East Tennessee State University
Office of Registrar

Department of Art and Design

 (ARTA)

      Box 70708           Phone: (423) 439-4247

 

Bachelor of Fine Arts - Art Major                 Studio Art                                                                          Art Minor

Art History                                                             Studio Art with non-art Minor                                 Penland Courses  

Accredited by:     ETSU is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and 

                                   Design and the Department of Art and Design holds membership in the College Art Association

                                   and other professional art organizations.

The Department of Art and Design has the responsibility to provide education of high quality in the professional art and art education disciplines. Our mission is to prepare and produce students who are equipped to function capably in their chosen area of the visual arts.

Undergraduate degrees that may be earned include: B.F.A., B.S., and B.A. The B.F.A. is recommended for those students who wish to follow a professional career in the studio arts. The B.A. is available for students who wish to major in art history or studio art. Please see the programs listed below for more details.

Graduate degrees that may be earned include: M.F.A. and M.A. The M.F.A. is the terminal degree in studio art for practicing artists and university or college teaching of art. The M.A. may be earned in art studio or art history. Please see the graduate catalog for more details.

An art major may specialize in one or more of the following areas: art history, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, commercial art, graphic design, photography, ceramics, fibers, and jewelry and metal-smithing.

Art majors must take the following art courses during the freshman year:

Transfer students should consult the Chair of the Department of Art and Design concerning departmental limitations on transfer credit.

The professional undergraduate degree in the visual arts is the bachelor of fine arts degree. This degree allows the student to specialize in a particular area of art in order to prepare for a professional career. No grade of "C-" or less in art may be applied to the B.F.A. major. No minor is required.

After 36 hours in art and before 45 hours in art have been completed, the B.F.A. student must take the Works in Progress Review. The student must pass this review in order to graduate with a B.F.A. degree in art.

Students in the B.F.A. program should be aware that the final advanced study courses taken in the area of specialization should have as the primary goal the production of art work of exhibition quality and that examples of this work will be exhibited by the Department of Art and Design as proof of the students' excellence in a required senior exhibit. A committee of three art faculty including the students' major advisor will review and evaluate each students' B.F.A. exhibit.

*See the General Education Core Requirements for options. 

*Satisfies TBR General Education Core Requirement.

     The Department of Art and Design recommends this degree for those students interested in specializing in art history. The B.A. degree provides a solid liberal arts education with a specialization in art history. The student may continue toward the M.A. or Ph.D. in art history after earning a B.A. degree in art history.

     The student may elect to pursue the B.A. degree in studio art. In that event the student should discuss this option carefully with the appropriate advisor. A student may major in art and minor in another department or major and minor in art. The B.A. degree requires completion of a foreign language at the second-year level. (See the College of Arts and Sciences B.A. degree requirements.)