Major in Art
The degree requirements for students majoring in art consist of 10 full courses (40 semester hours) — nine full courses in Art and one full course in Art History — and a comprehensive examination. The Studio Art program offers classes in six disciplines: Sculpture, Digital Arts, Photography, Video, Drawing, and Painting.
Majors are required to take one of the six disciplines up to the 300 (advanced) level and another of the six disciplines to the 200 (intermediate) level or above; a junior tutorial (Art 418 or 419); the senior seminar (Art 420); and one art history class. Students must take courses with at least three faculty members prior to enrolling in the junior seminar.
The comprehensive examination for studio art majors includes the following: preparation and presentation of a portfolio; participation in a senior exhibition; and submission of an artist's statement.
Students with a department GPA of at least 3.2 by the end of their junior year are eligible to apply for department honors. To apply for honors, a student must submit a proposal for a thesis project by the middle of the first semester of his or her senior year. Those students whose proposals have been approved are required to complete the honors seminar (Art 430), prepare a thesis exhibition, write an accompanying paper, give a public presentation and defense of the exhibition, and pass the comprehensive examination. Final determination of honors is based on the quality of the thesis exhibition and presentation.
