Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

Visual Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts (514P, 514)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/art


Program Coordinator

Kristina E. Arnold, kristina.arnold@wku.edu, (270) 745-3944

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the initial professional degree sought for careers in visual arts and design. The Department of Art & Design offers four concentrations. The BFA in Studio concentration prepares students for a professional studio practice through rigorous artistic and academic experience. It is also the standard requirement for entrance into Masters of Fine Arts degree programs, the most common route to teaching studio art at the college level. The BFA Graphic Design concentration prepares students for careers in the visual communications field, including web design, print design, illustration, and new media. The Animation concentration prepares students for careers in fields such as animation and game design, and for professional arts practices in time-based media. The UX Design concentration prepares students for fields that incorporate interactive platform design and function.

Concentrations begin with a foundation of drawing, 2-D design, 3-D design, and art history surveys. Students then focus on a specific curricular sequence of interest to them: animation, graphic design, studio art (ceramics, printmaking, painting, sculpture, weaving), or UX design. Portfolio and seminar classes serve as the capstone experiences for BFA students in each concentration, where personal concepts and technical proficiency typically yield a cohesive body of work or competitive professional portfolio. In each concentration, the goal for the BFA student is to forge a professional practice in their chosen area.

Concentrations

  • Graphic Design (ARGD)
  • Studio (ARST)
  • Animation (ARAN)
  • User Experience Design (ARUX)

Program Requirements (79 hours)

A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.

Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.

The major requires 79 semester hours of study. Entry into the BFA in Visual Arts program may be accomplished in one of two ways: have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 in art and art history courses to include: ART 105 or ART 106, ART 130, ART 131, ART 140, a basic studio course at the 200-level, and an upper-level 300 studio course, or have a minimum GPA of 2.5 for these same courses and pass a department portfolio review conducted by a faculty committee. Transfer students will be required to meet the second of these two options. Any student denied entrance in their initial portfolio review and having less than 36 hours in art and art history, while maintaining a 2.5 GPA in the continuing art courses, may reapply once. Prior to meeting these standards, students pursuing the BFA will be designated as reference number 514P.

The major offers four concentrations, Animation, Graphic Design, Studio, and UX Design. All concentrations require the following Art & Design Foundations courses:

Required Courses
ART 105History of Art to 1300 13
ART 106History of Art Since 1300 13
ART 130Two-Dimensional Design 13
ART 131Three-Dimensional Design 13
ART 140Drawing 13
Total Hours15
1

Students may have no more than one "D" for a final grade.

Additionally, students must take the following courses for each concentration:

Studio Concentration

Beginning-Level Studio Courses
Select four of the following:12
Introduction to Computer Animation
3D Modeling I: Environment
Ceramics
Graphic Design I: Typography
Digital Media
Printmaking
Painting
Sculpture Survey I
Weaving
Required Drawing Courses
ART 240Drawing3
ART 340Drawing3
ART 341Drawing3
Studio Area of Focus
Choose seven upper-level studio focus courses21
Studio Upper-Level Electives
Choose three upper-level elective studio courses9
Art History Upper-Level Electives
Select three of the following (either ART 405 or ART 390 is required):9
Ancient Greek and Roman Art
Art of the United States to 1865
Art of the United States Since 1865
Southern Baroque Art
Northern Baroque Art
Medieval Art & Architecture
Art and Power
Art and Landscape
Art of Asia, Africa, and the Americas
Survey of Graphic Design
Contemporary Art
Art of the Italian Renaissance
Northern Renaissance Art
Art Theory and Criticism
Islamic Art and Architecture
European Art, 1700-1848
European Art, 1848-1900
European Art, 1900-1945
American Architectural History
Seminar in Art History
Portfolio and Capstone Requirement:
ART 432Portfolio3
ART 434Capstone Seminar1
Total Hours64

