Art, Pictorial Art Concentration, BFA

The Pictorial Art BFA program, offered by the Department of Art and Art History , provides students with an intellectual, creative, and physical setting that supports excellence in painting, drawing, and printmaking. It provides a mix of discipline and autonomy. Preparation begins with a strong understanding of the fundamentals of drawing. From that foundation, the program provides comprehensive challenges in all pictorial disciplines and emphasizes both the historical traditions of painting and contemporary approaches. Faculty and students engage in critical and personal dialogue to encourage the development of a strong independent vision.

Program Learning Outcomes

Summary of Degree Units

University Graduation Requirements	44
Major Preparation	24
Major Core Requirements	25
Concentration Requirements	27
Total	120

University Requirements for Graduation

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, and GPA requirements as outlined in the Undergraduate Graduation Requirements section of the Policies and Procedures .

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

Major-Specific Graduation Requirements

No portfolios are required at the time of application for admission to SJSU. Major requirements for the first two years of study for BA Art/Studio Practice and all BFA degrees are very similar so that students have time to choose the right path and can apply for the BFA, if they choose to do so. At that time BFA program applicants must meet the following departmental requirements:

Have completed, be currently enrolled in, or planning to enroll within the following two semesters in all coursework in the common preparation for the BA and BFA Art majors (25-28 units of drawing, digital media, photography, sculpture, art history, ART 1 , ART 2 , ART 3 and ART 100W ) with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Also recommended, are three to six additional units from the desired BFA concentration area.
Pass the BFA - Art admissions review. During the review, which is held in October and March each year, images of the applicant’s creative work are reviewed by the art faculty to determine if the work demonstrates the creative level expected of BFA candidates. Instructions are available on the Art and Art History Department website.

Students complete the BFA Art program with a capstone project, for which each candidate prepares an individual art exhibit to demonstrate the candidate’s professional competence.

General Education/American Institution Requirements

Courses that meet General Education/American Institution requirements are noted with area designation for required area. For legend please see General Education Attributes .

University Requirements (44 units)

Core Lower Division General Education (30 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 9 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3 or B4 must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with major advisor for details.

Upper Division General Education (6 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 3 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

The 6 units of American Institutions (US123) coursework shown below also fulfills GE Areas D2 and D3. Other courses meet the American Institutions requirement, but may not include additional GE areas. The American Studies (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ) and Humanities Honors (HUM 1A /HUM 1B , HUM 2A /HUM 2B ) programs both offer larger integrated packages that meet this requirement. Consult with major advisor for details.

Complete One Sequence From: