Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 General/Graduate Catalog - Expires August 2028 
    
2022-2023 General/Graduate Catalog - Expires August 2028 [Archived Catalog]

Art (BFA) with concentration in: Studio Art


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Affiliation: School of Arts & Letters
 

THE MAJOR

The objectives of the degree programs in the visual arts are defined by and were developed to:

  1. Offer programs of concentrated study that are sensitive to the needs of students and relate to the overarching goals of the University.
  2. Ensure well-organized, coherent programs that provide opportunities for synthesis and integration across courses within those programs.
  3. Help students assimilate the knowledge delivered within the programs and develop the capacity to focus on methods of inquiry and analysis that enables them to use that knowledge.
  4. Encourage students to develop a critical perspective that enables them to learn about and from the variety of views existing within their chosen field of study.
  5. 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. 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. Present students with a culturally diverse approach to art and to acknowledge biases that may be inherent within the discipline.
  8. Prepare students for graduate study or employment opportunities within the field.
     

B.F.A. in Studio Art
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. 

ART STUDIO COMMUNICATION

In addition, all Art majors will significantly develop their skills as speakers and writers within their major courses. All majors are required to take Art History courses which develop a wide range of skills involved in research and writing and writing about research, and at least one of these courses is required to be a Writing-Enhanced (WE) course. Writing also occurs in many different forms throughout the curriculum including informal, creative, and professional modes – and via other Writing-Enhanced (WE) opportunities. All Art majors also engage in a wide range of oral communication activities including regular class critiques in studio contexts and formal class presentations in both studio and lecture courses.

DEPARTMENTAL HONORS IN ART: STUDIO ART

  1. GPA: 3.50 or above cumulative.
  2. GPA: 3.50 or above in the major.
  3. Receive an “A” in Senior Capstone Experience/Studio.
  4. Provide documentation to Honors Committee Chair of acceptance in an exhibition. 

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS: 

Special Requirements for the B.F.A. in Studio Art Degree


BFA and BA candidates in art must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 in their major courses. Individual instruction courses are applied for through a written contract between the instructor, the advisor, and the student. Forms are available in the Office of the School of Arts & Letters or the Department Chair’s office. Consent of the instructor and the advisor are required. Independent study courses may not be substituted for existing courses. Transfer students who have satisfactorily completed studio art courses at another institution may, with a portfolio approved by the art faculty, be exempted from the studio prerequisites for some of the advanced studio courses.

The following required courses may not be transferred into the Studio Art program or substituted:

Dialogues Requirements: 42-61 Credits


Missouri Statute (1-4 credits)


Bachelor of Fine Arts Requirement: 0-8 Credits


  • Intermediate proficiency in ONE foreign language

       (see Liberal Studies section for details)  

MAJOR REQUIREMENTS: 60 Credits


Art Foundations: 12 Credits


Art History: 12 Credits


  • ART 326 - Contemporary Art  Credit(s): 3
  • Nine (9) more credits of Art History, three (3) or more must be taken at the 300 level or above.

Students may choose either one of the six Studio Specialty options or they may pursue an Inter-Specialty course of study.

Studio Specialty Option: 36 Credits


Select one of the following Specialties:

Support and Art Electives: 14 Credits


AND:

  • 2-D/3-D Studio Electives*: 6 Credit(s)
  • Free Studio Electives: 3 Credit(s)

*Students with a Specialty in a 3-D studio area must take six (6) credits of 2-D studio electives, and conversely students with a Specialty in a 2-D studio area must take six (6) credits of 3-D studio electives.

Inter-Specialty Option: 36 Credits


Inter-specialty combines coursework from two or more studio specialties (Ceramics, Fibers, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture and Photography).

Breadth: 9 Credits


Choose three (3) classes from this list, at least one of which must be from a 3-D studio area.

Specialty: 16 Credits


Support and Art Electives: 11 Credits


(Replaces 14 credit Support and Art Electives required for single specialty tracks.)

Electives to Total: 124 Credits


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