Animation Concentration

Basic Studio Courses
Select two of the following:6
Ceramics
Printmaking
Painting
Sculpture Survey I
Weaving
Required Basic Course3
Digital Media
Required Drawing/Illustration Courses (select two of the following):6
Drawing
Drawing
Illustration
Select 2 upper-level elective studio courses6
Animation Concentration Focus:
Basic Animation Courses12
Film Industry and Aesthetics
Basic Film Production
Introduction to Computer Animation
3D Modeling I: Environment
Advanced Animation Requirements18
Computer Animation I
3D Modeling II: Character Design and Development
Computer Animation II
Computer Animation III
Sound and Image
Special Topics in Animation
Animation Restricted Electives (select 2 of the following)6
Drawing
Drawing
Illustration
Digital Illustration
Special Topics in Animation
User Interface Design
Film Animation
Game Programming
Film Sound
Final Semester
ART 434Capstone Seminar1
Upper-Level Art History Requirements
Select two of the following:6
Ancient Greek and Roman Art
Art of the United States to 1865
Art of the United States Since 1865
Southern Baroque Art
Northern Baroque Art
Medieval Art & Architecture
Art and Power
Art and Landscape
Art of Asia, Africa, and the Americas
Contemporary Art
Art of the Italian Renaissance
Northern Renaissance Art
Art Theory and Criticism
Islamic Art and Architecture
European Art, 1700-1848
European Art, 1848-1900
European Art, 1900-1945
American Architectural History
Seminar in Art History
Total Hours64

Graphic Design Concentration

Basic Studio Courses
Select two of the following:6
Introduction to Computer Animation
3D Modeling I: Environment
Ceramics
Printmaking
Painting
Sculpture Survey I
Weaving
Required Basic Course3
UX 300User Experience Strategy & Content Creation3
Required Drawing/Illustration Courses (select two of the following)6
Drawing
Drawing
Illustration
Select 2 upper-level elective studio courses6
Graphic Design Concentration Focus:
Basic Graphic Design Courses6
Digital Media
Graphic Design I: Typography
Intermediate Graphic Design Courses9
User Interface Design
Graphic Design II: Layout & Information Design
Visual Thinking
Advanced Graphic Design Requirements6
Graphic Design III: Advanced Graphic Design
Advanced Media Design
Final Semester4
Portfolio
Capstone Seminar
Restricted Electives (select three of the following)9
Drawing
Digital Media: Time-Based
Design to Prototype I
Professional Work
Illustration
Package Design
Digital Illustration
Special Topics in Graphic Design
Career Experience in Art
Introduction to Developing and Prototyping for Interactive Design
Upper-Level Art History Requirements
ART 334Survey of Graphic Design3
Select two of the following:6
Ancient Greek and Roman Art
Art of the United States to 1865
Art of the United States Since 1865
Southern Baroque Art
Northern Baroque Art
Medieval Art & Architecture
Art and Power
Art and Landscape
Art of Asia, Africa, and the Americas
Contemporary Art
Art of the Italian Renaissance
Northern Renaissance Art
Art Theory and Criticism
Islamic Art and Architecture
European Art, 1700-1848
European Art, 1848-1900
European Art, 1900-1945
American Architectural History
Seminar in Art History
Total Hours67

UX Design Concentration

Basic Studio Courses
Select two of the following:6
Introduction to Computer Animation
3D Modeling I: Environment
Ceramics
Printmaking
Painting
Sculpture Survey I
Weaving
Required Basic Course3
Digital Media
Required Drawing/Illustration Courses9
Drawing
Digital Illustration
Drawing
Illustration
Select 2 upper-level elective studio courses6
UX Design Concentration Focus:
Basic UX Design Courses6
Introduction to User Experience Design
User Experience Strategy & Content Creation
Intermediate UX Design Courses9
User Interface Design
Introduction to Developing and Prototyping for Interactive Design
Visual Thinking
Advanced UX Design Requirements12
User Experience Advanced Studio I
Advanced User Interface Design
Advanced Developing and Testing for Interactive Design
User Experience Advanced Studio II
Final Semester
ART 434Capstone Seminar1
Restricted Electives (select two of the following)6
Drawing
Design to Prototype I
Professional Work
Illustration
Portfolio
Career Experience in Art
Special Topics in Graphic Design
Cognitive Psychology
Social Psychology
Sensory and Perceptual Systems
Judgment and Decision Making
Upper-Level Art History Requirements
Select two of the following:6
Survey of Graphic Design
Ancient Greek and Roman Art
Art of the United States to 1865
Art of the United States Since 1865
Southern Baroque Art
Northern Baroque Art
Medieval Art & Architecture
Art and Power
Art and Landscape
Art of Asia, Africa, and the Americas
Contemporary Art
Art of the Italian Renaissance
Northern Renaissance Art
Art Theory and Criticism
Islamic Art and Architecture
European Art, 1700-1848
European Art, 1848-1900
European Art, 1900-1945
American Architectural History
Seminar in Art History
Total Hours64

