Art, B.A.

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Kathrine G. McGovern College of the Arts > School of Art > Art, B.A.

The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art will benefit students wishing to pursue a program that places great emphasis on the liberal arts, but with a strong concentration in the field of art. In addition to the college requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, a minimum of 51 credit hours in Art is required. Students who are interested in careers in teaching Art from Early Childhood through 12th Grade, and wish to work toward eventual teaching certification, may benefit from incorporating the Minor in Education in fulfillment of the BA degree requirements. Students interested in the Minor in Education should contact the College of Education about the minor requirements and application process, and they should also seek advising in the School of Art about content courses that support this goal.

In addition to university degree requirements, students seeking the Bachelor of Arts in Art degree must fulfill, at a minimum, the following degree requirements to reach 120 total credit hours:

42-hour university core curriculum.
Two courses in an approved Foreign Language at the 2000-level or above.
Nine-credit hours in college courses outside of the major, core and language requirements. Choose courses from ARLD, ARTH, DANC, DRAM/THEA, IART, MUED, or MUSI.
Completion of one of the following requirements: an approved minor, a second major, a second bachelor’s degree, or a senior honors thesis.
Twelve credit hours in art history including ARTS 1303 and ARTS 1304 and three hours of 20^th or 21^st century art history and three credit hours of art history at the 2000-level or above. ARTS 1303 and 1304 will double count with six hours of university core curriculum.
Fifteen credit hours of approved fundamental arts courses, including ARTS 1316 and ARTS 2326 .
Twenty-four credit hours in approved related arts courses for the BA major. 
Additional free electives to reach a total of 120 total credit hours.

Fundamentals Courses

Twenty-one credit hours total, including fifteen credit hours of fundamental studio courses (four 1000-level or 2000-level studio courses) and Art History I and II (ARTS 1303 and ARTS 1304 ) constitute the lower level, foundational courses for B.A. majors.

Related Arts Courses

A basic prerequisite for any related arts studio course is completion of 12 credit hours of fundamental studio courses. A minimum of 24 credit hours in related arts courses is required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art.

The term “related arts” is meant to include all intermediate-level courses offered by the school. Students must have completed the fundamental course in a discipline before they take an intermediate level course in that discipline or have specific consent of the instructor. Related arts courses can include any art history course at the 2000 or higher level, any course approved by a major program’s faculty that is offered by another department, and any 3000-4000-level art or design studio course.

Students must complete a minimum of 21 hours of related arts coursework at the 3000 or higher level. Students may complete no more than three related arts courses in any one studio discipline. Studio disciplines are drawing, ceramics, graphic design, new media, painting, photography, video, printmaking and sculpture.

Exception: Students wishing to begin work in B.A. related arts courses who have not previously taken the fundamental course in the major, should take the corresponding 1000-level or 2000-level course, which can be petitioned for related arts credit.

Texas Core Curriculum

Communication: Approved Core Courses (010-6 hours)

ENGL 1301 - First Year Writing I Credit Hours: 3.0

ENGL 1302 - First Year Writing II Credit Hours: 3.0

Mathematics: Approved Core Courses (020-3 hours)

Choose 1 Approved Mathematics Core Course Credit Hours: 3.0

Life and Physical Sciences: Approved Core Courses (030-6 hours)

Choose 2 Approved Life and Physical Sciences Core Courses Credit Hours: 6.0

Language, Philosophy & Culture: Approved Core Courses (040-3 hours)

Note: ARTS 1303 is also a major requirement.

ARTS 1303 - Art History I (Prehistoric to the 14th Century) Credit Hours: 3.0

Creative Arts: Approved Core Courses (050-3 hours)

Note: ARTS 1304 is also a major requirement

ARTS 1304 - Art History II (15th Century to the Present) Credit Hours: 3

American History: Approved Core Courses (060-6 hours)

Choose two approved American History core courses Credit Hours: 6.0

Government/Political Science: Approved Core Courses (070-6 hours)

Choose two approved Government/Political Science core courses Credit Hours: 6.0

Social and Behavioral Sciences: Approved Core Courses (080-3 hours)

Choose 1 Approved Social and Behavioral Sciences Core Courses Credit Hours: 3.0

Mathematics/Reasoning: Approved Core Courses (90-3 hours)

Choose 1 Approved Math/Reasoning Core Course Credit Hours: 3.0

Writing in the Disciplines: Approved Core Courses (090-3 hours)

Choose 1 Approved Writing in the Disciplines Core Course Credit Hours: 3.0

University and KGMCA BA Requirements

Intermediate Foreign Language (6 hours)

Complete six hours in a single foreign language at the 2000 level or higher Credit Hours: 6.0

College of the Arts (COTA) Block (9 hours)

Complete three courses from three different College of the Arts rubrics outside of ARTS. Choose from ARLD, ARTH, DANC, DRAM/THEA, IART, MUED, or MUSI. Cannot use both THEA and DRAM for this requirement. Courses cannot double count for core, foreign language, or major requirements. Credit Hours: 9.0

Additional BA Degree Requirement (varies)

Complete one of the following options: an approved minor, a second major, a second bachelor’s degree, or a senior honors thesis. Credit Hours: varies

Art BA Major Requirements

Art History (12 hours)

ARTS 1303 - Art History I (Prehistoric to the 14th Century) Credit Hours: 3.0
ARTS 1304 - Art History II (15th Century to the Present) Credit Hours: 3.0
Choose 1 ARTH 3000/4000 level 20^th or 21^st Century Art History course Credit Hours: 3.0
Choose 1 ARTH 2000/3000/4000 level course Credit Hours: 3.0

Fundamental Arts (15 hours)

ARTS 1316 - Fundamentals of Drawing Credit Hours: 3.0
ARTS 2326 - Fundamentals of Sculpture Credit Hours: 3.0
Choose 3 additional Fundamental Arts courses Credit Hours: 9.0

Related Arts Electives (24 hours)

Choose 8 Related Arts elective courses with no more than three in any one studio discipline Credit Hours: 24.0

Free Electives (0-18 hours)

Complete free electives to reach a minimum 120 total credits hours. Depending on degree requirements and objectives, such as leveling work in foreign language, double counting courses, additional BA requirement choice, etc., total required hours can change.