Fine and Applied Arts, BA
Overview
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
The Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts provides students with a well-rounded transdisciplinary education in fields associated with performing, environmental, and fine arts. Students take coursework in a selection of online offerings from urban and regional planning, architecture, landscape architecture, dance, music, theatre, and art and design. The remaining coursework, after completing general education courses, is comprised of free electives, to allow for maximum flexibility for students. The program is offered online, and students take online coursework to complete degree requirements.
The program is open to off-campus transfer students or students applying for re-entry to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is not available for first-year admission or on-campus intercollegiate transfer (ICT).
Students must have 12 or more college-level, transferable semester hours. AP credits or proficiency credits do not count toward this requirement. By having completed at least one semester's worth of credit hours at a college level, students have demonstrated the ability to handle post-secondary coursework. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Re-entry students should complete the Drop Status Petition/Petition to Re-enter through the FAA Undergraduate Affairs Office. Students previously enrolled at Illinois must have been away for one or more semesters in order to apply for this program. Students may apply for re-entry to the BA in FAA regardless of the college or major in which they were previously enrolled.
Off-campus transfer students who have never previously attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign should apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Degree Requirements
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FAA 301 | Interdisciplinary Arts at Illinois | 3 |
| FAA 310 | FAA Professional Development | 2 |
| FAA 401 | Imagining Futures through the Arts | 3 |
| Upper-level (300-499) courses offered in the College of Fine and Applied Arts (ARCH, ART, ARTD, ARTE, ARTH, ARTJ, ARTS, DANC, FAA, LA, MUS, MUSC, THEA, UP), not otherwise counted in Major Requirements | 9 | |
see sample course options below | ||
| Additional courses, at any level, offered in the College of Fine and Applied Arts (ARCH, ART, ARTD, ARTE, ARTH, ARTJ, ARTS, DANC, FAA, LA, MUS, MUSC, THEA, UP), not otherwise counted in Major Requirements | 12 | |
see sample course options below | ||
| Total Hours | 29 | |
Sample Online Course Options
(not an exhaustive list, students should work with their advisor to select online courses in FAA)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Performing Arts online course options | ||
| THEA 101 | Introduction to Theatre Arts | 3 |
| THEA 110 | Broadway Musicals | 3 |
| DANC 100 | Intro to Contemporary Dance | 3 |
| DANC 200 | Explore Music through Dance | 3 |
| DANC 340 | Dancing Black Popular Culture | 3 |
| MUS 130 | Music Then and Now | 3 |
| MUS 132 | Popular Music Studies | 3 |
| MUS 133 | Introduction to World Music | 3 |
| MUS 446 | Songwriting | 2 |
| MUS 459 | Professional Internship | 0 to 12 |
| Fine Arts online course options | ||
| ART 100 | Understanding Visual Culture | 3 |
| ART 140 | Introduction to Art | 3 |
| ART 499 | Special Topics in Art | 1 to 4 |
| ARTJ 209 | Chado (The Way of Tea) | 3 |
| ARTJ 299 | Seminar in Japanese Aesthetics | 1 to 3 |
| ARTJ 302 | Intro to Japanese Animation | 3 |
| ARTJ 397 | Zen, Tea, and Power | 3 |
| ARTJ 398 | Designing Everyday Life in Modern Japan | 3 |
| ARTS 220 | Introduction to Fashion | 3 |
| ARTS 399 | Internship in Studio Arts | 0 to 4 |
| ARTD 217 | Graphic Design for Non-Majors | 3 |
| ARTD 399 | Internship in Design | 0 to 4 |
| Interdisciplinary Arts online course options | ||
| FAA 180 | Elements of Hip Hop | 3 |
| FAA 201 | Black Arts Today | 3 |
| FAA 399 | Special Topics | 3 |
| FAA 493 | MAL Practical Engagement Opportunity | 1 |
| FAA 494 | Writing with Performance: Politics of Love | 3 |
| FAA 496 | Experiments in Queer of Color Performance | 3 |
| FAA 497 | Crip* Research Internship | 0 to 4 |
| FAA 498 | Crip* Advanced Study | 1 to 4 |
| FAA 499 | Special Topics | 0 to 4 |
| Environmental Arts online course options | ||
| ARCH 211 | Transformations in African Centered Architecture | 3 |
| LA 222 | Islamic Gardens & Architecture | 3 |
| LA 314 | ||
| LA 387 | Undergraduate Seminar | 1 to 6 |
| LA 480 | Sustainable Design Principles | 2 |
| UP 136 | Urban Sustainability | 3 |
| UP 160 | Race, Social Justice, and Cities | 3 |
| UP 390 | Planning Internship | 0 or 3 |
| UP 423 | Community Development in the Global South | 4 |
| UP 494 | Special Topics in Planning | 1 to 6 |
Summary of Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Major Requirements | 29 | |
| Free Electives | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
A minimum of 40 credits at the 300- or 400-level must be completed for this degree | ||
At least 45 semester hours of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign credit | ||
At least 21 hours must be 300 or 400 level courses of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign credit | ||
Sample Sequence
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students in this program will have an individualized path to a degree. They will meet one-on-one with an academic advisor to devise an appropriate plan to graduation, which will likely look different than the one below.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
First Year
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA 301 - Interdisciplinary Arts at Illinois | 3 |
| Composition I or Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 16 |
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, any level | 3 |
| Composition I or Language Other Than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 16 |
Second Year
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, any level | 3 |
| FAA course, any level | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 15 |
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, any level | 3 |
| FAA 310 - FAA Professional Development | 2 |
| Free Elective course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 14 |
Third Year
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, upper-level | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective courses | 9 |
| Semester Hours | 15 |
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, upper-level | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 |
| Free Elective courses | 9 |
| Semester Hours | 15 |
Fourth Year
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA 401 - Imagining Futures through the Arts | 3 |
| Free Elective courses | 11 |
| Semester Hours | 14 |
| Requirements | Hours |
|---|---|
| FAA course, upper-level | 3 |
| Free Elective courses | 12 |
| Semester Hours | 15 |
Total Hours
Total hours for all requirements: 120
Learning Outcomes
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
Students in the BA in Fine and Applied Arts will be able to:
- Design an educational journey that reflects their personal interests and long-term goals.
- Combine knowledge from various disciplines, past learning, and professional experience to support career readiness.
- Develop an ethical and culturally aware integration of their learning, linking it meaningfully to future career aspirations.
Contact Information
for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Applied Arts
FAA Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs
FAA Undergraduate Affairs website
faa-uaa@illinois.edu
Course Registration Information
FAA Career Services
FAA Student Resource Guide
College of Fine & Applied Arts
Admissions
Overview of the College of Fine & Applied Arts Admissions & Requirements
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Undergrad Admissions
admissions@illinois.edu