Art, BFA
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Program Description
The BFA in Studio Art offers a dynamic and comprehensive curriculum designed to foster creativity, technical skills, and critical thinking. This program provides students the opportunity to explore a wide range of artistic disciplines, including ceramics, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and art history.
Small class sizes ensure students work closely with dedicated faculty, practicing artists who are at the forefront of innovative and thought-provoking work. This close mentorship helps students refine their artistic voice and develop a deep understanding of contemporary and traditional art practices. Through rigorous coursework and hands-on studio experience, students gain the technical proficiency and conceptual insight necessary to succeed in art-related careers.
Graduates of the BFA in Studio Art will be well-equipped to pursue careers as professional artists or career opportunities in creative fields, including employment at museums and galleries, art education, and other cultural and artistic industries. Additionally, they will be prepared to continue studies in Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs to advance their academic or professional art careers.
This program is ideal for individuals passionate about artistic expression and committed to building a meaningful career in the visual arts.
Student Learning Outcomes
BFA graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate proficiency with the elements and principles of design, applicable to the discipline(s) of their choosing.
- Demonstrate competencies in studio processes, technologies, and equipment use applicable to their chosen field(s).
- Demonstrate a familiarity with conceptual theories, key movements in art history, and contemporary art trends, synthesized into work produced for their graduating senior exhibitions.
- Demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate in writing concepts that inspire personal artwork.
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General Requirements
Specific Degree Requirements
All art majors must meet all general University and College graduation requirements, including University Seminar, regardless of the following specific degree requirements, unless specifically excused. All art degrees require ARTS 1303 Art History Survey I (3 sch), which also meets the Core Curriculum Program Fine Arts requirement. All and only coursework with the prefix ARTS will be included in the grade point average for the students declared major field of study.
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Core Curriculum Program (includes ARTS 1303 and 1304) | 42 |
| University Seminar (when applicable)1 | 0-2 |
| Art Major Requirements | 72 |
| University Electives | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 120-122 |
- 1
First-Year Seminars or Electives
Full-time, first time in college students are required to take the university seminar.
- USSE 1201 University Seminar (2 sch)
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time, First-year Students | ||
| USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
| Core Curriculum Program | ||
| University Core Curriculum | 42 | |
| Note: ARTS 1303 and 1304 need to be taken as part of the University Core Curriculum. Both are required for the BFA in Art degree. | ||
| Art Major Requirements | ||
| ARTS 1311 | Design I | 3 |
| ARTS 1312 | Design II | 3 |
| ARTS 1316 | Drawing I | 3 |
| ARTS 1317 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ARTS 2316 | Painting I | 3 |
| ARTS 2326 | Sculpture I | 3 |
| ARTS 2333 | Printmaking I | 3 |
| ARTS 2346 | Ceramics I | 3 |
| ARTS 2356 | Photography I | 3 |
| ARTS 3301 | Life Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 3311 | Color Theory | 3 |
| ARTS 3367 | Digital Design Tools and Applications | 3 |
| ARTS 3303 | Intermediate Painting | 3 |
| or ARTS 3313 | Figure Painting | |
| ARTS 3302 | Screenprinting | 3 |
| or ARTS 3307 | Lithography and Planographic Process | |
| ARTS 3324 | Wheel Throwing | 3 |
| or ARTS 3325 | Handbuilt Ceramic Techniques | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Fabrication Sculpture | ||
| Mold Making and Casting Sculpture | ||
| Figurative Sculpture | ||
| Art History | ||
| ARTS 3352 | Modern Art | 3 |
| ARTS 3353 | Art Since 1945 | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art of the United States | ||
| Pre-Columbian Art of Mesoamerica | ||
| Modern Art of Mexico | ||
| Global Currents in Contemporary Art | ||
| Contemporary Art Since 1980 | ||
| Topics in Art History | ||
| Art Electives | ||
| Select 15 hours of upper division ARTS electives | 15 | |
| Capstone | ||
| This course must be taken in your final semester before graduation. | ||
| ARTS 4085 | Senior Capstone | 0 |
| University Electives | ||
| Select 6 hours of university electives. | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 122 | |
BFA Application
Admission to the BFA and BFA-TC degrees is by special application. Such application can be made upon completion of 30 semester hours of art coursework and must be made before completion of 48 semester hours of art coursework. A portfolio consisting of ten to fifteen works representing a variety of media must be submitted using a Presentation Template that can be found on the Art + Design Department website.
