Students desiring to enter the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program with a visual arts major are urged to contact the School of Art and Design prior to enrollment. A formal review of prior work in a portfolio is not required, but students are advised to bring examples of their work to the initial conference. Candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (B.F.A.) with the major in visual arts are required to complete seventy-six (76) hours of credit in art courses, including the art core (40 hours), and a major area of emphasis (24 hours) and studio electives (12 hours). Majors must also satisfy the following departmental requirements:
- After completing the required foundation courses (ART 214, 215, 217, 218, 219) and a minimum of one 300 level studio course, students pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts or the Bachelor of Arts in Education Pre K-Adult (Art 218 is not required in the Bachelor of Art Education 5-Adult program) are required to present a portfolio of work for review by the Art and Design faculty. To do so, BFA students must register for Art 298 and art education students must register for Art 299, Portfolio Review with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 27 credit hours in studio art courses. Successful completion of Art 298 or 299 is required and is a prerequisite for any advanced studio courses in art. Students who do not receive a grade of Credit (CR) in the Portfolio Review and are within the studio art credit hour range listed above, may apply for reconsideration. Students who have transferred within Marshall University will have two semesters to complete the courses listed above and participate in this review. Transfers from art or art education departments at other universities are required to complete the review the first semester they enroll in the MU Department of Art and Design.
- Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Arts in Education degree programs must complete all work in the major with a minimum grade of C. A student who receives a D or F in an art course counted toward graduation must repeat it and earn at least a C before graduation or before using that course as a prerequisite for another required course.
- A successful exhibition of creative work must be presented by all students during the senior year as a requirement for graduation (ART 498 for BFA students and ART 499 for art education students).
BFA Visual Art Advising Checklist – August 2012 (PDF)
BFA Visual Art Core Curriculum Advising Checklist – June 2012 (PDF)
Suggested Four Year Plans (PDF downloads)
Sculpture Four Year Plan
Printmaking Four Year Plan
Photography Four Year Plan
Painting Four Year Plan
Graphic Design Four Year Plan
Fibers Four Year Plan
Ceramics Four Year Plan