Studio Art, BFASA
for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art Major in Studio Art
Students pursuing this major select one of eight concentrations:
- Fashion Concentration
- Illustration Concentration
- Interdisciplinary Practice Concentration
- New Media Concentration
- Painting Concentration
- Photography Concentration
- Printmaking Concentration
- Sculpture Concentration
Students must select one required concentration. Students are not permitted to declare more than one concentration.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art (BFASA) at the University of Illinois offers students unprecedented flexibility in determining their own courses and topics of study, engaging in a diverse, innovative curriculum. In response to a rapidly changing world in which artists and designers are constantly presented with new tools, platforms, topics, strategies and venues for exhibition, publication, performance and other types of cultural work, the BFASA prepares students for the workplaces of the future. The BFASA is designed to equip graduates with the skills necessary to not only create artwork, but to communicate, think critically and creatively, and gain experience in a broad range of topics that will prepare them as innovative artists and as global citizens. Students will navigate a dynamic curriculum that is responsive to current trends in art, culture and creativity. It encourages new, interdisciplinary initiatives and fosters collaboration and research at the undergraduate level within the context of a premier research university.
The BFASA at Illinois begins with basic material and technological tools and concepts in a variety of studio courses. Students are guided in the understanding of visual organization and communication by utilizing both new and traditional technologies and strategies. Foundation courses introduce basic material and conceptual approaches to making art, using media from traditional disciplines including drawing and painting, printmaking, clay, plaster, wood and metal, to code, digital imaging, interactive media, and time-based applications.
At the intermediate and advanced levels, curriculum offerings are designed to reflect an increasingly dynamic culture, and to provide students with experiences and skills that will enhance their adaptability. A changing menu of courses on a variety of topics is taught by a faculty with expertise in a wide variety of conceptual, material and technical strategies for making art.
BFASA students are provided individual studio spaces, where they develop a self-directed practice, housed in a communal studio building. The studio configuration provides the stage for a strong, vibrant community of student-artists working together as they establish their interests and participate in exhibitions, performances, and critiques.
The capstone experience is the BFASA Thesis course, in which students develop an individually determined body of work based on their entire educational experience. A portfolio and written thesis paper will demonstrate their conceptual, technical and expressive abilities.
Our graduates will enter professional lives as artists at a time when the boundaries between art and other fields are vanishing. Creative individuals with broad and versatile material, technical and intellectual skills will be in demand within expanding diverse practices that comprise contemporary art and society.
Students in the School of Art and Design must complete the Campus General Education requirements. Some Art and Design courses will also apply toward the General Education requirements.
Students majoring in this degree program must complete the First Year Curriculum requirements before beginning other major requirements.
A portfolio review is required for admission to the School of Art and Design.
for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art Major in Studio Art
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 122 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 Art and Design.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
fulfilled by ARTH 110 and any other course approved as Humanities & the Arts | ||
| 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 | |
fulfilled by ARTH 110 | ||
| 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 | |
First-Year Curriculum
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FAA 101 | Arts at Illinois | 1 |
| ARTF 101 | Contemporary Issues in Art | 2 |
| ARTE 101 | Art, Design, and Society | 2 |
| ARTH 110 | Introduction to the History of Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
| ARTF 103 | Design I | 3 |
| ARTF 105 | Design II | 3 |
| Select one Drawing course: | 3 | |
| Observational Drawing | ||
| Expressive Drawing | ||
| Visualization Drawing | ||
| Total Hours | 17 | |
Art History Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 200 level and above ARTH courses | 9 | |
Concentration Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
Capstone Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ARTS 392 | Current Art Issues Seminar | 3 |
| ARTS 451 | BFASA Capstone Studio | 4 |
Summary of credits for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| First-Year Curriculum | 17 | |
| Art History | 9 | |
| Concentration | 48 | |
| Capstone | 7 | |
| Free electives to bring the total hours earned to 122, including a minimum of 40 credits at the 300- or 400-level. | ||
| Total Hours | 122 | |
for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art Major in Studio Art
Sample Sequence
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 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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| FAA 101 | 1 | ARTE 101 | 2 |
| ARTF 101 | 2 | ARTF 105 | 3 |
| ARTH 110 | 3 | Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| ARTF 103 | 3 | Concentration Requirement or General Education course | 3 |
| ARTF ### (Drawing Category) | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| ARTH 200-400 level course | 3 | ARTH 200-400 level course | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement or General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| ARTH 200-400 level course | 3 | ARTS 392 | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | ARTS 451 | 4 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| Concentration Requirement | 3 | Concentration Requirement | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 122 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art Major in Studio Art
- Students will understand and be able to apply basic principles of visual and material communication, including two-dimensional pictorial concepts, three-dimensional formal and spatial concepts, and a wide variety of media and formats for artistic production, and possess the ability to apply them to a specific aesthetic intent.