Finish in Four Plan

Studio 

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 1053ART 1063
ART 1303ART 1313
ART 1403Basic Studio #1 (200 level)3
ENG 1003MATH 1093
HIST 101 or HIST 1023COMM 1453
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Basic Studio #2 (200 level)3Basic Studio #4 (200 level)3
Basic Studio #3 (200 level)3ART 317 (or other Connections: Systems Course or ART 318 or other Connections: Local to Global)3
ART 2403ART 3403
ENG 2003Upper Level Studio in Concentration #1 (300-400 Level)3
Colonnade - Social & Behavioral3Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/ lab3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 3413Upper Level Studio in Concentration #3 (300-400 Level)3
Upper Level Studio in Concentration #2 (300-400 Level)3Upper Level Studio Elective #2 (300-400 Level)3
Upper Level Studio Elective #1 (300-400 Level)3Upper Level Art History3
ENG 3003Colonnade - Social & Cultural3
Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/ no lab3ART 4323
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Upper Level Studio in Concentration #4 (300-400 Level)3ART 4341
Upper Level Studio in Concentration #5 (300-400 Level)3Upper Level Studio in Concentration #6 (300-400 Level)3
ART 317 ( or other Connections: Systems Course or ART 318 or Connections: Local to Global)3Upper Level Studio in Concentration #7 (300-400 Level)3
World Language Requirement or General Elective3General Elective3
General Elective3General Elective3
 General Elective3
 15 16
Total Hours 121

Graphic Design

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 1053ART 1063
ART 1303ART 1313
ART 1403ART 2433
ENG 1003MATH 1093
HIST 101 or HIST 1023COMM 1453
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 2403Major Elective (ART 340 or ART 431 recommended)3
ART 2313UX 3003
Basic (200 Level) Studio #13ART 3303
ENG 2003Upper Level Art History #13
PSY 100 or PSYS 1003ASTR 104 or PHYS 103 (recommended (Colonnade - Natural and Physical Sciences w/ lab))3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 3313Upper Level Art History #23
ART 3343ART 4303
Basic (200 Level) Studio #33Colonnade - Social & Cultural 3
ENG 3003Upper Level Studio #13
UX 3303Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/ no lab3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 4333ART 4341
Upper Level Studio #23ART 4323
Major Elective3Colonnade - Systems3
ART 4383Major Elective3
Colonnade - Local to Global3General Elective3
 General Elective3
 15 16
Total Hours 121

UX Design

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 1053ART 1063
ART 1303ART 1313
ART 1403ART 2433
ENG 1003MATH 1093
HIST 101 or HIST 1023COMM 1453
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
UX 2203ART 340 or ART 431 (Illustration)3
ART 2403UX 3003
Basic (200 Level) Studio #13UX 3303
ENG 2003Upper Level Art History #13
PSY 100 or PSYS 1003ASTR 104 or PHYS 103 (recommended (Colonnade - Natural and Physical Sciences w/ lab))3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 3313UX 4003
UX 3403UX 4303
Basic (200 Level) Studio #33ART 4363
ENG 3003Colonnade - Social & Cultural 3
Upper Level Studio #13Colonnade - Natural & Physical Sciences w/ no lab3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Upper Level Studio #23UX 4503
UX 4403ART 4341
Upper Level Art History #23Colonnade - Systems3
Major Elective3Major Elective3
Colonnade - Local to Global3General Elective3
 General Elective3
 15 16
Total Hours 121

ANIMATION

First Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 1053ART 1063
ART 1303ART 1313
ART 1403ART 2433
ENG 1003MATH 1093
FILM 1003COMM 1453
 15 15
Second Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ANIM 2103ANIM 3103
ANIM 2203ANIM 3203
FILM 2023ART 2403
HIST 1013Upper Level Art History #13
Colonnade - Social & Behavioral3Colonnade - Natural & Physical Science with Lab3
 15 15
Third Year
FallHoursSpringHours
Basic Studio #13Basic Studio #23
ART 340 or ART 4313ANIM 3303
ANIM 3443ANIM Elective3
ENG 2003Upper Level Studio #13
Colonnade - Natural & Physical Science3Colonnade - Social & Behavioral3
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallHoursSpringHours
ART 4973ART 4443
Upper Level Studio #23Upper Level Art History #23
Colonnade - Local to Global3Colonnade - Systems3
Animation Elective3General Elective3
ENG 3003General Elective3
 ART 4341
 15 16
Total Hours 121