Drawing and Illustration

The BFA in Studio Art with emphasis in Drawing and Illustration is a new degree program to the Department of Art and Design as of Fall 2023. This emphasis requires enrolled students to develop work in relation to traditional and experimental approaches of Drawing and Illustration. Students will be expected to engage in rigorous research, personal exploration of their style, and an experimentation with a variety of media and formats (both 2D and 3D). Students are encouraged to initially explore their creativity more broadly while analysing their strengths and understanding areas of research which will propel their creative output into arenas both familiar and new. The successful Drawing and Illustration emphasis student will embrace challenges to any preconceived notion of what is Drawing and Illustration and make the degree their own. Students will be required to push their own boundaries and question their own reason for making with hopes of honing their skill to prepare them for either entry into a graduate program or possible creative position in a related field or discipline beyond the university setting.

Degree Requirements

BFA Major in Studio Art (83 hours of Art)

The degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) requires successful completion of 120 hours, whose required components include (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements (see UCA Core requirements and note that ART 2325, 2335, or 2336—required for Art majors and minors—fulfills the LD UCA Core requirement in Critical Analysis, Fine Arts/Humanities) and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using designated courses (again, see UCA Core requirements); (2) 83 hours of art and design courses in an approved BFA major in Studio Art and emphasis degree plan as described below; (3) and electives to bring total credit hours to 120. Art and design courses must follow a prerequisite structure. A minor is not required. This degree may require more than the normal eight semesters to complete. Students with a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 major GPA on a minimum of 24 hours of art may apply for acceptance to the BFA program after completing the Major Advancement Portfolio Review (MAP). Students are strongly encouraged to follow the semester-by-semester structure in the published BFA Academic Map. As such, this document is to be used as a checksheet to evaluate the student’s progress through the degree in a course-by-course manner.

In order to complete the state-mandated minimum number of hours for core requirements in general education, art majors are required to complete a Humanities course in either the Diversity category or in the Responsible Living category.

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Interested in the similarities and differences between the B.A. in Art with a Fine Arts Emphasis and the B.F.A. in Studio Art with an emphasis in Ceramics, Drawing & Illustration, Graphic Design, Painting,  Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture? BA vs BFA