The BA in art practices allows students to explore their interests and refine their skills in ceramics, integrated media arts practices (IMAP; photography, digital media, video, integrated arts), painting and drawing, printmaking, and sculpture and post-studio practice. Students gain a broad understanding of the field of contemporary art and experience in contemporary art practices while pursuing a liberal arts degree at the university.
Portfolio submission is not required to declare art practices as a major or minor.
Required Courses
Students must complete the general requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the required courses listed below. Students must complete 33 credits in the major. See the Art Practices - Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) page for information about admission to the BFA program.
All required major courses must be passed with a C- or better and cannot be taken pass/fail. Students must have a grade point average of at least 2.000 in the major in order to graduate, and no more than 45 credits in ARTS may be applied to overall graduation requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Studio Art Sequence | ||
| ARTS 1010 & ARTS 1020 | Introduction to Studio Art and Introduction to Studio Art 2 | 6 |
| Introductory Art History Sequence | ||
| ARTH 1500 & ARTH 1600 | Global Art and Visual Culture and U.S. Art Across Cultures | 6 |
| Studio Art Courses | ||
| One 2000-level ARTS courses in area of emphasis | 3 | |
| Upper-division studio emphasis (minimum) | 12 | |
| Major Electives | ||
| Upper-divison ARTS | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Recommended Four-Year Plan of Study
Consult the Four-Year Guarantee Requirements for information on eligibility. The concept of "adequate progress" as it is used here only refers to maintaining eligibility for the four-year guarantee; it is not a requirement for the major. To maintain adequate progress toward a BA in studio arts, students should meet the following requirements:
- Declare major by the beginning of the second semester.
- Complete ARTS 1010 and ARTS 1020, two level-1 studio classes and lower-division art history courses by the end of the third semester.
- Complete 30–33 credits in the major by the end of the sixth semester.
Students must also complete at least 12 upper-division ARTS/ARTH courses on the Boulder campus after starting the program.
Through the required coursework for the major, students will fulfill all 12 credits of the Arts & Humanities area of the Gen Ed Distribution Requirement, as well as fulfilling both categories (Global Perspective and U.S. Perspective) of the Gen Ed Diversity Requirement.
The BA degree requires a minimum of 45 upper-division (3000- and 4000-level courses) credits. Students are encouraged to consult with their advisor to ensure this general BA degree requirement is met by the fourth year.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credit Hours | |
| ARTS 1010 | Introduction to Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTH 1500 | Global Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: QRMS) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Lower-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTS 1020 | Introduction to Studio Art 2 | 3 |
| ARTH 1600 | U.S. Art Across Cultures | 3 |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis, 2000 level course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences with Lab) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-Division) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-Division) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division course | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Skills course (example: Upper-division Written Communication) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-Division) | 3 | |
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-Division) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Natural Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-division) | 3 | |
| ARTS Lower or Upper-division(major elective) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective (or Upper-division elective) | 3 | |
| Elective (or Upper-division elective) | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ARTS Studio Emphasis (Upper-Division) | 3 | |
| Gen. Ed. Distribution course (example: Social Sciences) | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-division Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
The undergraduate degree in art practices emphasizes knowledge and awareness of:
- The significance of the major traditions in art history.
- At least one discipline of art practices.
- Related critical issues in art practice.
- A wide range of stylistic approaches.
In addition, students completing a degree in art practices are expected to acquire the ability and skills to:
- Creativity and making: Students will be able to generate novel and intentional ideas, and demonstrate those ideas through making art that is responsive to their own interests and the world around them.
- Disciplinary skill and technique: Students will demonstrate mastery of the skills and techniques intrinsic to at least one chosen discipline.
- Recognize current and historical frameworks: Students will examine the historical and contemporary issues surrounding their art, the art of others and the broader global art discourse.
- Develop criticality and analyze complexity: Students will communicate in dialogue and in writing the multilayered concepts and relative contexts of their own and other’s art.
- Develop concepts, understand contexts, synthesize research: Students will demonstrate curiosity, initiative, rigor, and persistence, while seeking knowledge. Students will be able to work independently or collaboratively to achieve their goals.