Program Description
Courses in the Department of Art develop our students’ perceptual skills, their access to the imagination, and their ability to think critically and independently. Instruction in use of art materials and specific arts processes enables students to create original artworks reflecting their evolvingvision. Our program also fosters a broad cultural awareness of the visual arts in society. Graduating majors should be able to clearly express their ideas about art-making. In addition, their grasp of historical and contemporary aesthetic issues should inform their own work. We offer excellent facilities, small classes taught by a distinguished faculty, space to work, a guest lecturer series, and field trips to museums, galleries and artists’ studios.
Seven options for the B.A. degree are offered: Art, Art History Option, B.A., Art, Art Studio Option, B.A., Art, Graphic Design Option, B.A., Art, Photography Option, B.A., Art, Pictorial Arts Option (Drawing/Painting/Printmaking), B.A., Art, Spatial Arts Option (Ceramics/Sculpture), B.A., and Art, Multimedia Option (Electronic Art), B.A. The major consists of 64-86 units; the B.A. requires 180 units.
The department also offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree. This is a professional degree offering students the opportunity to develop a higher level of expertise. It is often the degree of choice for those who intend to pursue graduate studies or attend other professional schools. It allows time for concentrated work within a specific art discipline: Art, Graphic Design Option, B.F.A., Art, Multimedia Option, B.F.A., Art, Photography Option, B.F.A. and Art, Traditional Arts Option, B.F.A. The major consists of 100-102 units; the B.F.A. requires 180-183 units.
The department is also part of the interdisciplinary graduate M.A. degree program in Multimedia (see Multimedia, M.A.).
The Art Department offers Art Studio Minor, Art History Minor, Photography Minor and Multimedia Minor. A Certificate Program in Art Museum and Gallery Studies is offered through the Division of Continuing and International Education.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a B.A. or B.F.A. in Art from Cal State East Bay will be able to:
- think creatively from the expression of an idea to the completion of a work of art;
- apply art fundamentals successfully;
- demonstrate an awareness of the history and context of art in relation to contemporary topics and social, political and cultural issues;
- communicate an understanding for the use of an art medium for expression; and
- communicate and apply technical proficiency in areas appropriate to their degree option to produce a cohesive body of work.
Career Possibilities
- Animator
- Artist
- Art Critic
- Art Educator
- Art Historian
- Arts Administrator
- Ceramicist
- Graphic Artist/Designer
- Multimedia Developer
- Museum/Gallery Curator
- Painter
- Photographer/Photojournalist
- Printmaker
- Sculptor
- Video Producer
- Web Developer
Major Requirements (B.A.)
The BA degree in Art requires a total of 180 units.
Each major option consists of 78 - 86 required units when choosing one of the six studio options:
- Art Studio - 78 units
- Pictorial Arts - 78 units
- Spatial Arts - 78 units
- Photography - 84 units
- Graphic Design (Electronic Art) - 86 units
- Multimedia - 86 units
The Art History option requires 64 units.
Grade Requirement: All Art majors must receive a grade of C- or better in each course used to satisfy a major requirement.
Other Degree Requirements
In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described in the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements chapter in the front of this catalog. These include the General Education-Breadth requirements; the second composition (ENGL 1002 ) requirement; the cultural groups/women requirement; the performing arts/activities requirement; the U.S. history, U.S. Constitution, and California state and local government requirement; the University Writing Skills Requirement; and the residence, unit, and grade point average requirements.
