All Bachelor of Fine Arts programs—Art Education, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture—begin with foundations courses in the first year. Core coursework in drawing, painting, sculpture, and optional courses in printmaking and graphic design, introduce students to visual thinking strategies across disciplines and present the tools, materials, and vocabularies for solving specific visual problems.
The BA in Art program also includes foundation coursework, which is indicated in the degree requirements for the program.
All BU undergraduate students, including both entering first-year and transfer students, will pursue coursework in the BU Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the entire undergraduate experience. BU Hub requirements can be satisfied in a number of ways, including coursework in and beyond the major as well as through cocurricular activities. As part of the Visual Arts BFA Foundation course of study, students majoring in Art Education, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture will begin to fulfill BU Hub requirements. Some of these requirements will be fulfilled through the foundation courses themselves, and some through first-year writing courses. Remaining BU Hub requirements will ordinarily be satisfied in the second, third, and fourth years through coursework within and outside the major or, in some cases, through cocurricular experiences.
| CFA AR 131 and 132 Drawing I (fall and spring terms) | 8 units |
| CFA AR 141 Foundation Painting (fall or spring term) | 4 units |
| CFA AR 121 Foundation Sculpture (fall or spring term) | 4 units |
| CAS AH 111, 112 Art History (fall and spring terms) | 8 units |
| First-Year Writing Seminar (e.g., CAS WR 120) (fall term) | 4 units |
| Writing, Research & Inquiry (e.g., CAS WR 151/152/153) (spring term) | 4 units |
| CFA FA 100 Doing, Making & Knowing: The CFA Experience (fall term) | 2 units |
To enter into a major, students must have completed the foundation requirements.
A student who has received a grade of D is therefore disqualified from entering any major area but may submit a portfolio of work to a committee composed of the faculty member who gave the grade of D and the faculty teaching in the major area. A petition can be granted that the admission requirements for entrance to the major area be waived. The requirement for admission may be waived at the Director’s discretion in consultation with the faculty committee.
To be permitted to move from the junior to the senior year, a student must receive a grade of C or higher in their major subject.