BFA Interim Critique
After acceptance into the BFA program, students take classes and create work until they have enough art samples to submit a portfolio for review by the art faculty at an Interim Critique scheduled in the junior year, but no later than the semester before the year of graduation. Interim Critique is the gateway into the BFA Capstone Exhibition. Entry into the BFA Capstone Exhibition requires at least one Interim Critique by the entire art faculty. Once accepted, students propose and begin work on their senior project. The Art Faculty will meet with students enrolled in the BFA degree to review their artwork the semester before they intend to participate in the BFA Senior Exhibition. At that time, they will evaluate the work and recommend whether to approve it or request a delay.
BFA Senior Project and Capstone Exhibition
Students enrolled in the BFA degree program will present a senior project during their final semester of undergraduate work. Students cannot present a senior project during the summer sessions. While preparing the senior project, the student must be enrolled in a related course with his or her faculty supervisor. Work completed while a student at TAMUCC, is eligible for the exhibition. BFA students will present their Senior Project in the BFA Capstone Exhibition.
Course Sequencing
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| ARTS 1311 or ARTS 1312 | Design I or Design II | 3 |
| ARTS 1316 | Drawing I | 3 |
| ARTS 1303 | Art History Survey I | 3 |
| ENGL 1301 | Writing and Rhetoric I | 3 |
| USSE 1201 | University Seminar | 2 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ARTS 1311 or ARTS 1312 | Design I or Design II | 3 |
| ARTS 1317 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ARTS 1304 | Art History Survey II | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 or COMM 1311 | Writing and Rhetoric II or Foundation of Communication | 3 |
| MATH 1332 or PHIL 2303 | Contemporary Mathematics or Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| 2000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 2000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| 2000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 2000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 2000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ARTS 3311 | Color Theory or Digital Design Tools and Applications or Life Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 3311 | Color Theory or Digital Design Tools and Applications or Life Drawing | 3 |
| 3000 Level Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking or Ceramics | 3 | |
| ARTS 3352 or ARTS 3353 | Modern Art or Art Since 1945 | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ARTS 3311 | Color Theory or Digital Design Tools and Applications or Life Drawing | 3 |
| 3000 Level Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking or Ceramics | 3 | |
| 3000 Level Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking or Ceramics | 3 | |
| ARTS 3352 or ARTS 3353 | Modern Art or Art Since 1945 | 3 |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| University Core Curriculum | 3 | |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| 3000 or 4000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 3000 or 4000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 3000 or 4000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Art History Elective | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ARTS 4085 | Senior Capstone | 0 |
| 3000 Level Painting, Sculpture, Printmaking or Ceramics | 3 | |
| 3000 or 4000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| 3000 or 4000 Level ARTS Studio Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 122 | |
Courses
ARTS 1301 Art and Society
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
This is an introductory course for non-art majors that explores the relationship between art and society, its historical contexts, and the vocabulary used to evaluate art. Students will learn about different media, analyze works within their cultural and historical settings, and develop critical thinking skills. This course explores artistic periods that involve the human form and classical ideals. It provides a foundation for understanding how art functions as a form of communication and expression within various cultures throughout history. This course does not fulfill the art history requirement for art majors.
TCCNS: ARTS 1301
ARTS 1303 Art History Survey I
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
An examination of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts from the ancient through medieval periods.
TCCNS: ARTS 1303
ARTS 1304 Art History Survey II
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A further examination of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other arts from the Renaissance through Modern periods. This course satisfies the university core curriculum requirement in fine arts.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1303.
TCCNS: ARTS 1304
ARTS 1311 Design I
3 Semester Credit Hours
A studio course concerning the fundamentals of art with emphasis on two-dimensional concepts.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 1311
ARTS 1312 Design II
3 Semester Credit Hours
A studio course concerning the fundamentals of art with emphasis on three-dimensional concepts. This 3D foundations course utilizes creative problem-solving strategies and basic sculpture tools to explore spatial relationships and to create sculptural forms in space.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 1312
ARTS 1316 Drawing I
3 Semester Credit Hours
A studio course investigating a variety of media techniques, including their descriptive and expressive possibilities.
TCCNS: ARTS 1316
ARTS 1317 Drawing II
3 Semester Credit Hours
A further investigation of media techniques explored in Drawing I, including their descriptive and expressive possibilities.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1316.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 1317
ARTS 2316 Painting I
3 Semester Credit Hours
A studio course exploring the potentials of painting media.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1316.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 2316
ARTS 2326 Sculpture I
3 Semester Credit Hours
An introductory studio course exploring sculptural approaches, materials, concepts, and technical processes. Materials include wood, plaster, steel, and plastics.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 2326
ARTS 2333 Printmaking I
3 Semester Credit Hours
An introductory studio course in basic printmaking processes and techniques.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 2333
ARTS 2346 Ceramics I
3 Semester Credit Hours
An introductory studio course in basic ceramic processes.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
TCCNS: ARTS 2346
ARTS 2356 Photography I
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course is an introduction to digital photography capture, processing, and basic editing software. While focusing on the fundamentals of digital photography and printing techniques, it will introduce students to the theory and practice of photography and assist them in producing a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio.
TCCNS: ARTS 2356
ARTS 2367 Watercolor
3 Semester Credit Hours
A studio course exploring techniques in water-base media.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3301 Life Drawing
3 Semester Credit Hours
Drawing from the model using a variety of techniques and media.
Prerequisite: (ARTS 1317).
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3303 Intermediate Painting
3 Semester Credit Hours
Explores the issues of content, imagery, application, and influences of master artists.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2316.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3304 Fabrication Sculpture
3 Semester Credit Hours
Building upon introductory skills, this course explores construction and fabrication in sculpture focusing on a primary material for the semester and applying advanced techniques and processes for this material. Through this material and techniques, students begin defining and developing their visual vocabulary relative to art history and contemporary sculptural issues.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2326.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3305 Mold Making and Casting Sculpture
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course is designed to build upon the fundamental principles of mold making and casting while exploring more complex concepts, materials, and techniques. Creating multi-part molds, flexible molds, and investment molds, the project assignments incorporate the unique versatility of mold making and casting for exchanging media and making a series of multiples. In addition to making casts, students compare methods for assembling cast forms together to create larger sculptural artworks and installations.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3306 Figurative Sculpture
3 Semester Credit Hours
A study of the human figure from an anatomical and artistic perspective. Examines the skeletal and muscular components of the figure in order to create lifelike and emotive sculptures. Discussion of the figure in both classical and contemporary art. Working with armature and modeling clay.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3307 Lithography and Planographic Process
3 Semester Credit Hours
Traditional printmaking processes will be explored using black and white and color techniques, including but not limited to lithography and monoprinting.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1316.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3311 Color Theory
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course develops an understanding of color properties and relationships through formal exercises, research and creative thinking. Students build a vocabulary for analyzing and identifying color and color phenomena. Concepts of color theorists and color use in a variety of fields are examined to understand the application of color theory. Students will investigate the use of color in their own work and in the work of others to understand the conceptual and aesthetic application of color.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1311.
ARTS 3313 Figure Painting
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course addresses the structure and anatomy of the human figure using oil paint. Painting techniques and color theory exercises will familiarize students with tradition painting methods. Students will render proportions, balance, form and mass of the human figure. Research and discussions will address the human form throughout history as well as in the contemporary context. Image presentations, critiques and live model sessions will supplement studio work.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2316.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3316 Art Activities I
3 Semester Credit Hours
Practical experience with basic design, drawing, painting, and sculpture, along with a study of art history and criticism. Includes a consideration of how these experiences relate to art curricula in the elementary school.
ARTS 3322 Art Activities II
3 Semester Credit Hours
Practical experiences with basic design, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and crafts, along with a study of art history and criticism. Includes a consideration of how these experiences relate to art curricula in the secondary school.
ARTS 3324 Wheel Throwing
3 Semester Credit Hours
Covers wheel-thrown ceramics (other production techniques may be included), basic glazemaking, and an introduction to kiln firing and loading.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2346.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3325 Handbuilt Ceramic Techniques
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course is a continuation of hand-building covered in Ceramics I ARTS 2346. The course will cover more advanced forming techniques such as extrusion, hump, slump, and press molds, and slip-casting. New surface and firing techniques will include more advanced techniques such as underglazes, onglaze techniques such as majolica, fired decal application, raku, and an introduction to low fire glazes and surfaces.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2346.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3350 Art of the United States
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A survey of the major developments in the art of North America from Pre-Columbian times to the modern era
ARTS 3352 Modern Art
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
A survey of the major movements of 20th century art and aesthetics, which developed primarily in Europe. Includes a review of late 19th century modernist antecedents with emphasis placed on the principal movements of the early 20th century: Fauvism, German Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, Abstract Art, Dada, and Surrealism.
ARTS 3353 Art Since 1945
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
An examination of the dispersal of European artists and Modernism, primarily to America, as a result of World War II. Examines the development of Abstract Expressionism in New York in the 1940s and 50s, followed by a survey of recent trends in contemporary art to the present day.
ARTS 3365 Photography II
3 Semester Credit Hours
An intermediate studio course using digital cameras and image manipulation software. Prior completion of ARTS 2356 is required. This course will enhance and expand skills developed in Photography I. It is geared toward informing students in the many ways we can make photographs; by seeking them out, framing them, forming them, extracting them, building them, and finally sequencing and presenting them. Students will engage in the theory and practice of photography, refine their photographic technique, and create a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio. Emphasis is placed on the development of a strong conceptual foundation from which to approach the making and understanding of photography as an art form. This knowledge will be achieved through photographic assignments, slide lectures of relevant works, and in-class critiques. It can be repeated twice for credit.
