Bachelor of Fine Arts
The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), a professional degree, is awarded to those persons who have satisfactorily completed the required 129–131 semester credit hours of study and made the expected commitment to the vocation of art. This degree program requires an amount of self-education, based on a sound foundation of studio experience. Students in the B.F.A. curriculum may participate in a wide range of studio class work, including drawing, design, painting, printmaking, ceramics, graphic design, intermedia and sculpture, as well as a program of art history. Teacher certification in art, pre-K–adult, may be earned with any area of studio emphasis in the B.F.A. program. Through careful counseling, individual goals are established in keeping with the student’s aims and talents. Six hours of additional art history can also be completed to receive a minor in art history with the B.F.A. or B.F.A. with certification option.
The Division of Art is committed to providing the opportunity and the environment for the best possible education in the visual arts, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The Division’s program of professional education is centered in the studio arts and reinforced with art history and liberal studies. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the broad range of educational possibilities available at the University and to enroll in courses that support their professional goals and enrich their knowledge.
Curriculum Requirements
Once accepted into the University and the art program, following a review of the applicant’s portfolio, the B.F.A. candidate must complete all curriculum requirements in order to graduate. The B.F.A. curriculum includes required and elective art courses, art history courses, and University-established academic (GEC) requirements. During the first two years, the art student must complete a specific sequence of courses in art history, art orientation, drawing, and visual foundations for a total of nineteen credit hours. Art electives, available in all major studio areas, are designed to assist the student in selecting a major by the beginning of the third (junior) year. The student must complete twelve credit hours of these studio electives and six credit hours of advanced figure drawing to complete the lower-division requirements of the art program (a total of thirty-seven hours within the Division of Art and Design).
BFA in Visual Arts Checklist (PDF)Proposed course of study (PDF)
B.F.A. Degree Minimum Credit-Hour Requirements
| Studio | 72 hours |
| Art Orientation | 1 |
| Art History (200/300 level) | 6 |
| GEC requirement | 41–43 |
| Open Electives | 9 |
| Total 129–131 |
In order to complete the B.F.A. degree program in four years, a student must take fifteen to eighteen credit hours per semester, or thirty-two to thirty-six credits per year. Thirty credit hours are required in the studio major area: six hours of 200-level courses and twenty-four hours of 300-level and 400-level courses. Additional information is available from the coordinators of the various areas, or the divisional academic advisor. To enter the upper-division major area studio courses, the student must complete the four-semester lower-division program, including at least two semesters (six semester credit hours) of introductory work from the area of intended major.
Lower Division
The two-year, lower-division required sequence of courses in drawing, visual foundations, art orientation, art history, and introductory studio prepares the student for advanced study. Idea development, technical ability, and communication skills are taught with equal emphasis, by involving the student in a wide range of problems. The first year of lower-division instruction offers a broad experience in drawing, design, and art history. Emphasis is on basic skills concepts and the development of a common vocabulary with which student objectives can be clearly defined. In the second year, students have the option of selecting introductory courses from three of the six major studio areas which are most suited to their particular interests. Figure drawing and advanced drawing are also required in the second year. Lower-division art requirements are as follows:
| ART 111 Drawing | 3 hours |
| ART 112 Drawing | 3 |
| ART 199 Art Orientation | 1 |
| ART 121 Visual Foundation | 3 |
| ART 122 Visual Foundation | 3 |
| ARHS 120 Survey of Art 1 | 3 |
| ARHS 160 Survey of Art 2 | 3 |
| ART 211 Figure Drawing | 3 |
| ART 212 Advanced Drawing | 3 |
| Studio Introductory 200-level courses | 12 |
| Total 37 |
Upper Division
The third year of study marks the entry into the upper division. The student begins to concentrate in one area of major studio concern, and to direct and apply the basic skills acquired during the first two years of art instruction. Major areas offered by the Division of Art and Design are ceramics, painting, printmaking, graphic design, sculpture, and intermedia.
During the third and fourth years, the studio major accounts for a minimum of twenty-four semester credit hours, or almost half the credit earned. The remaining credit hours are taken in art history, art electives, and liberal arts. Upper-division art requirements are:
| ART 300/400 Studio Major | 24 hours |
| ART 200/300 Art Electives | 18 |
| ARHS 200/300/400 Art History | 6 |
| Total 48 |
B.F.A. General Education and Open Elective Requirements
These requirements are defined by WVU. The undergraduate art student must successfully complete a minimum of thirty-nine semester credit hours of GEC to qualify for graduation. To satisfy these requirements, the following distribution of GEC credits must be achieved.
| ENGL 101 and 102 | 6 hours |
| MATH | 3 |
| GEC requirements | 26–27 |
| Open electives | 9 |
| Total 44-45 |