- Students will demonstrate an ability and willingness to experiment and explore the expressive possibilities of various media, and artistic and creative strategies for self-directed art-making, and investigate the diverse activities and conceptual modes available to the contemporary artist, including work that directly addresses or engages with recent developments in the field of fine art as well as broader social questions and challenges. Students are trained in the production and critique of artworks that explore forms and technologies identified as new or emerging.
- Students will gain knowledge of, understand, and be able to apply concepts of visual rhetoric in the development of content, and be able to recognize and critically analyze an evolving variety of communicative practices in art and visual culture, including those that represent diverse cultures and sociopolitical positions, and to demonstrate openness to new social possibilities and a critical empathy towards both audiences and culture producers of differing histories, origins and identities.
- Students will develop an innovative, imaginative, and entrepreneurial self-directed studio practice, will gain a deep understanding of their own creativity, be able to apply it in any context, and will learn to independently generate thematic investigation and implementation of research in a broad variety of social locations, including art and educational institutions, activist forums, and cyberspace.
- Students will be willing and able to investigate and accommodate broad-ranging types of knowledge and artistic strategies for the purpose of synthesizing diverse and even disparate ideas in order to create sophisticated, unique works of art, participate in new types of collaboration, and to make innovative statements and hypotheses, or propose creative solutions to social, organizational and societal problems using aesthetic strategies.
- While pursuing a BFASA, students prepare for work as artists at a time when artists are employed in a variety of spheres: artistic direction, project management, education, research, fine art, curation, performance, non-profit work, activism, advertising, and many others. As digital medias evolve, our graduates will be flexible, able to understand the best use of emerging technologies while crafting new economic and social connections.
- Students will produce an integrated, cohesive, critically informed body of work for a thesis exhibition, supported by a written thesis document that serves to position their artistic practice within the broader sphere of contemporary art practices, exhibition strategies, audiences, and economies.
In addition, each concentration has discipline specific learning outcomes:
Fashion:
- Students in the fashion concentration will have fluency in their own personal apparel design process, including a strong working knowledge of the various modes of research, ideation, and design sketching.
- Students in the fashion concentration will be able to effectively communicate their design philosophy and personal aesthetic visually; through portfolio quality two dimensional representations of developed fashion collections and verbally; through presentations, critique response and in a post academic professional fashion industry context.
- Students in the fashion concentration will be able to communicate their design philosophy within the context of the history of fashion and the theoretical underpinnings that drive fashion and contemporary culture.
- Students in the fashion concentration will demonstrate skills appropriate for designing and researching within the fashion industry.
- Students in the fashion concentration will understand the various aspects of fashion industry, from design and production through manufacturing, promotion and sales.
- Students in the fashion concentration will be able to demonstrate construction and pattern making skills. They will have a knowledge of materiality, fibers and textiles in relationship to apparel production.
- Students in the fashion concentration will be prepared for professional careers by developing technical competency, creative/independent problem solving and conceptual understanding necessary for the challenges of a career in the creative industries.
Illustration concentration:
- Demonstrated competence and facility in drawing especially related to specific narrative or expressive problems.
- Ablity to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of form, space, and tone.
- Understand various color strategies and applications in rendering, including the scientific, cultural, and emotional aspects of color.
