Candidates for the B.F.A. degree must complete a Foundation and Core Art Program (which is largely satisfied by the A.F.A. degree) and an emphasis area in one of the following: art education, graphic design, or general fine arts studio practice. Studio Art majors are required to take 69 hours in studio art (this includes 27 hours in the foundation and core art program) and 12 hours in Art History. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at UMSL. Graduating students must also pass a faculty portfolio review.
Advanced Placement in Studio Art Classes: Studio Art Majors who have professional Graphic Design or other professional studio experience may wish to submit a portfolio to a committee of Studio Art faculty. Depending on the nature and the quality of the student’s portfolio, they may be able to obtain exemptions from selected lower level Studio Art courses. Students applying for these exemptions must submit their portfolios prior to the first day of class of their first semester in the BFA Program. Students will be notified in writing if an exemption is granted. Students informed of these waivers will be advised of their requirements in the studio art major. All decisions of the portfolio reviews are final.
General Education
Majors in Studio Art must meet the college and university general education requirements. A foreign language is not required. Studio Art courses required for the degree may not be taken on a satisfactory/ unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. A minimum of 120 hours is required for graduation. Certain Studio Art courses fulfill the humanities and fine arts general education requirement.
An art education emphasis leading toward K-12 Art teacher certification is available. Students choosing this option must complete degree requirements for the B.F.A. Students must complete ENGL 3100 (Advanced Expository Writing) and the general education requirements of the College of Education. A foreign language is not required.
Students will take a specialized program of Foundation Art (30 hours) that includes courses required for certification to teach art. They will also take studio art electives, including a minimum of three courses in one of the studio emphasis areas: drawing, graphic design, painting, photography, or printmaking. A minimum of 50 credit hours must be completed in studio art. In addition, students must complete 15 hours of art history. The final 30 hours of coursework must be completed in residence at UMSL. Major area courses, including studio art, art history, art education, teacher education, and secondary education, must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.5; no grade lower than a C is acceptable in major area coursework.
Beginning with those students graduating in May 2017 and receiving teacher certification, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires a 3.0 GPA in professional education courses, a 3.0 GPA in the teaching content field, and a 2.75 overall GPA.
| Foundations | ||
| ST ART 1020 | Expanded Artforms | 3 |
| ST ART 1140 | Drawing I (MOTR PERF 105D) | 3 |
| ST ART 1150 | 2D Design: Surface | 3 |
| ST ART 1151 | 3D Design: Space | 3 |
| Core | ||
| ST ART 2220 | Computer Design I | 3 |
| or ST ART 2205 | Graphic Design I | |
| ST ART 2230 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ST ART 2245 | Painting I | 3 |
| ST ART 2252 | Printmaking I | 3 |
| ST ART 2260 | Photography I | 3 |
| ST ART 2270 | Ceramics I | 3 |
| ST ART 2278 | Introduction to Fibers and Textiles | 3 |
| ST ART 3332 | Figure Drawing I | 3 |
| History of Art and Visual Culture | ||
| ART HS 1100 | Introduction to Western Art (MOTR ARTS 100) | 3 |
| ART HS 2280 | Modern to Contemporary Art | 3 |
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Global Art and Visual Culture (MOTR ARTS 101) | ||
| Indigenous Arts of the Americas | ||
| Introduction to the Art and Visual Cultures of Africa | ||
