The B.F.A. program in Studio Art is designed to provide an enriched educational environment that develops and nurtures the full range of capabilities necessary for a career in the visual arts. Skills addressed include: a mastery of requisite technical skills, the use of technology across the curriculum, experience in critical and creative problem solving, visual literacy, knowledge of historical modes of expression in the visual arts, and mastery of written modes of expression.

To this end, the undergraduate student in studio art is required to complete 120 credit hours for the B.F.A. degree. A minimum of 66 credits are in studio art, plus two additional courses that can be chosen from studio art or courses outside the major department, and twelve credits in Art History, equaling 84 credits (70% of the total). All concentrations require a minimum of 18 credits of 200-level courses with requirements for each specified. The remaining 66 credits in Art and Art History may be filled by repeating some courses where permitted, by taking relevant concentration courses, or by taking electives in studio art.

Twenty-four credit hours are focused in foundation studies that prepare the student for advanced art work. These include: the study of two-dimensional principles, three-dimensional concepts and basic studio course work in Drawing, Printmaking, Photography, Painting, Sculpture, Art History, and Criticism and Theory. An introduction to technology-based art forms is an aspect of the foundation curriculum. One of the required introductory studio courses, Art 111, is team taught by three members of the permanent faculty with a focus on conceptual issues in art making and requisite skills in two-dimensional principles, three-dimensional concepts, and drawing necessary to accomplish these goals.

At the advanced level, the art student is required to complete at least 24 credit hours in the concentration with additional 24 credit hours of studio electives. Twelve credits are the minimum required in the study of Art History. The student may use up to six hours of elective credits in a field outside of studio art.

The University of Connecticut’s location in New England adds significantly to the educational opportunities available to our students, and the Department takes full advantage of the many resources within the region and the Northeast corridor. Field trips to New York City, Boston, and Providence are an integral part of the Studio art program. Visiting artists and scholars from the region are a regular part of the Studio and academic curriculum.

Students have the opportunity to exhibit their work on the campus during their undergraduate career. Student exhibitions occur regularly throughout the year in critique and exhibition areas in the art building. The Arena Gallery in the center of the Art Building is dedicated to the exhibition of student work as are the hallways of the first floor of the Art Building. Additional exhibition space exists for student exhibition opportunities around the campus; these include the Jorgensen Gallery in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, the newly opened Cross Atrium Gallery in the Wilbur Cross Student Services Building, and new gallery space soon to be available in the renovated Student Union Building. An annual BFA Senior Show in the Atrium Gallery as well as a Scholarship show in the Jorgensen Gallery take place each year in the Spring term.

Please take a look at some student work >