual Arts Resource Library is a non-circulating collection of books, exhibition catalogues, directories, magazines, and sound and video recordings available for SVA students and faculty. In addition to housing an over 6,000-volume reference collection, the library’s digital resources include Apple desktop computers fully loaded with the Adobe Creative Cloud and a large-format digital scanner. A collection of digital equipment, including digital still and video cameras, digital projectors, audio recording equipment, lighting kits, and more, are available for short terms loans to SVA students.

Students in the BA program may work with EPIC (Engineering Product Innovation Center), a pioneering facility at Boston University for fabrication that offers laser cutting, 3D printing, robotic manufacturing, and more.

The CFA Computer Lab includes Apple desktop computers loaded with the Adobe Creative Suite, copiers, and printers for student use.

Opportunities

The BA in Art can uniquely provide opportunities for students interested in interdisciplinary perspectives who wish to combine an interest in studio art with the myriad undergraduate offerings at Boston University.

It is generally expected that students pursuing the BA in Art will augment their study with a minor (or second major) in a program outside of the School of Visual Arts.

Students who wish to pursue the BA in Art as part of the Dual Degree Program are required to follow all University application procedures of the Dual Degree Program.

Students are given numerous opportunities to display work in Boston University galleries. Undergraduates are encouraged in their senior year to develop solo or two-person exhibitions in the student-run Gallery 5, in preparation for the annual Thesis Exhibition held in the university’s 808 Gallery.

BA students may study studio art, graphic design, art history, and the Italian language in the School’s study abroad program in Venice, Italy.

Program Faculty

Next Steps for Applicants

The best way to determine if BU is right for you is to visit us in person or remotely. Faculty members are available to meet with you and discuss your educational interests, individual learning needs, and career goals.

Explore our admission requirements, financial tools, and resources to determine if the program is the right match. Reach out to visuarts@bu.edu with any questions along the way.