Units required for Major: 75
Total units required for BFA: 120
Program Description
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art is a four-year program that prepares students for successful careers as artists. It is the professional degree for an artist and provides the foundation for the master's program in studio art. While the B.F.A. program provides students with a broad overview of the fine art areas of ceramics, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, interdisciplinary and new media art, it is designed to develop in-depth skills in one of these areas of the visual arts. The studio curriculum in the program emphasizes technical mastery, individuality, creative experimentation and prepares students for a variety of post-graduate pursuits. The curriculum also provides a thorough grounding in visual art thinking, contemporary art history and critical theory. The degree is designed for undergraduate students who want to combine intensive and innovative studio art practice with an outstanding education in the liberal arts.
Minimum Grade Requirements
A minimum grade of "C" is required in all lower division courses and upper division non-studio courses applied to the Studio Art program.
A minimum grade of "B" is required in all upper division studio courses.
Additional Requirements
Participation in an exhibition of BFA candidates is required for completion of the degree.
Note: Whenever possible, classes should be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. It is recommended that students complete all of the lower division requirements before enrolling in upper division courses. Prerequisites for some courses may be waived on the advisement of an Art instructor and a portfolio review. ART 192A Senior Seminar in Studio Art (3 units) is a required course, taken in the final semester of the Senior year and concurrently with ART 194, BFA Senior Project.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division Core Requirements (33 Units) | ||
| ART 1C | Global Modern and Contemporary Art 1 | 3 |
| ART 20A | Beginning Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ART 20B | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| ART 60 | Two-Dimensional Composition | 3 |
| ART 70 | Form, Space Vision 1 | 3 |
| ART 97 | Beginning New Media Art | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art, Religions, and Power before 1400 1 | ||
| Art, Empires, and Cross-Cultural Exchange, 1400-1800 1 | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| History of Islamic Art 1 | ||
| Traditional Asian Art 1 | ||
| Modern and Contemporary Asian Art 1 | ||
| European Visual Traditions | ||
| Art of the Americas 1 | ||
| 2-D Studio Group | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Beginning Painting | ||
| Beginning Watercolor | ||
| Beginning Printmaking | ||
| Darkroom Photography | ||
| 3-D Studio Group | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Beginning Ceramics | ||
| Beginning Hand-Built Ceramics | ||
| Beginning Sculpture | ||
| Lower Division Studio Elective Group 2 | ||
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Beginning Painting | ||
| Beginning Watercolor | ||
| Beginning Printmaking | ||
| Beginning Ceramics | ||
| Beginning Hand-Built Ceramics | ||
| Beginning Sculpture 1 | ||
| Darkroom Photography | ||
| Upper Division Core Requirements (42 Units) | ||
| Select all of the following: | 12 | |
| BFA Junior Studio | ||
| Special Topics in Art Studio | ||
| Senior Seminar in Studio Art | ||
| BFA Senior Project | ||
| Social Practice Requirement | ||
| Choose one of the following: 3 | 3 | |
| Public Art in the Americas | ||
| Barrio Art for Ethnic Groups | ||
| Social Practice: Story & Play | ||
| Public Art Processes | ||
| Public Art Studio | ||
| Fieldwork | ||
| Social Practice in Animation | ||
| Studio Course Group 4 | ||
| Choose five from the following: | 15 | |
| Drawing Group | ||
| Advanced Drawing | ||
| Advanced Painting and Drawing, Experimental Studies | ||
| Figure Drawing | ||
| Life Studio | ||
| Collage and Assemblage | ||
| Painting/Drawing Studio | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| Painting Group | ||
| Intermediate Painting | ||
| Advanced Painting | ||
| Advanced Painting and Drawing, Experimental Studies | ||
| Intermediate Watercolor | ||
| Advanced Watercolor | ||
| Life Painting | ||
| Life Studio | ||
| Painting and Drawing in the Field | ||
| Collage and Assemblage | ||
| Painting/Drawing Studio | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| Printmaking Group | ||
| Collage and Assemblage | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking | ||
| Digital Printmaking | ||
| Advanced Printmaking Studio | ||
| Graphics/Printmaking Studio | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| Sculpture Group | ||
| Collage and Assemblage | ||
| NewMedia: 3D Computer Modeling | ||
| Public Art Processes | ||
| Public Art Studio | ||
| Figure Sculpture | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture | ||
| Advanced Sculpture | ||
| Installation and Performance Art | ||
| Sculpture Studio | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| Ceramics Group | ||
| Advanced Ceramics | ||
| Hand-Built Ceramic Techniques | ||
| Ceramics Studio | ||
| Figure Sculpture | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| New Media Art and Animation Group | ||
| New Media: Sampling and Remix | ||
| NewMedia: 3D Computer Modeling | ||
| New Media: 3D Character Animation | ||
| New Media: 3D Scene Animation | ||
| Digital Printmaking | ||
| New Media: Creative Coding | ||
| Video Art | ||
| Alternative Photographic Processes | ||
| Installation and Performance Art | ||
| New Media: 2D Character Animation | ||
| New Media: 2D Expanded Animation | ||
| New Media: Physical Computing | ||
| Special Problems 5 | ||
| Interdisciplinary/Integrated Media (or Inter-media) Group | ||
With prior approval from two advisors, students may develop their own group | ||
| Studio Elective Requirement | ||
| Select two courses from any upper division or lower division studio group or any of the following: | 6 | |
| Art and the Artist in the Marketplace | ||
| Theories in Art Education | ||
| Art Education for Children | ||
| Interdisciplinary Art | ||
| Overview of Secondary Art Education | ||
| Art for Exceptional Children | ||
| Barrio Art for Ethnic Groups | ||
| Curatorial Projects | ||
| Introduction to Curatorial Studies | ||
| Fieldwork | ||
| Art History Requirement | ||
| Select two upper division art history courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Modern and Contemporary Native American Art | ||
| Photography, Inception to Mid-Century | ||
| Themes in World Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Art of the Ancient Mediterranean | ||
| Art of the Multicultural Medieval World | ||
| Renaissance Art in Europe and Beyond | ||
| Global Baroque Art: Power and Persuasion | ||
| 19th Century Art | ||
| Modern Art | ||
| US and Caribbean Art: Race and Representation | ||
| Latin American and Latino Art History 1 | ||
| Contemporary Art | ||
| Asian Art in Pop Culture, New Media, and Video Games | ||
| Topics in Early Modern Art | ||
| Topics in Asian Art | ||
| Topics in Modern and Contemporary Art | ||
| Art of India and Southeast Asia 1 | ||
| Art of China and Japan 1 | ||
| Art of Korea | ||
| California Architecture and Urban History | ||
| Public Art in the Americas | ||
| Mexican Art Beyond Borders | ||
| African American Art and Visual Culture | ||
| Global Animation History | ||
| Film as an Art Form | ||
| Total Units | 75 | |
- 1
Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
- 2
Selected course may not satisfy multiple major requirements. Courses in lower division cannot be repeated for credit towards the major.
