Art BA
Total Units Required: 120
The Bachelor of Arts in Art provides three options of study, all of which are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
The option in art education. This option is a gateway to the California Single Subject Credential in Art. By completing this approved course study, students earn a bachelor’s degree in art and subject matter competency in art, which is required for entrance into an approved credential program in California.
The option in art history. This option is designed to teach students to think critically about global visual arts and culture. The art history program provides training leading to art history careers (museum, gallery, and academic) and entry into master’s programs, as well as a solid foundation in research and writing skills that are highly valued by diverse employers. The faculty are widely recognized for their contributions to the field, with particular strengths in Medieval, modern/contemporary, and Mesoamerican art history.
The option in art studio. This option is designed to provide theory and practice for the development of perceptual and conceptual skills needed to engage in creative visual expression. The BA program allows students the opportunity to study and excel in the visual arts through our eight studio concentrations including ceramics, drawing, digital media, glass design, painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.
Grading Requirement
All courses taken to fulfill program course requirements must be taken for a letter grade except those courses specified by the department as credit/no credit grading only.
Course Requirements for the Major: 48-51 units
Completion of the following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, is required of all candidates for this degree. Courses in this program may complete more than one graduation requirement.
Students electing to fulfill a second option or degree within the art major must complete a minimum of 15 additional upper-division units.
Major Option Course Requirements
Students must select one of the following options for completion of the major course requirements.
The Option in Art Education: 51 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| ARTH 100 | Art Appreciation: Multicultural Perspectives | 3 |
| ARTS 122 | 2D Design | 3 |
| ARTS 123 | 3D Design | 3 |
| ARTS 125 | Basic Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 227 | Introduction to Painting | 3 |
| ARTS 230 | Introduction to Printmaking | 3 |
| ARTS 250 | Introduction to Digital Media | 3 |
| ARTS 260 | Introduction to Ceramics | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Basic Life Drawing | ||
| Introduction to Photography | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Introduction to Glass Art | ||
| Upper Division | ||
| Art Studio Courses | ||
| For a single emphasis select six units from one of the following studio course groups | 6 | |
Ceramics Group: | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics: Surface | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics: Mold Making | ||
| Advanced Ceramics | ||
Digital Media Group: | ||
| 2D Animation | ||
| Digital Illustration | ||
| Advanced Digital Media | ||
| New Media | ||
Drawing Group: | ||
| Intermediate Ideation Drawing | ||
| Intermediate Life Drawing | ||
| Advanced Ideation Drawing | ||
| Advanced Life Drawing | ||
Glass Design Group: | ||
| Intermediate Glass Art | ||
| Advanced Glass Art | ||
Painting Group: | ||
| Intermediate Painting | ||
| Intermediate Portfolio Painting | ||
| Advanced Painting | ||
| Advanced Life Painting | ||
Photography Group: | ||
| Topics in Photography | ||
| Alternative Photography | ||
| Advanced Fine Art Photography | ||
| Advanced Alternative Photography | ||
Printmaking Group: | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Intaglio | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Silkscreen | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Lithography | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Relief | ||
| Advanced Printmaking | ||
Sculpture Group: | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: Materials & Methods | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: Fire Arts and Foundry | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: The Body and Performance | ||
| Advanced Sculpture | ||
| Art History | ||
| ARTH 441W | Contemporary Art (W) | 3 |
| Any 400 level Art History (ARTH) course | 3 | |
| Professional Orientation | ||
| ARTE 401 | Manga and Beyond: Influences of Pop-culture in the Visual Art World | 3 |
| ARTE 489 | Art Teaching Internship 1 | 3 |
| ARTE 494 | Development of Youth Art | 3 |
| ARTE 592W | Cultural Diversity in Art Education (W) | 3 |
| Total Units | 51 | |
- 1
Must be taken for three units.
Students Pursuing the Art Education Option
Additional general elective units are required for graduation. Fifteen of these units must be upper division to meet the University's requirement of 39 upper-division units.
Teaching credential program requirements are governed by legislative action and approval of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Requirements may change between catalogs. Please consult with your Art Education advisor.
