Fine Arts (BFA)

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Offered by the Department of Art , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

Formal admission to the program is subject to the approval of a portfolio, evaluation of the academic record, and a personal interview. Admission depends entirely on faculty action resulting from this review. Consideration for the BFA is permitted only after 18 credit hours or three semesters of studio work have been completed at American University but before beginning the senior year.

University Requirements

120 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or better
Completion of college writing requirement
Completion of university mathematics requirement

General Education Requirements

A total of ten courses, consisting of two courses from each of the five foundational areas
At least one course from Area Five: The Natural and Mathematical Sciences must include a laboratory science component
No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

72-73 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

Areas of Specialization

Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, or Installation

Required (45 credit hours)

ARTH-105 Art: The Historical Experience FA1 (3)
ARTH-210 Modern Art: Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries FA1 (3)
ARTS-205 The Artist’s Perspective: Drawing FA1 (3)
ARTS-210 The Artist’s Perspective: Painting FA1 (3)
ARTS-235 The Artist’s Perspective: Video Art FA1 (3)
ARTS-400 Senior Seminar (3)
ARTS-420 Painting Studio (3)
ARTS-440 Sculpture Studio (3)
ARTS-460 Drawing Studio (3) (9 credit hours total)
ARTS-463 Printmaking Studio: Intaglio and Relief (3)
or
ARTS-464 Printmaking Studio: Screenprint (3)
ARTS-470 Time-Based Studio (3)
ARTS-560 Drawing Practicum I (3)
ARTS-561 Drawing Practicum II (3)

Additional Courses (24 credit hours)

Complete 24 credit hours from the following including 18 credit hours from the student’s area of specialization and 6 credit hours from another area:

Art History (3 credit hours)

3 credit hours in art history (ARTH)

Areas of Specialization

Multimedia

Required (49 credit hours)

6 credit hours from the following:

9 credit hours from the following:

Art history (ARTH) course (3)
COMM-100 Understanding Media FA4 (3)
COMM-105 Visual Literacy FA1 (3)
COMM-209 Communication and Society FA4 (3)
COMM-511 History of Documentary (3)
COMM-517 History of Cross-Cultural Cinema (3)
COMM-520 History of Animation (3)
COMM-527 History of Photography (3)
COMM-558 Survey of American Cinema (3)
RELG-225 Meaning and Purpose in the Arts FA1 (3)

9 credit hours from the following:

ATEC-321 Sound Synthesis I (3)
ATEC-311 Sound Studio Techniques I (3)
COMM-434 Film and Video Production II (3)
COMM-516 Topics in Film and Media Arts (3) : The Radical Image
GDES-210 Typography I: Visible Language for Publications and Media (3)
GDES-325 Kinetic and Sequential Graphics (3)
GDES-405 Experience Design: Interactive Media and Mobile Devices (3)
LIT-446 Advanced Studies in Film (3) (approved topic)
PERF-110 Understanding Music FA1 (3)
PERF-115 Theatre: Principles, Plays, and Performance FA1 (3)
PERF-260 Stagecraft (3)

University Honors Program

To graduate with University Honors in the major through the University Honors Program, students must meet the requirements detailed on the Honors website and have been enrolled as either a first-year student between Fall 1989 and Spring 2014, or as a transfer or self-nominated student through Spring 2015. The University Honors Program should not be confused with the AU Honors Program, which begins in Fall 2014 and has separate requirements, also detailed on the Honors website.

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.