Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art
The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art is a four-year, 120 credit hour degree program. The B.A. in Visual Art is a traditional liberal arts undergraduate degree, requiring 24 credit hours in Visual Art beyond the 1st year foundations courses, as opposed to the the more art intensive B.F.A. degree.
Students interested in pursuing a double major may find it easier to pair the B.A. with other undergraduate degrees. After taking the foundations courses, students take their remaining studio courses from the seven Visual Art studio areas: Ceramics, Expanded Media, Metalsmithing/Jewelry, Painting/Drawing, Printmaking, Sculpture, Textiles/Fibers, and Photomedia (in the Design Department).
In addition to completing the on-line application to KU Admissions, prospective students must submit a portfolio and responses to three essay questions to the Department of Visual Art in order to complete the application process and be for admission to the major in Visual Art.
First-Year Preparation
The first year foundations courses for the B.F.A., B.A., and B.A.E. degree include 13 hours of foundations studio, 6 hours of English, and 6 hours of Art History coursework.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| ART 101 | Drawing I | 3 |
| ART 102 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ART 103 | Art Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| ART 104 | Art Principles and Practice | 3 |
| ART 105 | Visual Art Seminar | 1 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 | Critical Reading and Writing | 3 |
| HA 150 | History of Western Art: Ancient Through Medieval | 3 |
| HA 151 | History of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary | 3 |
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of Admissions website.
Below is a sample 4-year plan for students pursuing the BA in Visual Art. To view the list of courses approved to fulfill KU Core Goals, please visit the KU Core website.
| Freshman |
|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
|---|
| ENGL 101 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing I)1 | 3 | ENGL 102 (Goal 2.1 Written Communication/BA Writing II) | 3 |
| ART 101 (Goal 3 Arts and Humanities, Major Requirement) | 3 | Goal 1.2 Quantitative Literacy2 | 3 |
| First Year Seminar Goal 1.1 Critical Thinking | 3 | ART 102 (Major Requirement) | 3 |
| ART 103 (Major Requirement FALL ONLY) | 3 | ART 104 (Major Requirement SPRING ONLY) | 3 |
| ART 105 (Major Requirement FALL ONLY) | 1 | HA 151 (Major Requirement SPRING ONLY) | 3 |
| HA 150 (Goal 4.2 Global Awareness, Major Requirement) | 3 | |
| | 16 | | 15 |
| Sophomore |
|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
|---|
| 1st Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 5 | 2nd Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 5 |
| BA Quantitative Reasoning (QR) | 3 | Goal 3 Natural Science | 3 |
| Goal 2.2 Communication | 3 | BA Laboratory/Field Experience (LFE) | 1 |
| HA (Art History) Elective 300+ (Major Requirement) | 3 | HA (Art History) Elective 300+ (Major Requirement) | 3 |
| Studio Art Course (Major Requirement) | 3 | Studio Art Course ( Major Requirement) | 3 |
| | 17 | | 15 |
| Junior |
|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
|---|
| 3rd Semester Language (BA Second Language) | 3 | 4th Semester Language, or 1st semester of Another Language (BA Second Language)4 | 3 |
| Goal 4.1 US Diversity | 3 | Goal 5 Social Responsibility & Ethics | 3 |
| Studio Art Course (Major Requirement) | 3 | Studio Art Course 300+ ( Major Requirement) | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 | Studio Art Course 300+ ( Major Requirement) | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 |
| | 15 | | 15 |
| Senior |
|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
|---|
| ART 540 (Major Requirement) | 3 | Goal 3 Social Science | 3 |
| Studio Art Course 300+ ( Major Requirement) | 3 | ART 599 (Goal 6 Integration & Creativity, Major Requirement) | 3 |
| Studio Art Course 300+ ( Major Requirement) | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 | Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 |
| Second Area of Study/Elective/Degree/Junior-Senior Hours3 | 3 | |
| | 15 | | 12 |
| Total Hours 120 |
Please note:
All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are required to complete 120 total hours of which 45 hours must be at the Jr/Sr (300+) level.
The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one KU Core Goal. However, overlap of a KU Core course with a major or degree-specific requirement is allowed. Overlapping is recommended to allow more opportunities to explore other majors and/or minors.