If applying to the Single Subject Credential Program, choose among the following 17 units of prerequisite and required Single Subject Credential courses:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| EDTE 255 | Introduction to Democratic Perspectives in K-12 Teaching | 3 |
| EDTE 302 | Access and Equity in Education | 3 |
| EDTE 451 | Health Education for Secondary School Teachers | 3 |
| EDTE 530 | Fundamentals of Teaching Practice for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
| EDTE 534 | Teaching Special Populations | 2 |
| ENGL 471 | Intensive Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition | 3 |
More information on the Single Subject Credential Program can be obtained through the School of Education.
Note: CMST 131 and POLS 155 are required for the credential program, but these requirements can be met through GE courses.
The Option in Art History: 48 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| ARTH 200 | Art History Careers | 3 |
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Art History Survey: Prehistory to Medieval | ||
| Art History Survey: Renaissance to 1800 | ||
| Art History Survey: 1800 to the Present | ||
| Asian Art Survey | ||
| Survey of Arts of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa | ||
| Select three units from any 100 or 200 level Art (ARTS) course 1 | 3 | |
| Upper Division | ||
| Breadth Requirement | ||
| Students are required to take three courses from each group with a minimum of 9 units required at the 400 level. Substitutions for double-majors and Museum Studies Certificates are by permission of advisor. | ||
| Group I: | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Art History Issues (W) | ||
| Greek Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Roman Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Medieval Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Group II: | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Art History Issues (W) | ||
| Ancient Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Maya Art (W) | ||
| Colonial and Modern Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Ancient Andean Art (W) | ||
| American Indian Art (W) | ||
| African Art (W) | ||
| Group III: | ||
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Art History Issues (W) | ||
| 20th Century Art (W) | ||
| Contemporary Art (W) | ||
| American Art (W) | ||
| Modern History of Interiors, Furnishings, and Architecture | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| Art History Seminar | ||
| ARTH 500W | Art History: Theory and Research Methods (W) | 3 |
| Total Units | 48 | |
- 1
Except ARTH 100
The Option in Art Studio: 51 units
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Division | ||
| Photography emphasis students take ARTS 241 instead of ARTS 126 | ||
| ARTS 122 | 2D Design | 3 |
| ARTS 123 | 3D Design | 3 |
| ARTS 125 | Basic Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 126 | Basic Life Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 195 | Introduction to Theory and Practice | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art History Survey: Prehistory to Medieval | ||
| Art History Survey: Renaissance to 1800 | ||
| Art History Survey: 1800 to the Present | ||
| Asian Art Survey | ||
| Survey of Arts of the Americas, Oceania, and Africa | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Photography emphasis students take ARTS 240 as well as two of the following. | ||
| Students should carefully select courses based on the prerequisites for the courses listed in the selected areas of emphasis. | ||
| Introduction to Painting | ||
| Introduction to Printmaking | ||
| Introduction to Photography | ||
| Introduction to Traditional (Film-Based) Photography | ||
| Introduction to Digital Media | ||
| Introduction to Ceramics | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture | ||
| Introduction to Glass Art | ||
| Upper Division | ||
| Art Studio Courses | ||
| For a single emphasis select 9 units from one of the following studio course groups. Select an additional 9 units from any studio course group, for a total of 18 units. 2 | 18 | |
Ceramics Group: | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics: Surface | ||
| Intermediate Ceramics: Mold Making | ||
| Advanced Ceramics | ||
| Public Art | ||
Digital Media Group: | ||
| 2D Animation | ||
| Stop-Motion Animation | ||
| Digital Illustration | ||
| Advanced Digital Media | ||
| New Media | ||
| Public Art | ||
Drawing Group: | ||
| Intermediate Ideation Drawing | ||
| Intermediate Life Drawing | ||
| Advanced Ideation Drawing | ||
| Advanced Life Drawing | ||
| Public Art | ||
Glass Design Group: | ||
| Intermediate Glass Art | ||
| Advanced Glass Art | ||
| Public Art | ||
Painting Group: | ||
| Intermediate Painting | ||
| Intermediate Portfolio Painting | ||
| Advanced Painting | ||
| Advanced Life Painting | ||
| Public Art | ||
Photography Group: | ||
| Topics in Photography | ||
| Alternative Photography | ||
| Advanced Fine Art Photography | ||
| Advanced Alternative Photography | ||
| Public Art | ||
Printmaking Group: | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Intaglio | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Silkscreen | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Lithography | ||
| Intermediate Printmaking: Relief | ||
| Advanced Printmaking | ||
| Public Art | ||
