Fine Arts Major (B.F.A.)
https://cola.unh.edu/art-art-history/program/bfa/fine-arts
Incoming first-year and transfer applicants wishing to enter the bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) degree program must first apply for, and be admitted to, the bachelor of arts (B.A.) in the Arts: Studio Art option. Students may submit a B.F.A. portfolio after they begin their studies at UNH, as early as the spring semester of their first year. A full faculty review is held each spring semester.
The B.F.A. curriculum provides advanced training for students who plan to enter professional graduate school or pursue careers as professional artists.
Degree Requirements
All Major, Option and Elective Requirements as indicated.
*Major GPA requirements as indicated.
Major Requirements
Students selecting to work toward a B.F.A. degree must complete a minimum of 17 courses and 72 credits, with a minimum grade of C in each course. Transfer of 3-credit courses from other institutions will require additional course(s) to fulfill the major requirement of 72 credits. Transfer courses can fulfill only 8 requirements. The following courses are required:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Foundation (3 courses) | ||
| ARTS 510 | Principles of Design | 4 |
| ARTS 532 | Introductory Drawing | 4 |
| ARTS 567 | Introductory Sculpture | 4 |
| Core Supplemental (3 courses) | ||
| Select one 500/600 level 2D course from the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction Printmaking: Intaglio | ||
| Painting Design I: Perceptual Painting and Color Theory | ||
| Drawing Workshop | ||
| Select one 500-level 3D course from the following: | 4 | |
| Introductory Ceramics | ||
| Introductory Woodworking | ||
| Select one Photography course from the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Darkroom Photography | ||
| Introductory Digital Photography | ||
| Core Seminars | ||
| ARTS 598 | An Artist's Life | 4 |
| ARTS 798 | Seminar/Senior Thesis (two-semester course) | 8 |
| Concentration Courses | ||
| Select 5 Studio courses in a concentration (see concentration courses below) | 20 | |
| Advanced Studio Seminar | ||
| ARTS 780 | Advanced Studio Seminar | 4 |
| Core Art History (3 courses) | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to Architectural History | ||
| Introduction to Art History | ||
| Introduction to Global Art History | ||
| Select two 600-level or above art history courses from the following: | 8 | |
| 17th and 18th Century American Architecture | ||
| Nineteenth-Century Architecture: The Architecture of Empire | ||
| Twentieth-Century Architecture: Modern and Contemporary | ||
| Greek Art and Architecture | ||
| Roman Art and Architecture | ||
| Early Medieval Art | ||
| Romanesque and Gothic Art | ||
| Northern Renaissance Art I | ||
| Iconoclasm and Collecting: The Art of Early Modern Northern Europe | ||
| Early Renaissance Art | ||
| The High Renaissance | ||
| Baroque Art in Northern Europe | ||
| Graphic Art of the Renaissance and Baroque Periods | ||
| Sex and Sensuality in 18th-Century Art | ||
| Histories of Late 19th & 20th Century European Modernism | ||
| Contemporary Art and Theory: 1945-2000 | ||
| American Art | ||
| Vision and Modernity: From Panorama to Early Film | ||
| Topics in Art History | ||
| Topics in Asian Art | ||
| Understanding Art History: An In-Depth Overview | ||
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Concentration Courses (5 courses)
Minimum of four 600-700 level studio courses and no more than one of the following: ARTS 600 Internship in Studio Art (with approval), a 600-700 level art history (see selection of courses in art history requirement above), or a 500-level studio course (select from ARTS 501, ARTS 525, ARTS 536, ARTS 546, ARTS 551, ARTS 552, ARTS 596). Jterm and summer courses cannot be used.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramics Workshop (may be repeated) | ||
| Principles of Typography | ||
| Animation and Motion Design | ||
| Interaction & Game Design | ||
| Design and Place | ||
| Design and People | ||
| Wood/Furniture Design Workshop (may be repeated) | ||
| Printmaking Workshop (may be repeated) | ||
| Photography Workshop (may be repeated) | ||
| Sculpture Workshop (may be repeated) | ||
| Independent Study: Studio Art (K: Wood Design, may be repeated) |
The possible areas of concentration within the department are painting, sculpture, ceramics, design, drawing, printmaking, photography, and furniture design. Proposals for individualized programs are accepted only by permission of the departmental chairperson, the major adviser, and the departmental bachelor of fine arts committee. Candidates applying for the bachelor of fine arts program are required to submit a portfolio to the B.F.A. committee, which meets each spring semester.
The Discovery Program capstone requirement may be fulfilled by completing .
The required minimum overall GPA in major coursework is 2.0.
Candidates for a degree must satisfy all of the University Discovery Program requirements in addition to satisfying the requirements of each individual major program.
Fine arts majors may use two major-required courses to satisfy two Discovery category requirements.
Introductory (500) Level:
- Basic skillset in a particular arts discipline
- Working knowledge of the tools and materials used in a particular arts discipline
- Basic understanding of analytical thinking when making and talking about art
- Demonstrate development of artistry
Intermediate (500/600) Level:
- Demonstrate development of artistry and skill set in a range of artistic disciplines
- Demonstrate knowledge of tools and materials beyond the basics
- Deeper ability to discuss and analyze works of art
- Ability to verbalize intent in a particular work of art
- Ability to research particular artists
- Ability to declare an area of concentration for advanced in a particular arts discipline
Advanced (600/700) Level:
- Demonstrate a high level of artistry
- Ability to work independently
- Develop and Demonstrate an individual sensibility
- Ability to understand and verbalize intent in a work of art
- Ability to construct a professional capstone portfolio or thesis
- Demonstrate in-depth familiarity with a range of artistic movements both historical and contemporary