DEPARTMENT OF ART

Undergraduate Department of Art

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

Chair: Jeff Beekman; Professors: Baade, Bookwalter, Garcia-Roig, Hanessian; Associate Professors: Beekman, Duarte, Roberson, Stagg; Assistant Professors: Ali, Bozorgi, Curry, Fielding, Ho, Kehoe, Luedtke, Lynn, Moon, Shon, Sleeper, Spence; Associate Teaching Professor: Di Donna; Professors Emeriti: Bell, Blakely, Burggraff, Fichter, Hartwell, Henne, Messersmith, Rubini, Rutkovsky, Stewart

The Department of Art offers diverse opportunities for creative development and expression, provides instruction in the skills necessary for artistic creation, and guides students to an understanding of contemporary issues in the visual arts in an academically challenging environment. The department is committed to excellence in all programs and strives to combine curricular flexibility and a rigorous mix of experiences with opportunities for serious, focused study in art and digital media. The department benefits from the Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA) for student and faculty exhibitions. Additionally, the department serves as a resource to the rest of the University, providing exhibitions, visiting artist lectures, and foundation courses for related programs.

The Department of Art offers an undergraduate degree program leading to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in studio art and a specialized admissions Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree program in studio art. In the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program, graduates may pursue studies in either a studio or digital media area. Course selection encompasses history, theory, and practice. Studies may include ceramics, electronic media, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Depending upon personal development, students may choose to work in a variety of media or to concentrate in an area of interest. Each degree program mandates specific entry requirements, a certain sequence of courses, and graduation requirements. Information on each program beyond that explained in this General Bulletin is available through the Department of Art academic advisor.

Students entering the department should visit the department's website at https://art.fsu.edu for specific details regarding major requirements.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement. Undergraduate majors in art satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in ART 1602C.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for Art

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73.

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in Art. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/152/230.

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

Undergraduate Programs

Admission and Readmission

Students desiring to enter the department should visit the department's website at https://art.fsu.edu/programs-2/undergraduate for specific details regarding major requirements.

Students who apply for readmission to the department must meet the studio art degree requirements listed in the General Bulletin that is current at the time of readmission.

Academic Performance and Retention

If a student in the studio art major fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, the Department of Art may discontinue that student's enrollment in the major at any time. Students who accumulate three unsatisfactory grades (U, F, D–, D, D+) in art courses taken for college credit at—Florida State University or elsewhere—will generally not be permitted to continue, be readmitted, or graduate with a major in studio art.

University requirements stipulate that BA students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. Students who make below the minimum required grade in a course may repeat that course only once. If a student repeats a course designated as non-repeatable (such as foundations courses), per University requirements, that course will not be counted toward overall credit hours.

BFA students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a GPA of 3.0 in studio art classes. If a BA/BFA student's GPA falls below the minimum, the student is placed on probation for the following term. If the student's grade or GPA remains below the minimum standards by the end of the probationary term, the Department of Art will dismiss the student.

The Department of Art retains the right to refuse admission or to terminate enrollment at any time if a student fails to maintain the standards of the program.

The Foundations Program

The Department of Art requires that students receive a sound foundation in the fundamentals of studio theory and practice, including basic visualization and conceptualization skills. Students are required to complete a foundations program before taking advanced art courses. The program consists of a sequence of basic drawing, design, sculpture, digital, and contemporary art practices. Students are encouraged to complete their foundations-level courses by the end of the freshman year. Entering students should contact the department for specific details regarding foundations program requirements or visit the department's website at https://art.fsu.edu/programs-2/foundations.

Mission

The Art Foundations Program provides essential knowledge, skills, and experience to beginning art students. This solid foundation allows new artists to continue developing as successful visual-arts professionals.

Philosophy

In the Foundations Program, students are encouraged to expand their technical skills, develop their critical judgment, explore interdisciplinary connections, refine their personal goals, and increase their understanding of contemporary art and design. Inventive concepts are used to fuel development of compelling composition and constructions. The curriculum provides the basis on which the BA and BFA programs are built in the Department of Art.

Note: Students are required to complete state of Florida Common Program Prerequisites as listed above.

Required Foundations Courses

(Foundation for All Art Majors)

The following classes are strongly recommended to complete the required foundations program.

ART 1000Success Strategies (1)

ART 1201C Two-Dimensional Foundations (3)

ART 1203C Three-Dimensional Foundations (3)

ART 1300C Drawing Foundations (3)

ART 1602C Digital Foundations (3)

ART 2204C Contemporary Art and Design Foundations (3)

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Studio Art

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in studio art is a liberal arts program that encourages students to cross cultural and disciplinary boundaries while cultivating critical, creative, and independent thinking. It seeks to provide students with training in the visual arts and to combine this training with skills in other disciplines that will prepare art students for professional careers.

The BA in studio art comprises a 120 credit-hour program. Requirements include 36 credit hours in CoreFSU Curriculum, 16 credit hours to complete the foundations program, nine credit hours in art history, 27 credit hours of additional studio classes, and the successful completion through the intermediate level of a foreign-language course. Students are expected to complete one focus area within the 27 credit-hour studio requirement. For specific details, including all focus-area templates, please visit https://art.fsu.edu/about/undergraduate/ba.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Admission Application

For all candidates, admission to the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is predicated on receiving a successful faculty portfolio-review. Students may apply as incoming freshmen, transfer students, or current FSU students in the BA Studio Art major.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in studio art is a specialized admissions program, requiring 120 credit hours. It differs from the BA degree in that it provides the graduate with a more intensive background in professional skills and theoretical knowledge. The BFA degree seeks to develop in students an informed personal vision, a high level of competence in technique, the ability to apply critical and reflective skills to their practice, and the ability to make sound artistic decisions within the appropriate contextual and cultural arena. It is a proficiency-based program characterized by continuous assessment.

In addition to the 36 credit hours of CoreFSU Curriculum, coursework includes 16 credit hours of foundations, 52 credit hours of studio art courses, and 12 credit hours of art history. An important aspect of the program is that students are taught to make their own decisions regarding media selection or concentration. Within the 52 credit-hour studio requirement, the BFA student is expected to complete two focus areas. The BFA student must also complete the Thesis Project and Exhibition Practicum in the final term. Students admitted to the BFA program are exempt from the language requirement and they must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a GPA of 3.0 in art classes. They are required to fulfill the additional requirements and responsibilities of this program including attending and satisfactorily performing in all BFA reviews, culminating in the advancement review and graduation exhibition. The BFA advisor can provide additional guidance regarding entrance and specific degree requirements. For specific details, including all focus templates, please visit https://art.fsu.edu/about/undergraduate/bfa-in-studio-art.

Students in the BFA program will have the opportunity to request personal studio space in the Carnaghi Arts Building, where they can work and exhibit in a public gallery space.

Graduate Program

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in studio art is a residency program with a minimum requirement of 60 credit hours at the graduate level. In addition to University admission requirements, the department requires that all applicants submit a portfolio of original work for review. The program includes a minimum of 45 credit hours in studio art, 12 credit hours of electives within or outside the department, a minimum of three courses (nine credit hours) in academic study at the graduate level, and a minimum of nine credit hours toward preparation of the Studio Research + Exhibition (SR+E) and written component.

IMPORTANT: All courses include instruction in awareness and use of the safest practices for both tools and materials, and students will be responsible for following these safety regulations.

For additional information regarding the MFA degree, please click the graduate link above, or contact the Art Department’s academic advisor.