Sep 16, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Bulletin

Art Major, Studio Concentration, B.F.A.


College of Liberal Arts  >> Art and Design  

78 hours; 2.0 major GPA required

The Studio concentration immerses students in the creation and understanding of artworks. Students can choose to concentrate in ceramics, drawing, jewelry, painting, printmaking, sculpture, or woodworking. Each area focuses on teaching critical thinking skills, crafting tangible objects (both functional and non-functional), and offers concrete skills in professional practice. The curriculum also allows for cross-disciplinary exploration and collaborative work, which ultimately make students better artists and visual communicators.

BFA Degree


The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree with a major in Art allows students to explore a depth of artistic endeavors as well as a breadth of art historical and theoretical approaches to the discipline. As a professional degree, students can investigate visual and aesthetic discourse in both their own artistic practice as well as in the context of history and contemporary culture. The BFA is comprised of 65% of the total degree in studio courses, art history and supportive courses in art and design. Students choose to focus in one of several media concentrations including graphic design, illustration, interactive media design, photography, and studio art. With the combination of a rigorous curriculum, personal contact with faculty and visiting artists, faculty committed to both teaching and their own creative scholarship, outstanding facilities, and a supportive campus community, USI’s BFA program embraces diverse artistic perspectives that enhance the students’ knowledge, practice, and vision.

Students interested in completing the Art major with either a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree instead of a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) should refer to the list of programs on the Art and Design  page of the bulletin.

Art Major, Art & Design Foundations (18 hours)


All Art majors (BA, BS, and BFA) in all concentrations take the foundation program to give them a general understanding of all the varied media and disciplines.

Art Major (BFA), Studio Concentration, Required Courses (27 hours)


Art Major (BFA), Studio Concentration, Electives (33 hours)


Select 33 hours of coursework from ART, ARTD, and ARTP Electives that align with your interests (see approved list below). To ensure that 36 hours of the 78 hour major are upper-level, between 12 and 18 hours must be upper-level.

  • If both 2D courses selected are lower-level, complete at least 18 hours of upper-level electives.
  • If only one 2D course selected is upper-level, complete at least 15 hours of upper-level electives.
  • If both 2D courses selected are upper-level, complete at least 12 hours of upper-level electives.

Art Major (BFA), Electives