Sculpture Group: | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: Materials & Methods | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: Fire Arts and Foundry | ||
| Intermediate Sculpture: The Body and Performance | ||
| Advanced Sculpture | ||
| Public Art | ||
| Art History Courses | ||
| Photography Emphasis students must take ARTH 484. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art History Issues (W) | ||
| Greek Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Roman Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| Medieval Art and Architecture (W) | ||
| 20th Century Art (W) | ||
| Contemporary Art (W) | ||
| American Art (W) | ||
| Ancient Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Maya Art (W) | ||
| Colonial and Modern Mexican Art (W) | ||
| Ancient Andean Art (W) | ||
| American Indian Art (W) | ||
| African Art (W) | ||
| Modern History of Interiors, Furnishings, and Architecture | ||
| History of Photography | ||
| Studio Seminar Course | ||
| ARTS 495W | Professional Practices Seminar (W) | 3 |
| Total Units | 51 | |
- 1
Students may fulfill up to three of the required nine units with a course selected from ARTH 110, ARTH 120, ARTH 130, ARTH 140, or ARTH 150, to be arranged with the faculty advisor.
- 2
Studio courses at the 300-level may be taken two times for credit and most 400-level courses four times for credit. A minimum of six units must be at the 400 level.
Electives Requirement
To complete the total units required for the bachelor's degree, select additional elective courses from the total University offerings. You should consult with an advisor regarding the selection of courses which will provide breadth to your University experience and possibly apply to a supportive second major or minor.
Honors in the Major
Honors in the Major is a program of independent work in your major. It requires six units of honors coursework completed over two semesters.
The Honors in the Major program allows you to work closely with a faculty mentor in your area of interest on an original performance or research project. This year-long collaboration allows you to work in your field at a professional level and culminates in a public presentation of your work. Students sometimes take their projects beyond the University for submission in professional journals, presentation at conferences, or academic competition. Such experience is valuable for graduate school and professional life. Your honors work will be recognized at your graduation, on your permanent transcripts, and on your diploma. It is often accompanied by letters of commendation from your mentor in the department or the department chair.
Some common features of Honors in the Major program are:
- You must take six units of Honors in the Major coursework. All six units are honors courses (marked by a suffix of H), and at least three of these units are independent study (399H, 499H, 599H) as specified by your department. You must complete each course with a minimum grade of B.
- You must have completed 9 units of upper-division coursework or 21 overall units in your major before you can be admitted to Honors in the Major. Check the requirements for your major carefully, as there may be specific courses that must be included in these units.
- Your cumulative GPA should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Your GPA in your major should be at least 3.5 or within the top 5% of majors in your department.
- Most students apply for or are invited to participate in Honors in the Major during the second semester of their junior year. Then they complete the six units of coursework over the two semesters of their senior year.
- Your honors work culminates with a public presentation of your honors project.
Honors in the Major is not part of the Honors Program. Each department administers its own program. Please contact your major department or major advisor to apply.
See Bachelor's Degree Requirements for complete details on general degree requirements. A minimum of 39 units, including those required for the major, must be upper division.
General Education Requirements: 48 units
See General Education and the Class Schedule for the most current information on General Education Requirements and course offerings.
Diversity Course Requirements: 6 units
You must complete a minimum of two courses that focus primarily on cultural diversity. At least one course must be in US Diversity (USD) and at least one in Global Cultures (GC). See Diversity Requirements for a full list of courses. Most courses taken to satisfy these requirements may also apply to General Education.
Upper-Division Writing Requirement
Writing Across the Curriculum (EM 17-009) is a graduation requirement and may be demonstrated through satisfactory completion of four Writing (W) courses, two of which are designated by the major department. See Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning and Writing Requirements for more details on the four courses. The first of the major designated Writing (W) courses is listed below.
- Any Writing Course (W) in the department, which includes the following prefixes: ARTE, ARTH, ARTI, and ARTS.
The second major-designated Writing course is the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GW) (EO 665). Students must earn a C- or higher to receive GW credit. The GE Written Communication (A2) requirement must be completed before a student is permitted to register for a GW course.