Art (BFA) with concentration in: Studio Art

Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences
Degrees Offered: Bachelor of Arts in Art (Liberal Arts) and Art (Art History), Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art (Studio Art) and Art (Visual Communications)
Minors Offered: Art Studio and Art History

THE MAJOR

Degree programs in the visual arts are defined by, and were developed through, the following objectives:

1. To offer programs of concentrated study that are sensitive to the needs of students and relate to the overarching goals of the university.
2. To ensure well-organized, coherent programs that provide opportunities for synthesis and integration across courses within those programs.
3. To help students assimilate the knowledge delivered within the programs and develop the capacity to focus on methods of inquiry and analysis that will enable them to use that knowledge.
4. To encourage students to develop a critical perspective that will enable them to learn about and from the variety of views existing within their chosen field of study.
5. To guide students in the cultivation of liberal learning by helping them perceive and appreciate the connections among courses in their major and those in other disciplines.
6. To assure practical support and encouragement for students’ intellectual and creative growth and development by providing opportunities for interaction and dialogue in an environment conducive to learning.
7. To present students with a culturally diverse approach to art and to acknowledge biases that may be inherent within the discipline.
8. To prepare students for graduate study or employment opportunities within the field.
    

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the initial professional degree in art. The primary emphasis of the degree is to develop skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to the professional artist. Successful candidates for this degree must function as practitioners who exhibit both technical competence and a broad knowledge of art and art history, sensitivity to artistic style, and an insight into the role of art and design in the life of humankind. Evidence of these characteristics and potential for their continuing development is essential for the awarding of the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

DEPARTMENTAL HONORS IN ART: STUDIO ART

1. GPA: 3.50 or above both cumulative and in the major.
2. Approval of non-abstaining faculty.
3. Submit a letter of intent to the Department Office with the advisor’s signature two semesters before graduation.
4. Receive a grade of A on both the capstone paper and show.
5. Have a work selected for a juried exhibition or other competition (either the juried student show at Truman or a regional or national juried competition off-campus).

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: