Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
Nature of the Program
This cross-disciplinary studio major is designed to allow students to gain experience in all areas of the visual arts while pursuing a focused Area of Emphasis (AoE choices include: 2D Studio Painting/Photography/Print Media, 3D Studio and Public Art, Digital Art and Animation, and Graphic Design) to prepare them for the visual arts professions or graduate study. Students take a common Studio Foundation Core of basic drawing and visual foundations, five beginning courses of their choice for the Studio Foundation Exploration along with the second introductory course in their area of emphasis, a minimum of four courses in art history, 18 hours of intermediate-level courses in their studio area of emphasis along with 21 hours of ART or ARHS electives, and a six-hour senior capstone in their studio emphasis. Including the variable 36 hours of General Education Foundation requirements, the major can be completed in 120 hours. Studio courses must be taken sequentially and students are advised to take no more than three studio credits per semester. BFA majors are required to take one GPS (Global Positioning Studies) course as a regular credit and assemble a Writing Portfolio to be eligible for graduation. Students must pass all major courses with a grade of C- or higher.
Graphic Design Portfolio Review
Students in the Graphic Design area of emphasis must pass a portfolio review following the completion of the Foundation Core and ART 223S Introduction to Graphic Design and ART 224S Graphic Design 2, normally in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Students can contact the area coordinator for further information. Those who do not pass the review can transfer their credits into a new area of emphasis in the BFA major (such as 2D Studio-Painting/Photography/Print Media or Digital Art and Animation) or may want to consider the BA in Game Design and Interactive Media or the BS in Design Studies.
Admissions for 2025-2026
The School of Art and Design requires a portfolio review for the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. This evaluation is conducted by the art faculty and is designed to ensure that all students entering the BFA program have certain basic competencies and skills. Students are encouraged to apply and complete the portfolio review at the earliest possible date. Applicants should visit the School website: http://artanddesign.wvu.edu/academics or phone the School office at (304) 293-2552 to receive detailed instructions and portfolio review application material. Applicants are to contact the CCA Office of Recruitment at (304) 293-4339 to schedule an audition.
Major Code: 3709
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 36 | |
| School of Art and Design Program Requirements | 30 | |
| Art and Design Major Requirements | 54 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 | 28 | |
| ART 191 | First-Year Seminar | 2 |
| General Electives | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
School of Art and Design Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all ART and ARHS courses. | ||
| ARHS 120 | Survey of Art History 1 (GEF 6) | 3 |
| ARHS 160 | Survey of Art History 2 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| Studio Foundation Core | ||
| ART 111S | Drawing 1 | 3 |
| ART 121S | Visual Foundations 1 | 3 |
| ART 122S | Visual Foundations 2 | 3 |
| Studio Foundation Exploration | ||
| Select five of the following: * | 15 | |
| Painting 1 | ||
| Introduction to Graphic Design | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Printmaking - Intaglio and Relief | ||
| Photography 1 | ||
| Introduction to Silkscreen | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Introduction to Electronic Media 1 | ||
| Beginning 3D Animation | ||
| Global Positioning Studies (GPS) Requirement ** | ||
| Writing Portfolio Requirement *** | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- *
For students enrolled in the Area of Emphasis in Graphic Design, three-hours must include ART 232S.
- **
Global Positioning Studies (GPS) is an interdisciplinary visual arts initiative within the School of Art and Design. It positions students at the crossroads between a local sense of place and a global understanding of that place in the world. Through direct experience, GPS courses encourage students to engage the world as a fertile ground for art making and critical research. BFA Art and Design majors are required to take at least one GPS-designated course to count toward degree requirements. See course details at artanddesign.wvu.edu/gps.
- ***
The School of Art and Design values and supports written communication abilities and critical thinking skills developed through iterative writing experiences across the curriculum and within the discipline. To meet this goal students must pass with a B- or better a writing portfolio requirement that includes examples of academic, professional, and reflective writing they have produced in their ART and ARHS courses.
Art and Design Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| A minimum grade of C- is required in all ARHS and ART courses. | ||
| ARHS at the 200/300/400 Level * | 6 | |
| ART 200 Level (Dependent on Area of Emphasis) ** | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Painting 2 | ||
| Graphic Design 2 | ||
| Sculpture | ||
| Printmaking - Lithography | ||
| Photography 2 | ||
| Ceramics | ||
| Introduction to Electronic Media 2 | ||
| ART or ARHS at the 200/300/400 Level *** | 21 | |
| ART Senior Capstone | 6 | |
| Senior Projects in Painting | ||
| Graphic Design: Senior Project | ||
| Senior Projects in Sculpture | ||
| Senior Projects in Printmaking | ||
| Senior Projects in Photography | ||
| Senior Projects in Ceramics | ||
| Senior Projects in Intermedia | ||
| Studio Area of Emphasis | 18 | |
2D Studio Painting, Photography, and Print Media | ||
3D Studio and Public Art | ||
Digital Art and Animation | ||
Graphic Design | ||
| Total Hours | 54 | |
- *
Excludes ARHS 411, ARHS 412, ARHS 413 and ARHS 414. For students enrolled in the Area of Emphasis in Graphic Design, three-hours must include ARHS 406.
- **
Must be second 200-level ART course in Area of Emphasis.
- ***
For students enrolled in the Area of Emphasis in Graphic Design, three-hours must include ART 234S.
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 191 | 2 | ART Foundations Exploration | 3 |
| ART 111S | 3 | ART Foundations Exploration | 3 |
| ART 121S | 3 | ARHS 160 (GEF 8) | 3 |
| ART 122S | 3 | GEF 2A or 2B | 3 |
| ARHS 120 (GEF 6) | 3 | GEF 4 | 3 |
| ENGL 101 | 3 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART Foundations Exploration | 3 | ART Foundations Exploration | 3 |
| ART Foundations Exploration | 3 | ART Studio Major Area 2 | 3 |
| ARHS 200/300/400 Level | 3 | ART/ARHS 200+ Studio Elective | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | GEF 3 | 3 |
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ARHS 200+ | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 300 Level (AOE) | 6 | ART 300 Level (AOE) | 6 |
| GEF 2A or Elective | 3 | ART or ARHS 200+ Studio Elective | 6 |
| GEF 7 | 3 | Elective | 4 |
| 12 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ART 300 Level (AOE) | 6 | Senior Project | 6 |
| ART or ARHS 200/300/400 Level | 6 | ART or ARHS 200/300/400 Level | 6 |
| GEF 8 | 3 | GEF 8 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Areas of Emphasis
- 2D Studio Painting, Photography, Print Media
- 3D Studio and Public Art
- Digital Art and Animation
- Graphic Design
2D Studio Painting, Photography, Print Media Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art 300-level Studio Emphasis Area | 18 | |
| Painting 3 | ||
or ART 330S | Printmaking | |
or ART 331 | GPS-Jackson Hole Photography Workshop | |
or ART 332S | Intermediate Photography | |
or ART 333S | Alternative Photography | |
or ART 335S | Advanced Photography | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
3D Studio and Public Art Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Art 300-level Studio Emphasis Area | 18 | |
| Sculpture | ||
or ART 340S | Ceramics | |
or ART 341S | Ceramic Production Methods | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Digital Art and Animation
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum grade of C- or higher for all ART and ARHS courses required. | ||
| Art 300-level Studio Emphasis Area | 18 | |
| Intermediate Electronic Media | ||
or ART 371S | Interactive Art | |
or ART 372S | Interactive Design | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Graphic Design Area of Emphasis Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ART 323S | Graphic Design 3 | 6 |
| ART 324S | Graphic Design 4 | 6 |
| or ART 425S | Graphic Design: Senior Project | |
| ART 328S | Advanced Typography | 3 |
| ART 337S | Design for Web and Screen | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Art and Design
Students graduating from the BFA Art and Design program will be able to:
- Understand basic principles of two- and three-dimensional design, color, concepts, media and formats, and demonstrate the ability to apply them to a specific aesthetic and conceptual intent.
- Explore the expressive possibilities of various media, and the diverse conceptual modes available to the visual artist.
- Have a functional knowledge of the diverse histories, traditions, conventions, and evolution of the visual arts in a global context.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in the use of essential tools, techniques, and processes sufficient to work from concept to finished product in a studio area of emphasis.
- Present compositional principles and conceptual ideas from visual work effectively in oral and written forms.