Choosing Your Degree
To minor, or not to minor? Choosing your BA or BFA degree.
The Department Of Visual Art And Design offers two studio art and design degrees:
- The Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) requires a minor for a broader skill set to pursue careers in art and design.
- The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) does not require a minor, instead offering a more focused course of study in 5 different studio disciplines: Art Education, Two-dimensional media, Three-dimensional media, Photography and Graphic Design
Why Choose a BA?
Bachelor of arts degrees in either General Art or Art Education allow students to experience a broader undergraduate course of study. The BA degree requires that students choose a minor, and DOVAD advisors work with students to select minors that add educational breadth to their undergraduate study, adding skills and knowledge valuable for a range of career options.
- 48 credits of studio and art-history coursework
- Foreign Language/Language Arts coursework required
- Minor required
Advisement recommended to select career paths supported by the BA General Art Degree include:
- Arts Administration/Management
- Art Therapy
- Historic Preservation/Art Conservation
- Education
- Art History/Museum Studies/Curatorial
- Advertising/Publishing
BA candidates in Art Education must also be accepted into the Teaching Licensure program in the Moyes College of Education.
Why Choose a BFA?
Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in the five studio disciplines listed above are more focused on studio practice. No minor is required, and students therefore focus much more intensely on studio research, often making the BFA the preferred preparation for graduate school, planning careers as independent studio artists and designers, and applying for artist residencies. BFA candidates must also complete a Capstone Thesis project, after successful portfolio review at the conclusion of BFA Seminar (for 2D, 3D, Photo, or Art Ed) or Design Seminar for Juniors (for Graphic Design) courses.
- 75 credits of studio and art-history coursework
- No minor or Foreign Language/Language Arts requirements
- Portfolio review for required capstone thesis coursework
BFA degrees may not be the right choice for many students. The significant increase in studio credits and the demands of independently- conceived Capstone work should be considered carefully as part of the decision to pursue the BFA degree. Many students may instead benefit from the diversity of study and breadth to be found in a BA degree in Visual Art and Design with a well-chosen minor. For these reasons, students wishing to consider entering the BFA program must achieve a MINIMUM grade of B- in all five of the Studio Foundations courses.
BFA Program Requirements
Students may formally enter the BFA only after meeting these requirements:
- Complete the five Studio Foundations classes with a B- grade or better in each.
- Schedule mandatory advising with department chair, and a faculty member from the chosen area of BFA study to discuss educational and career goals, to determine if the BFA program suits those goals.
- Students whose work requires further development will be required to repeat Studio Foundations (or BFA Seminar / Design Junior Seminar) courses prior to beginning capstone work.
BFA candidates in Art Education must also be accepted into the Teaching Licensure program in the Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education.
Advisement is Key
Making these decisions about your degree can be difficult, and we urge all students to meet with us whenever questions arise.
For advisement in choosing the right degree for you, see the department advisors or Department Chair Paul Crow through Cynthia Kurien at ckurien@weber.edu or 801-626-6455.