The Department of Art is committed to the study and practice of the visual arts as these relate to:
(a) Creative research in art practices (studio);
(b) Educational practice and theory (Art Education); and
(c) To the understanding of art in its diverse historical and cultural settings (Art History).
The Department offers the four-year BFA (Visual Studies) degree and a five-year concurrent degree program with the Werklund School of Education, leading to the BFA (Visual Studies) and Bachelor of Education degrees. The Department also offers the BA degree in the History of Art.
Students who elect the four-year BFA (Visual Studies) programs do so in order to better realize themselves through study and active involvement in art as related to contemporary society and culture. The courses of study enable the student to develop conceptual understanding in the visual arts, to develop a foundation of knowledge and practice of artistic self-sufficiency, to develop creative processes of planning in order to carry out his or her various studio interests, and to teach art in the elementary or secondary school systems or to work as art specialists in other settings. The program enables the individual student to determine through studio practice the understandings and insights that support his or her own artistic and intellectual development. Students interested in teacher certification may pursue the concurrent degree program with the Werklund School of Education, which offers three years of study in the Visual Studies program and two years in the Bachelor of Education program. The Visual Studies program provides a core of work in the theory and methodology of art education, as well as a foundation in studio art and Art History.
The BA (Art History) is a four-year degree program requiring a minimum of seven full courses (or equivalents) in Art History. It offers the student a general survey and understanding of the History of Art, and exposure to critical analysis.
Faculty of Arts