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Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

The BFA in Studio art is a professional degree that prepares students for careers as practicing artists and/or further pursuit of a Master of Fine Arts Degree. The program offers a deeper emersion in studio practice with added emphasis on conceptual exploration, writing skills, and knowledge in contemporary art. BFA students develop, produce, exhibit and defend a cohesive body of work.

BFA students are recommended to declare a minor in Visual Culture and/or a related field of study that supports their research.

Students must apply and be accepted into the BFA program. BFA applications are accepted in the Spring quarter prior to the intended BFA year. Students admitted to the BFA program must complete an entire sequential year of study which includes Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters of an entire academic year. Students work closely with an art faculty advisor as they complete the BFA in Studio Art.

Students must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and at least 50 Art credits complete that include ART 312ART 313, and ART 331 (15 credits of Visual Culture) in order to apply to the program. 

Once accepted, students must maintain a GPA of 2.75 or higher in all enrolled art courses to maintain status in the BFA Program. 

Foundation Requirements
ART 201STUDIO I: IMAGE AND TECHNOLOGY5
ART 202STUDIO II: TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS5
ART 213THE VISUAL ART EXPERIENCE5
or ART 210 VISUAL CULTURE
ART 300DRAWING5
ART 320CAREERS IN THE ARTS1
Visual Culture
ART 312ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY5
or ART 314 THE BODY IN ART
ART 313ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY5
or ART 315 HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
ART 331CONTEMPORARY ART5
ART 410WRITING ABOUT ART5
ART 407ART AS SOCIAL ACT5
or ART 406 ART AND COMMUNITY
Art Experience15
In consultation with art advisor, choose three of the following courses:
CERAMICS I
CERAMICS II
ILLUSTRATION
COLOR THEORY
DIGITAL ART
PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE
THE BODY IN ART
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
PAINTING
WATERCOLOR
PRINTMAKING
ILLUSTRATION
SCULPTURE
FIBER AND TEXTILES
EXPERIMENTAL
Art Focus–in consultation with your faculty advisor18
Complete 18 advanced level credits in one or two studio discipline areas.
400 level Art courses (including 450 workshop courses) can be repeated for credit.
Ceramics
CERAMICS III
WORKSHOP IN ART (ceramics focus)
Digital
DIGITAL ART: THE MOVING IMAGE
WORKSHOP IN ART (digital art focus)
Drawing
DRAWING
LIFE DRAWING
Illustration
ADVANCED ILLUSTRATION
WORKSHOP IN ART (illustration focus)
Painting
PAINTING II
WORKSHOP IN ART (painting focus)
Photography
PHOTOGRAPHY: ADVANCED PRACTICE
WORKSHOP IN ART (photography focus)
Printmaking
PRINTMAKING
WORKSHOP IN ART (printmaking focus)
Sculpture
SCULPTURE
WORKSHOP IN ART (sculpture focus)
Professional Practice Electives4-6
In consultation with art advisor choose topics that best fit professional goals, ART 439 and ART 495 can be repeated.
TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
INTERNSHIP
BFA Thesis Year Requirements
ART 470BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (fall quarter)1
ART 470BFA THESIS AND RESEARCH (winter quarter)1
ART 472BFA THESIS AND EXHIBITION (spring quarter)5
Senior Capstone
ART 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
Total Credits95-97

Plan of Study

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2015ART 2025MATH 107 or 1705
ART 213 or 210 (Humanities & Arts BACR 1)5ENGL 2015Diversity - graduation requirement15
ENGL 1015Humanities & Arts BACR 215Social Science BACR 115
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 3201ART 3005Art Experience Elective25
Natural Science BACR 115Global Studies - graduation requirement15Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
Social Science BACR 215Natural Science BACR 215Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5  
 16 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 312 or 3145ART 313 or 3155ART 3315
Art Experience Elective25Art Experience Elective25Art Focus Elective35
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 4105ART 4503ART 407 or 4065
ART 439 or 4954ART 4701ART 4725
ART 4701ART 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5Art Focus Elective34
Art Focus Elective34Art Focus Elective35 
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective1 
 15 15 14
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Art Experience Elective - In consultation with art advisor, choose three courses from the approved list.

3

Art Focus Elective - Complete 18 advanced level credits in one or two studio discipline areas. 400-level Art courses (including ART 450 workshop courses) can be repeated for credit.

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB


General Education Requirements (GER)
  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences


University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List


Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term you expect to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.
Requirements in Degree Works are based on these two catalog years:

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Credit Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BFA in Studio Art from EWU should be able to:
  • demonstrate advanced technical skills in a studio concentration;
  • produce a coherent body of work for thesis exhibition;
  • produce a professional quality artist’s portfolio;
  • provide a compelling oral defense of their thesis exhibition;
  • use appropriate terminology to evaluate works of art;
  • write a well-crafted artist’s statement.