- 3
3 units of ART 199 may be substituted for this requirement, with the approval of an advisor, if the proposed independent study project is socially engaged or community driven.
- 4
All courses must be chosen with advisor approval. Course repeats will be allowed with advisor approval when in compliance with the University Repeat Policy. See course catalog for courses that may be taken more than once for credit.
Note: Students must receive a "B" or better in all upper division courses to continue in the program.
- 5
Three units of ART 199 is required in order to meet the minimum required units for the Studio Course Group.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area 1: English Communication (9 Units) | ||
| 1A - English Composition | 3 | |
| 1B - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| 1C - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning (3 Units) | ||
| Area 2 Course - Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 3: The Arts and Humanities (6 Units) | ||
| 3A - Arts | 3 | |
| 3B - Humanities | 3 | |
| Area 4: Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 Units) | ||
| Area 4 Course -Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 4 Course - Lower Division | 3 | |
| Area 5: Physical and Biological Sciences (7 Units) | ||
| 5A - Physical Science | 3 | |
| 5B - Biological Science | 3 | |
| 5C - Laboratory | 1 | |
| Area 6: Ethnic Studies (3 Units) | ||
| Area 6 Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Courses: (9 Units) | ||
| Area 3 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Area 4 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Area 2 OR Area 5 Course - Upper Division | 3 | |
| Total Units | 43 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
- 3
Upper-division Area 3 requirement met with ART 111, ART 117A, or ART 117B
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (6-9 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) 3 | 0 - 3 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (12 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 2 | 6 | |
- 1
To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.
Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.
- 2
If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html
- 3
Department recommends ART Elective that meets the WI Graduation Requirement; see Program Requirements table above.
Note: ART courses that meet the WI Graduation Requirement are displayed with a pencil icon.
The following roadmaps are sample planning resources. Please consult your academic advisor and Academic Catalog for graduation requirements as you develop your individualized academic plan.
Studio Art, BFA: 4-Year Roadmap
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Units | |
| ART 1C | Global Modern and Contemporary Art | 3 |
| ART 20A | Beginning Drawing | 3 |
| ART 97 | Beginning New Media Art | 3 |
| GE Area 1A - English Composition 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 20B | Intermediate Drawing | 3 |
| ART 60 | Two-Dimensional Composition | 3 |
| ART 1A or ART 1B |
Art, Religions, and Power before 1400 3 or Art, Empires, and Cross-Cultural Exchange, 1400-1800 |
3 |
| GE Area 1C - Oral Communication 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 2 - Mathematical Concepts & Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ART 70 | Form, Space Vision | 3 |
| ART 2 |
History of Islamic Art 3 or Traditional Asian Art or Modern and Contemporary Asian Art or European Visual Traditions or Art of the Americas |
3 |
| ART Lower Division Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| GE Area 1B - Critical Thinking 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 6 - Ethnic Studies 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 2-D Studio Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART 3-D Studio Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 1 2 | 4 | |
| Second Semester Composition 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ART 121 | BFA Junior Studio | 3 |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences + GR American Institutions (GOVT) 2 | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Semester 2 2 | 4 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 160 | Special Topics in Art Studio | 3 |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 3 - Arts or Humanities + Writing Intensive 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 5A - Physical Science 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART History Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| GR American Institutions (US History) 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 5B - Biological Science 2 | 3 | |
| GE Area 5C - Laboratory 2 | 1 | |
| Units | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 192A | Senior Seminar in Studio Art | 3 |
| ART 194 | BFA Senior Project | 3 |
| ART History Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 5 or 2 - Science or Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Total Units | 123 | |
Studio Art, BFA: 2-Year Roadmap
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Units | |
| ART 121 | BFA Junior Studio | 3 |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 4 - Social & Behavioral Sciences 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 160 | Special Topics in Art Studio | 3 |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Course Group 3 | 3 | |
| ART History Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 3 - Arts or Humanities + Writing Intensive 2 | 3 | |
| Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ART 192A | Senior Seminar in Studio Art | 3 |
| ART 194 | BFA Senior Project | 3 |
| ART History Requirement 3 | 3 | |
| ART Studio Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Upper Division GE Area 5 or 2 - Science or Mathematical Concepts/Quantitative Reasoning 2 | 3 | |
| Units | 15 | |
| Total Units | 60 | |
- 1.
Any course not completed in the first semester should be taken in the second or a later semester.
- 2.
Please see General Education/Graduation Requirement course options.
- 3.
Please see an academic advisor for elective options.