Art, Traditional Arts Option, B.F.A.

Art (B.F.A.) 180-182 units

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 evolving vision. 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.

The B.F.A. degree 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: Graphic Design, Multimedia, Photography and Traditional Arts. The major consists of 100-102 units; the B.F.A. requires 180-183 units.

The department also offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree.  Seven options for the B.A. degree are offered: Art History, Art Studio (general), Graphic Design, Photography, Pictorial Arts (Drawing/Printmaking/Painting), Spatial Arts (Ceramics/Sculpture), and Multimedia. The major consists of 64-86 units; the B.A. requires 180 units.

The department is also part of the Interdisciplinary Studies, M.A.  degree program in Multimedia.

The Art Department offers minors in Art Studio, Art History, Photography and Multimedia. 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:

1. think creatively from the expression of an idea to the completion of a work of art;
2. apply art fundamentals successfully;
3. demonstrate an awareness of the history and context of art in relation to contemporary topics and social, political and cultural issues;
4. communicate an understanding for the use of an art medium for expression; and
5. 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

Features

• State of the Art Electronic Media Facilities
• 100,000 slides in the Department Visual Resource Library
• Three fully equipped Painting and Drawing studio spaces
• 3000 square foot machine shop which is fully equipped and professionally staffed
• Sculpture and Ceramic studios and a large outdoor working space
• Printmaking facility
• Excellent Photography facilities
• 2000 square foot University Art Gallery with a year round program of changing exhibits
• Video Art Collection of historical and contemporary art videos
• Student Art Gallery for solo or group Advanced Student Exhibitions

Preparation

For Advanced Placement course equivalents, see the Registration chapter.

Grade Requirement

Art majors must receive a grade of C- or better in each course used to satisfy a major requirement.

Admission and Degree Requirements

Applicants must meet university requirements for admission and must first be admitted to the B.A. degree program. In addition, they must meet the following requirements to apply for admission to the B.F.A. program:

1. Complete 30 units of Studio Art with a grade point average of 3.5 or better.
2. Submit a portfolio of work to the faculty B.F.A. committee along with a short statement summarizing their reasons for applying. Application reviews will be held once a year for admission the following year.
3. Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in all Art classes while in the program.
4. Prepare and install a final exhibition of their work in either the Art Department Galleries or outside exhibition spaces (or a portfolio for Electronic Art students) to be reviewed by the Art Department faculty to determine the candidate’s professional competence in his/her area of concentration.

Note: Requirements are subject to change, so consult your advisor in the Department of Art for clarification and interpretation of your major requirements. 

Traditional Arts Option (82 units)

Course Descriptions

Use this link to see all Course Descriptions  available throughout this catalog.

Other Undergraduate Degree Requirements

In addition to major requirements, every student must also complete the University requirements for graduation which are described throughout 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.