| Introduction to the Art and Visual Cultures of Asia | ||
| Choose one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Art and Archaeology of The Ancient World | ||
| Greek Art and Archaeology | ||
| Medieval Art | ||
| Italian and Northern European Renaissance Art | ||
| Nineteenth Century European Art | ||
| Special Study | ||
| Sophomore/Junior Seminar: Research in Art History | ||
| Electives | ||
| Two 2000 or 3000-level ST ART or ART HS courses | 6 | |
| Education Courses (Art Education Emphasis) | ||
| TCH ED 1000 | Building Community, Culture, and Learning in Education | 1 |
| TCH ED 1001 | Early Clinical Experience: Community Agency | 1 |
| Level I: Exploring Education as a Profession | ||
| TCH ED 2000 | Becoming a Professional Educator | 1 |
| TCH ED 2001 | Early Clinical Experience: Schools | 1 |
| TCH ED 2209 | Foundations of Teaching in American Schools | 2 |
| Level II: Analyzing the Nature and Process of Education | ||
| ART ED 3328 | Art Education: Theory to Practice | 3 |
| ART ED 4260 | Art Museum as Teaching Resource | 3 |
| ED PSY 3312 | Psychology of Learning, Instruction, and Assessment | 3 |
| SPEC ED 3318 | Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| TCH ED 3001 | Mid-Level Clinical Experience: Diverse Learners | 1 |
| TCH ED 3310 | Introduction to Methods of Teaching | 3 |
| TCH ED 4391 | Literacy for Adolescent Learners in Content Areas | 3 |
| Level III: Synthesizing Theory and Practice in Education | ||
| ART ED 4273 | Curriculum and Methods of Teaching Art | 3 |
| SEC ED 4995 | Practicum I: Site-Based Experience in Art | 3 |
| SEC ED 4996 | Practicum II: 12-Week Site-Based Experience in Art | 9 |
| SEC ED 4997 | Practicum II: 4-Week Site-Based Experience in Art | 3 |
| Total Hours | 97 | |
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- To develop visual and verbal responses to visual phenomena, and organize perceptions and conceptualizations both rationally and intuitively
- To explain the major achievements in the history of art and design, including the works and intentions of leading artists and designers in the past and present
- To develop the capacity to identify and/or solve visual problems within a variety of physical, technological, social, and cultural contexts
- To explain and evaluate contemporary thinking about art or design
- To develop competence in a number of art or design techniques
- To make valid assessments of quality and effectiveness in design projects and works of art, especially their own
Sample Four Year Plan
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| ST ART 1140 | 3 | ST ART 1020 | 3 | PSYCH 1003 | 3 |
| ST ART 1150 | 3 | ST ART 1151 | 3 | EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 |
| TCH ED 1000 | 1 | ST ART 2230 | 3 | ||
| ENGL 1100 | 3 | TCH ED 1001 | 1 | ||
| MATH 1020 | 3 | TCH ED 2000 | 1 | ||
| HIST 1001 | 3 | POL SCI 1100 | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| ST ART 2245 | 3 | ST ART 2275 | 3 | ED TECH 2230 | 3 |
| ST ART 1142 | 3 | ST ART XXXX Studio Art Elective | 3 | ENGL 3100 | 3 |
| TCH ED 2001 | 1 | ED PSY 3312 | 3 | ||
| TCH ED 2209 | 2 | TCH ED 3310 | 3 | ||
| ED PSY 2212 | 3 | COMM 1040 | 3 | ||
| BIOL 1012 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | 6 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer | Hours |
| ST ART 2252 | 3 | ART ED 3328 | 3 | ART HS 1120 | 3 |
| ST ART 2278 | 3 | ART ED 4260 | 3 | EXPLORE - Mathematics and Life/Natural Sciences | 3 |
| ART HS 1100 | 3 | ST ART 2220 | 3 | ||
| TCH ED 3001 | 1 | ST ART XXXX Studio Art Elective | 3 | ||
| TCH ED 4391 | 3 | ART HS 2280 | 3 | ||
| SPEC ED 3318 | 3 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| ART ED 4273 | 3 | SEC ED 4996 | 9 | ||
| ST ART 2260 | 3 | SEC ED 4997 | 3 | ||
| ST ART 2270 | 3 | ||||
| ART HS 2000+ Art History Elective | 3 | ||||
| SEC ED 4995 | 3 | ||||
| 15 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours: 136 | |||||