In the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Program, you’ll get a strong foundation in studio art, including drawing and sculpture. You’ll study art history from different time periods and parts of the world. You’ll also work on a thesis and get studio experience in your choice of:
Curriculum & Requirements Curriculum Map
Ready to declare an Art Major?
Email the Art director for an appointment.
Before filling out the Application, please review the Application Guidelines.
We want to see your best work, and ask that you consult with an Art faculty mentor or advisor to help determine which works will best represent your vision and skill.
Submission formatting guidelines can be found HERE.
Please meet with your art advisor to fill out this form. This form must be submitted as part of your application materials. Please refer to the BFA Application Guideline form for details on digital portfolio!
If you have any questions about the process, email the Art Director.
Deadlines will be posted online and in the Art Building.
Application form found HERE
The primary focus of the BFA is to give students who are committed to becoming contemporary artists an opportunity to immerse themselves in advanced studio experience and prepare a solid portfolio should they continue on to graduate school.
Prior to declaring the BFA major, students must apply to the program by submitting a portfolio spring quarter of their junior year. Once accepted, students declare the BFA major and complete the program fall, winter and spring quarter of their senior year.
Students interested in the BFA should consult with a faculty advisor prior to the application deadline.
The BFA students who are selected for this program are students who not only exhibit artistic and scholarly promise, but also evidence positive group interactions, are able to accept/provide feedback about personal artwork, and exhibit an independent work ethic. Faculty also consider if applicants participate in art-related activities outside of the classroom as well as the perceived benefit of the degree to the student; what are his/her future goals and how will a BFA help the student? Each BFA cohort is voted into existence by a 2/3 vote from full-time art faculty members in all programs (art education, art history and studio art).
The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.
Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
The BFA in Studio art is a professional degree that prepares students for careers as practicing artists and/or further pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts Degree. The program offers a deeper emersion in studio practice with added emphasis on conceptual exploration, writing skills, and knowledge in contemporary art. BFA students develop, produce, exhibit and defend a cohesive body of work.
BFA students are recommended to declare a minor in Visual Culture and/or a related field of study that supports their research.
Students must apply and be accepted into the BFA program. BFA applications are accepted in the Spring quarter prior to the intended BFA year. Students admitted to the BFA program must complete an entire sequential year of study which includes Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of an entire academic year. Students work closely with an art faculty advisor as they complete the BFA in Studio Art.
Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and at least 50 Art credits complete that include ART 312, ART 313, and ART 331 (15 credits of Visual Culture) in order to apply to the program.
Once accepted, students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher in all enrolled art courses to maintain status in the BFA Program.
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| ART 201 | STUDIO I: IMAGE AND TECHNOLOGY | 5 |
| ART 202 | STUDIO II: TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS | 5 |
| ART 213 | THE VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE | 5 |
| or ART 210 | VISUAL CULTURE | |
| ART 300 | DRAWING | 5 |
| ART 320 | CAREERS IN THE ARTS | 1 |
| Visual Culture | ||
| ART 312 | ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY | 5 |
| or ART 314 | THE BODY IN ART | |
| ART 313 | ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY | 5 |
| or ART 315 | HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | |
| ART 331 | CONTEMPORARY ART | 5 |
| ART 410 | WRITING ABOUT ART | 5 |
| ART 407 | ART AS SOCIAL ACT | 5 |
| or ART 406 | ART AND COMMUNITY | |
| Art Experience | 15 | |
| In consultation with art advisor, choose three of the following courses: | ||
| CERAMICS I | ||
or ART 325 | CERAMICS II | |
| ILLUSTRATION | ||
| COLOR THEORY | ||
| DIGITAL ART | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE | ||
| THE BODY IN ART | ||
| HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY | ||
| NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART | ||
| PAINTING | ||
| WATERCOLOR | ||
| PRINTMAKING | ||
or ART 301 | ILLUSTRATION | |
| SCULPTURE | ||
| FIBER AND TEXTILES | ||
| EXPERIMENTAL | ||
| Art Focus–in consultation with your faculty advisor | 18 | |
Complete 18 advanced level credits in one or two studio discipline areas. | ||
400 level Art courses (including 450 workshop courses) can be repeated for credit. | ||
Ceramics | ||
| CERAMICS III | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (ceramics focus) | ||
Digital | ||
| DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (digital art focus) | ||
Drawing | ||
| DRAWING | ||
| LIFE DRAWING | ||
Illustration | ||
| ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (illustration focus) | ||
Painting | ||
| PAINTING II | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (painting focus) | ||
Photography | ||
| PHOTOGRAPHY: ADVANCED PRACTICE | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (photography focus) | ||
Printmaking | ||
| PRINTMAKING | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (printmaking focus) | ||
Sculpture | ||
| SCULPTURE | ||
| WORKSHOP IN ART (sculpture focus) | ||
| Professional Practice Electives | 4-6 | |
| In consultation with art advisor choose topics that best fit professional goals, ART 439 and ART 495 can be repeated. | ||
| TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE | ||
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| BFA Thesis Year Requirements | ||
| ART 470 | BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (fall quarter) | 1 |
| ART 470 | BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (winter quarter) | 1 |
| ART 472 | BFA THESIS AND EXHIBITION (spring quarter) | 5 |
| Senior Capstone | ||
| ART 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE | 5 |
| Total Credits | 95-97 | |
The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.
Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ART 201 | 5 | ART 202 | 5 | MATH 107 or 170 | 5 |
| ART 213 or 210 (Humanities & Arts BACR 1) | 5 | ENGL 201 | 5 | Diversity - graduation requirement1 | 5 |
| ENGL 101 | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 21 | 5 | Social Science BACR 11 | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ART 320 | 1 | ART 300 | 5 | Art Experience Elective2 | 5 |
| Natural Science BACR 11 | 5 | Global Studies - graduation requirement1 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| Social Science BACR 21 | 5 | Natural Science BACR 21 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ART 312 or 314 | 5 | ART 313 or 315 | 5 | ART 331 | 5 |
| Art Experience Elective2 | 5 | Art Experience Elective2 | 5 | Art Focus Elective3 | 5 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ART 410 | 5 | ART 450 | 3 | ART 407 or 406 | 5 |
| ART 439 or 495 | 4 | ART 470 | 1 | ART 472 | 5 |
| ART 470 | 1 | ART 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement) | 5 | Art Focus Elective3 | 4 |
| Art Focus Elective3 | 4 | Art Focus Elective3 | 5 | ||
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 1 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 1 | ||
| 15 | 15 | 14 | |||
| Total Credits 180 | |||||
University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.
Art Experience Elective - In consultation with art advisor, choose three courses from the approved list.
Art Focus Elective - Complete 18 advanced level credits in one or two studio discipline areas. 400-level Art courses (including ART 450 workshop courses) can be repeated for credit.
University Competencies and Proficiencies
English
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB
General Education Requirements (GER)
Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)
Humanities and Arts
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
University Graduation Requirements (UGR)
Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List
Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).
Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:
Students who earn a BFA in Studio Art from EWU should be able to:
This is a beginning ceramic art course that introduces the possibilities for creative expression, aesthetics and techniques using clay. Students will develops skills in ceramic construction and use of surface on ceramic artworks. This course examines historical and contemporary ceramic art and design practices relevant to the use of clay as a creative medium.
Notes: ART 201 Image and Technology (2020-21) is the prerequisite not ART 201 Surface/Image/Practice (2018-19, 2019-20).
Pre-requisites: ART 103 or ART 105 or ART 201 or ART 203 or DESN 216, or permission of instructor.
This course explores the use of digital media in the creation of studio art. Methods of vector and raster imagery is the focus along with an introduction to 2D animation techniques. Topics within the field of digital art will be introduced and discussed. Skills from this course can be applied to a number of artistic interests—both creative and practical.
Pre-requisites: ENGL 101, ART 213 (may be taken concurrently); or permission of the instructor.
Few media have influenced the course of modernity more fundamentally than photography. This course will survey the history of the medium from its prehistory to its present and explore the dominant themes and theories associated with it. Course readings, lectures, and demonstrations will address photography’s multiple histories: as artistic expression, as social text, as technological pursuit, and as cultural product.
Pre-requisites: sophomore standing.
This course investigates contemporary sculptural techniques, materials and concepts to help students give personal expression to material form. Consideration of the interrelationships among form, material, technique and content hone students' ability to analyze and critique artworks.
EWU offers over 140+ Minors and Certificates that students can use to diversify their transcript. Here are some that we find would be complementary to an Art Major
The Certificate in Media Writing focuses on developing the skills to write in multiple genres and media – art exhibitions, press releases, web pages, etc.
Learn MoreYou’ll also choose from a wide variety of electives that cover art from different periods of history such as antiquity, the Renaissance and the modern era.
Learn MoreYou’ll start to develop an entrepreneurial portfolio as you study the nature of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneur, and explore the role of entrepreneurship in society.
Learn MorePair together your understanding of the human mind and the expression of the visual arts.
Learn MoreStudy cultural beliefs, traditions, practices and values from diverse communities.
Learn MoreHead on over to the EWU Program Explorer to discover all the minors and certificates that we have to offer!