The Department of Art offers programs leading to the degrees of bachelor of arts (B.A.) and the master of fine arts (M.F.A.). The department is committed to creative research that investigates the relationship between inquiry and practice and how this dynamic manifests itself in contemporary and historical approaches to cultural production in a continually changing world. Students are exposed to a broad range of aesthetic perspectives through the department’s interdisciplinary curriculum and extensive range of faculty research. Through a comprehensive core foundation program, students are first introduced to the diverse and hybrid practices of contemporary art, including study in the history, theory, and production of art. At the advanced level, students are given the opportunity to focus and individualize their aesthetic development while still maintaining an open attitude towards art and its ever-evolving contextual relationship with contemporary culture. Students are encouraged to pursue interdisciplinary course opportunities campus-wide in other departments and divisions such as film studies and the history of art and architecture. Art majors are first introduced to contemporary thinking and practice through core survey and studio courses. Upon completion of this fundamental series, students are encouraged to enhance their research through exploration of a range of studio and special topic courses (see current faculty research areas and catalog undergraduate course listing). The department encourages conceptual problem-solving skills as well as the practical and experimental exploration of the creative process. In so doing, the program fosters independence and innovation on the part of each student in the development of alternative projects and venues for the production and presentation of visual works. In the course of their undergraduate studies, students are expected to generate a significant body of work and should learn to document their process effectively, utilizing current methods of digital documentation and representation. Students are also required to develop their written and verbal skills in tandem with their visual practice to ensure their successful integration into the professional environment. Further information on the major and on student advising is available in the department through the staff and faculty undergraduate advisors and faculty program mentors. Students with a bachelor’s degree in art who are interested in pursuing a California Teaching Credential should contact the credential advisor in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education as soon as possible. Students who plan to teach in the public schools are advised to choose a wide range of courses in art. Undergraduate art majors wishing to be teachers must pass the National Teacher Examination (N.T.E.) competency standard in art. Evidence of a passing score on CBEST is also required. (See details in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education Announcement.)

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