Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design

A student painting outside of the painting studio.

Overview

Our intensive, four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, leads to a professional degree and career opportunities in art and design media. Students enrolled in the BFA program must develop the knowledge, skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to the professional life of an artist and designer. The student must exhibit technical competencies, broad knowledge of art/design, the ability to integrate art/design knowledge and skills, and an insight into the role of art/design in intellectual and cultural life. Primarily emphasizing the development of skills, concepts, and sensitivities essential to the professional artist or designer, students will be taught to be productive artists or professional designers.

This program is offered to and intended for students who will later pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree, be a professional artist or designer, and/or teach studio arts within a selected specialization. The BFA degree program is demanding, requiring high-quality performance to develop professional competencies, and students choose from specialties in 3D studies, art education, drawing, painting, photography, multimedia arts, or visual communication design.

Career Pathways

A Bachelor of Fine Arts best prepares students for a career in the fine arts, photography, multimedia arts, and/or professional design field. The most distinct aspect in BFA is to provide an in-depth and specialized art and design education as well as the focused preparation for the master’s degree in art or design.

Illustrator Graphic designer Painter
Artist-in-Residence Photographer 3D artist
Museum Publications Director Art Appraiser Computer animator
Cartoonist Art Critic Assistant Curator
Art teacher Exhibition designer Project manager
Community Arts Center Director Mural Artist Reporter
Multimedia Artist Creative Director Editorial Designer
UX/UI designer Typographer Motion designer
Filmmaker Video artist/editor Journalist
Visual Merchandiser Printmaker