Beginning Fall 2022 requirements and courses in the Studio Art B.F.A. degree were updated.

This updated (“New”) curriculum presents several benefits, including:

• Access - Majors will have earlier, increased opportunity to study in all 8 Studio Art emphasis areas
• Exploration - Students will enjoy more space and flexibility in their course schedules to pursue multiple interests and diversify knowledge and experience
• Flexibility - Students will be better able to customize their routes to completing the B.F.A., including increased opportunity to engage deeply in more than one emphasis area

Studio Art BFA Advising Guide

Studio Art BFA Advising Guide

The Studio Art Faculty have worked with our partners in the CLAS Advising Center to create an advising guide to the BFA Degree in Studio Art. This guide includes:  

• Understanding your 4-year plan (for the BFA)
• Understanding your Degree Requirements
• Your Exploration Phase (years 1 and 2)
• Your Focused Preparation and Culmination Phases (years 3 and 4)
• Declaring your BFA in Studio Art degree on banner
• Selecting a BFA Emphasis area
• Detailed program information about each of the eight emphasis areas

Do I need to have a Graphic Design or Illustration Review?
With this new curriculum in place there is no longer an admission process for Graphic Design or Illustration. Any Studio Art Majors can enroll in courses in these areas. 

How do I choose my Emphasis?
Starting in Fall of 2022 students choose an emphasis when they declare a major, which can be done directly on Banner. See page 6 of the Advising guide for directions. The department recognizes your emphasis as preliminary during your exploratory phase. Once you have completed the Second Year Review your emphasis choice will be confirmed. If you declared a major without choosing an emphasis you can revisit Banner to update your selection at any time. 

How do I know if the curriculum changes apply to me? 
It is easy to determine whether you are on the new curriculum or the old curriculum. If you began your B.F.A. (Bachelor in Fine Art) degree in the Fall of 2022 (or after), you are on the new curriculum which is detailed in the 2022-23 Catalog. If you started your B.F.A. degree at GVSU before Fall of 2022, you remain on the old curriculum reflected in Catalogs from 2021-22 and earlier. Students who remain on the Old Curriculum will be able to complete their requirements by taking equivalent courses for any courses that have been changed. As always students have the option of switching to a newer curriculum. The Transitional Advising Guide goes into detail about how to consider these options and compare old and new.