Prerequisite: (ARTS 2356).
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3366 Analogue Photography
3 Semester Credit Hours
An introductory studio course in analogue photography using film cameras and the silver gelatin darkroom process. While focusing on the fundamentals of black and white, analogue photography and printing techniques this course will assist students in producing a conceptually devised and technically consistent portfolio.
Prerequisite: (ARTS 2356).
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 3367 Digital Design Tools and Applications
3 Semester Credit Hours
This studio course explores the fundamental principles, standard creative processes and basic digital tools utilized in graphic design. The concepts and software learned are employed in projects specifically targeted to serve the professional and promotional needs of studio artists and design enthusiasts.
ARTS 4085 Senior Capstone
0 Semester Credit Hours
Required for all art students in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the BA in Art, BFA in Art studio track and the BFA with Teacher Certification in Art tracks. This course collects capstone materials for ARTS degrees. The course must be taken in the student's final semester before graduation.
ARTS 4301 Advanced Drawing
3 Semester Credit Hours
Emphasis on the development of content through drawing. Research on contemporary trends and process investigation will aid students in the development of visual ideas and lead to a cohesive body or work. May be taken three times for credit.
Prerequisite: ARTS 1317.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4303 Advanced Painting
3 Semester Credit Hours
Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3303. May be taken three times for credit.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4304 Advanced Sculpture
3 Semester Credit Hours
An interdisciplinary course in sculpture. Topics covered may include contemporary and traditional methods of object fabrication in metal, wood and clay, 3D printing, installation, mixed media, video, performance or sound. Furthers competencies attained in: ARTS 2326 or any 3000 level 3D course. May be taken three times for credit.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2326.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4324 Advanced Ceramics
3 Semester Credit Hours
Assumes competencies attained in ARTS 3324. May be taken three times for credit.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4350 Pre-Columbian Art of Mesoamerica
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Explores the history of Pre-Columbian art from Mexico and Central America, from the Olmec through the Aztec cultures. May be taken three times for credit.
ARTS 4352 Modern Art of Mexico
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
Explores the history of art during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Mexico. May be taken three times for credit.
ARTS 4354 Global Currents in Contemporary Art
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
The course will cover key developments in contemporary art from the post-World War II era in the Western context to global currents in the present international arena. From a socio-political perspective, artistic tendencies will be considered as part of a trajectory that saw the center of the art world shift from being Euro- and Anglo-centric in the mid-twentieth century, to one without a discernible center in the early twenty-first century. Analysis of artworks from this decentralized cultural climate will focus on the evolution of conceptualism, the persistence of traditional modes of aesthetic practice, the role of the art market, and notions of environmentalism and sustainability as related to these "transnational transition." The course will consider works from Eastern Europe, South and Central America, the Caribbean, East/West/South/Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa.
ARTS 4356 Contemporary Art Since 1980
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
The course will examine the evolution of architecture, sculpture, painting, digital media, installation, and interdisciplinary arts in the global context from 1980 to the present, in light of the historical and intellectual background of the period. Topics covered will include the transition from postmodernism to contemporaneity, considering notions of appropriation, commodification, consumerism, memory, history, and globalization. Lectures will be constructed upon thematic analysis of contemporary, primary sources coupled with secondary source material, and complemented by presentation opportunities and class discussion.
ARTS 4365 Advanced Photography
3 Semester Credit Hours
An Advanced course in Photography aimed at students who already have a working knowledge of camera functions and digital techniques. Emphasis will be placed on the development of individual artistic vision and content. Topics covered may include traditional analogue and contemporary digital techniques, image-based narrative strategies, alternative processes, and/or advanced portfolio production.
Prerequisite: ARTS 2356.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4390 Topics in Art History
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
May be repeated when topics vary.
ARTS 4391 Topics in Studio Art
3 Semester Credit Hours
May be repeated when topics vary.
ARTS 4396 Directed Individual Study
1-3 Semester Credit Hours (1-3 Lecture Hours)
See College description. Offered on application
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4398 Applied Experience
3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lecture Hours)
See College description. Offered on application.
Co-requisite: SMTE 0097.
ARTS 4399 Museum and Gallery Studies
3 Semester Credit Hours
This course provides the student with a comprehensive practical, conceptual, and methodological introduction to museum and gallery practices. Safety and best practices will be explored in all aspects of contemporary museum and gallery operations, using theoretical and practice-based pedagogical approaches to explore curatorial and preparatory principles.