Art and Design

Art Program

The Department of Art and Design provides a creative environment for academic excellence in the areas of drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and graphic design. The curriculum offers a strong foundation in the creation, history and theory of the visual arts and design, preparing students for professional careers and graduate studies. Majors and minors receive rigorous training and individualized attention by faculty who are committed to teaching excellence in traditional practices, expanded media and transdisciplinary approaches to art, through contemporary curriculum that emphasizes experimentation, problem solving and collaboration. The Department of Art and Design also provides creative learning experiences for liberal arts students who wish to explore studio practices through elective courses. Students can choose to major or minor in drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and graphic design.

The department requires a grade of C or better in courses counted toward the major and minor. No courses for the major and minor may be taken Pass/Fail. Advanced courses may be repeated for further development, with the approval of the chair. Certain courses can be repeated for credit and may count toward the major.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a pre-professional degree with intense focus on studio arts for students who wish to pursue art as their career. Students graduate with an exhibition and professional portfolio and are prepared for careers in creative industries, fine arts or the pursuit of a graduate degree. The degree requires 74 credits, in the area of concentration within the art major.

Bachelor of Art (BA) is a 48-credit degree in fine arts within the liberal arts context. The BA is suited to students who wish to double major or broaden their educational experience with particular skills in studio arts.

Harpur College Requirements

Harpur College students must complete the following requirements in addition to those listed for the major:

126 credits
94 liberal arts and sciences credits
Minimum of 46 upper-level credits
Completion of the Harpur College writing requirement (four to five courses as described in the All-College Writing section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin. Maximum of one C/J course and two W courses may be transferred).
Minimum of 44 credits in residence in Harpur College
2.0 or higher GPA

Harpur College requirements are described in detail in the Requirements for Graduation section of the Harpur College Undergraduate Information section of the Bulletin.

Requirements for Studio Art Major — BFA Degree

There are six tracks for the BFA: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, and Graphic Design. Consult with the department for appropriate courses for each track.

Four introductory courses, by advisement
Five elective courses from the intermediate level (300 level or higher), by advisement
Five studio courses in one specialization track, by advisement (no more than three transfer courses allowed)***
Three art history courses, by advisement**
Seminar in Studio Art (ARTS 496)
Senior Exhibition Seminar (ARTS 499) critique and exhibition

Total = 74 credits

Note that a maximum of six transferred courses may count toward the BFA.

**Note: Students planning to transfer to ��Ƶ from a SUNY school or from ��Ƶ to another SUNY school and pursue the SUNY Transfer Path in Art Studio Drawing track should take ARTS 210 (Graphic Design I), ARTS 230 (Sculpture I) and ARTS 271 (Intermediate Drawing) as their three 200-level ARTS courses. Additionally, they should take ARTH 110 (Intro to Art History I) and ARTH 111 (Intro to Art History II) as their two art history courses.

***Students planning to transfer to ��Ƶ from a SUNY school or from ��Ƶ to another SUNY school and pursue the SUNY Transfer Path in Design through the Graphic Design track should take ARTS 210 (Graphic Design I) as one of their five studio courses in graphic design, ARTS 171 (Drawing I) as one of their four introductory ARTS courses, and ARTH 110 (Intro to Art History I) and ARTH 111 (Intro to Art History II) as two of their three art history courses.

Requirements for Art Major — BA Degree

There are six tracks for the BA: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design and photography. Consult with the department for appropriate courses for each track.

One 100-level ARTS course, such as: ARTS 171 - Drawing I
Three 200-level ARTS courses, including one course in concentration area and two courses from two other concentration areas**
One 300-level ARTS course in concentration area
One 400-level ARTS course in concentration area
Three 300- or 400-level ARTS courses, decided in consultation with the major advisor
One 400-level Special Studio Projects course in concentration area
Two art history courses** (Graphic design students may count ARTS 215, History of Graphic Design, toward this requirement)

Total = 48 credits

Note that a maximum of six transferred courses may count toward the BA.

Honors Program

Departmental honors in art are awarded to those majors who have completed a substantive body of significant work in one or more tracks. Nominations for honors are submitted by individual faculty members, and the final decision rests with the entire studio faculty. Senior standing is required.

Minor in Art

A minor in art consists of a minimum of six courses distributed as follows:

Beginning, intermediate and advanced-level courses in one of these tracks: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, graphic design and photography
An additional introductory-level course in an area other than the chosen track
Two courses chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. One of these courses must be at the 300-400 level, and may or may not be in the area of specialization.

Total = 24 credits

Note that a maximum of two transferred courses may count toward the minor in art.

List of Faculty

Addendum: Requirements for new Photography track and guidance on SUNY transfer pathways added, 6/23/23.

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