Fine Arts: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts

Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts, Visual Arts degree program provides students with comprehensive knowledge and practice in the field of visual arts. The core of the degree is a strong studio curriculum focusing on the ideas and technical processes of producing contemporary art. The Fine Arts curriculum is complemented through access to a broad liberal arts education emphasizing the development of effective academic writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills.

Grounded in theory and practice, students develop aesthetic judgment, professional knowledge, disciplinary expertise, and the collaborative critical thinking skills required to prepare them for direct entry into today's creative economy.

The diverse needs of visual arts students are met in a vibrant environment with outstanding facilities, studios, exhibition spaces, visiting artists, student exchange programs, and opportunities for working with the community. Personal and professional development is encouraged as the degree prepares students to be practicing artists and contributing global citizens.

Key features of the B.F.A., Visual Arts degree include the following:

An emphasis on contemporary studio arts in two-dimensional (drawing, painting, print media, photography, digital media), three-dimensional (sculpture, ceramics, installation), and performance art.
A thorough grounding in modern and contemporary art history and critical theory that helps students explore issues in their own work and that of others.
A commitment to a student-centred teaching environment, small class sizes, and easy access to qualified faculty working and contributing in their field of practice and research.
The preparation of students for entry into the cultural industries and creative economies sector of the labour market through incorporation of essential skills training into the curriculum, including cross-disciplinary applications of studio, art history and theory, and practice.
Focus on theoretical, methodological, and applied understanding and skills required for employment and/or further studies in postgraduate education programs.
A solid liberal arts background that will prepare students to be creative and critical thinkers.
Dedicated studio space for 4th year B.F.A. students.

The B.F.A. Visual Arts degree offers first and second year studio courses in the areas of drawing, painting, digital media, photography, print media, ceramics, and sculpture. Courses in art history, visual culture and theory, and professional practices support the foundation years' studio offerings. These foundation courses are designed to develop expertise in a number of disciplines and offer a combination of technical knowledge, creative thinking, and critical content. There is flexibility within the structure of the program that allows students in third and fourth year to continue to explore foundation level, studio electives. This allows upper-level students to continue to broaden their artistic understanding and skills that, in turn, inform their third and fourth year art practice.

The rigorous foundation that students gain upon completion of the first two years of the degree requirements prepares them for a productive experience as they move to the upper level courses in the third and fourth years of the degree. The core of our advanced studio courses is an open format where students are able to work in a variety of disciplines within the same course. The student will work with a single or cross-disciplinary approach depending on their critical and creative concerns. The final two semesters of the fourth year allows students to focus a greater amount of research on their personal art practice, culminating in their final exhibition. This strong upper-level studio core of the degree is supported by courses in a variety of areas. Art History continues to offer curriculum in the upper levels concentrating on specific art movements and special topics courses that directly complement studio offerings, while students also have access to special topics within the studio arts that prepare them for more focused engagement in both creative and professional pursuits.

Admission Requirements

The Faculty's Admission Requirements, which consist of KPU's undergraduate English Proficiency Requirement, apply to this program.

Declaration Requirements

Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

In good academic standing with the University
Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
- 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
- 15 credits of FINA or ARTH courses, including ARTH 1121, FINA 1100, FINA 1167, and FINA 1175

Curricular Requirements

Students will achieve a B.F.A., Visual Arts by completing a minimum of 120 credit hours with a cumulative grade point average of 2.0, plus a minimum grade of ‘C’ in all required courses. Successful entry into third year “Advanced Studio and Seminar I” will require a CGPA of 2.0 or higher plus a minimum grade of ‘B-’ in one second-year studio course. In addition to satisfying all the essential requirements listed, students must complete at least 93 of the 120 credits from courses in FINA or ARTH, including at least 42 credits from courses in FINA or ARTH at the 3000 or 4000 levels.

The following are program requirements of the B.F.A., Visual Arts:

6-credit writing requirement comprising ARTH 1120 and an ENGL course numbered 1100 or higher to be completed within the first 60 credits taken.
24-credit breadth requirement consisting of courses outside of Fine Arts (FINA) and Art History (ARTH). Students will choose electives from undergraduate-level courses in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, Mathematics, Business, or Trades and Technology. A minimum of 9 credits must be taken from the Humanities area (including English 1100; for a list of courses in the Humanities, please refer to the Associate of Arts Degree Framework.)

All FINA/ARTH courses are 3 credits except FINA 4300 and 4400, which are both 6 credits.

1000 and 2000 Level

In the first 60 credits of the BFA program, all students must complete 54 prescribed credits as follows:

All of:
	ARTH 1120	Art and Visual Culture: Prehistoric to Early Renaissance	3 credits
	ARTH 1121	History of Western Art: Renaissance to the 20th Century	3 credits
	FINA 1100	Introduction to Drawing	3 credits
	FINA 1167	Visual Language: Making and Meaning	3 credits
	FINA 1175	Form, Structure and Materials	3 credits
	FINA 1200	Drawing II	3 credits
	FINA 2147	Issues in Contemporary Art I	3 credits
	3 credits from a course in ENGL at the 1100 level or higher		3 credits
Plus one of:
	ARTH 2122	Modern Art and Visual Culture: 1890-1945	3 credits
	ARTH 2222	Contemporary Art and Visual Culture: 1945 to the Present	3 credits
Plus:
	3 additional credits from a course in ARTH at the 1100 or 2000 level		3 credits
Plus:
	24 credits from courses in FINA at the 1100 or 2000 level, including 6 credits in 3D Studies*		24 credits

Note: * The following courses may be used to fulfill the requirement for 3D Studies: FINA 1130, 1131, 1230, 1231, 2330, 2331, 2430 and 2431

3000 and 4000 Level

In order to satisfy the requirements of the BFA program, students must complete 42 credits from courses in FINA or ARTH at the 3000 or 4000 levels as follows:

All of:
	FINA 3100	Advanced Studio Practice and Seminar I	3 credits
	FINA 3111	Professional Practices	3 credits
	FINA 3200	Advanced Studio Practice and Seminar II	3 credits
	FINA 4300	Advanced Studio Practice and Thesis I	6 credits
	FINA 4400	Advanced Studio Practice and Thesis II	6 credits
Plus:
	6 credits from courses in ARTH at the 3000 or 4000 level		6 credits
Plus:
	12 credits from courses in FINA at the 3000 or 4000 level		12 credits
Plus:
	3 additional credits from a course in either ARTH or FINA at the 3000 or 4000 level		3 credits

Notes:

Courses will be offered on a rotating basis (i.e. not all courses will be available in a given year). KPU will ensure, however, that the courses offered will allow for a student to graduate in a four-year period.
Students planning to earn a BFA degree from KPU, should review the lists of required courses and consult an Arts degree advisor with any questions about their program of studies.
Students coming from another accredited institution should apply for transfer credit to obtain credits that could be applied to the BFA degree.
Students may apply to graduate with a Certificate or Diploma in Fine Arts as they complete requirements for those credentials while pursuing a BFA degree.