- Apply knowledge and skills in the use of basic tools, techniques, and processes sufficient to work from concept to finished product. This includes capabilities in fields such as painting, photography, typography, general design procedures, and digital/computer-aided design.
- Ability to analyze a text to identify the primary visual elements and character designs in storytelling.
- Demonstrate a narrative’s tone, rhythm, and intention in page and sequential formats.
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of a visual strategies capacity to communicate it’s given intention.
- Evaluate the use of art elements, design principles, and rendering methods in one’s work and the work of others.
- Working knowledge of the history of illustration, including its origins in the fine arts, and its relationship to written communication.
- An understanding of the commercial applications and basic business practices of illustration.
Interdisciplinary Practice concentration:
- BFASA students in the Interdisciplinary Practice concentration will have the ability to conceive, design, and create works in one or more specific fine arts disciplines.
- Students in the Interdisciplinary Practice concentration will have an understanding of the similarities, differences, and relationships among the various fine arts areas.
- Students in the Interdisciplinary Practice concentration will have experiences that encourage familiarity with a broad variety of work in various specializations and media, including broad exposure to works of art.
- Students in the Interdisciplinary Practice concentration will have opportunities to develop an area of emphasis in at least one fine arts area, process, or medium.
New Media Concentration:
- Students concentrating in New Media are trained in the production and critique of artworks that explore forms and technologies identified as new or emerging.
- Students concentrating in New Media create work for the new disciplinary mechanisms that have arisen to evaluate and promote artwork in digital media, but also for traditional institutional mechanisms of art distribution and art critique. As in Contemporary Art, work in New Media may take the form of performance, sound and radio broadcast, gallery exhibition, curation, public art, cinema and video, a networked event, publication, or even scientific research.
- Students concentrating in New Media are able to analyze and synthesize relevant aspects of human interaction in various contexts (physical, cognitive, cultural, social, political, and economic) and with respect to technologically- mediated communication, objects, and environments. Junior and Senior years see students working with critics/professors across the School to develop a portfolio of works in time-based, interactive, physical, networked or performative media. In the process of generating a body of work around a subject and form of their choice, students receive instruction in technical execution, formal composition, and theoretical framing.
Painting Concentration:
- Students concentrating in Painting attain a functional knowledge of the traditions, conventions, and evolutions of the discipline as related to issues of representation, illusion, and meaning.
- Students concentrating in Painting understand and utilize the diverse conceptual modes available to the painter. This may deal with direct observational painting strategies or with alternative approaches to the making of traditional or innovative two- and, at times, three-dimensional images.
Photography:
- Students in the photography concentration will acquire the ability to control the procedural construct of an image via camera, software and darkroom techniques.
- Students in the photography concentration will have an understanding of and an ability to employ photography's unique narrative structure.
- Students in the photography concentration will acquire a critical appreciation of the historical and social influences of the medium and the ability to evaluate their own work as well that of others via this construct.
- Students in the photography concentration will develop a cohesive body of work demonstrating technical competency and conceptual awareness of photography's varied histories and applications.
Printmaking Concentration:
- Knowledge and skills in the use of basic tools, techniques, and processes sufficient to work from concept to finished product. This includes knowledge of basic materials and technical procedures such as intaglio, relief, lithography, silkscreen, and digital processes.
- Mastery of at least one printmaking technique, including the ability both to experiment with technical innovation and to explore and develop personal concepts and imagery.
- Students concentration in Printmaking will attain a functional knowledge of the history of printmaking.
Sculpture Concentration:
- Students concentrating in Sculpture have knowledge and skills in the use of basic tools, techniques, and processes to work from concept to finished product, leading to preparation of three-dimensional objects and installations using the broadest possible range of techniques and concepts.
- Students concentrating in Sculpture will demonstrate mastery in one or more sculptural media, processes and presentational strategies.
for the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art Major in Studio Art
School of Art & Design
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143 Art and Design Building, Champaign, IL 61820
(217) 244-8462
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College of Fine & Applied Arts
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