Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A)–Art History Emphasis
Mario Marzán, Director of Undergraduate Studies (Studio Art)
Carol Magee, Chair
Yulianna Aparicio, Student Services
The bachelor of fine arts with art history emphasis degree is designed for students interested in concentrated study in both studio art and art history. Unique to UNC–Chapel Hill, this degree is best suited for students wishing to pursue further education or employment in fields that demand knowledge in both history and practice such as curatorial studies, museum studies, or education. Students pursuing this degree are advised by the directors of undergraduate studies for both studio art and art history. Students interested in this degree should contact both advisors no later than the sophomore year.
Department Programs
Majors
- Art History Major, B.A.
- Studio Art Major, B.A.
- Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A)
- Studio Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A)–Art History Emphasis
Minors
Graduate Programs
Learning Outcomes
The overall goal of the studio art program at UNC–Chapel Hill is for students to develop interconnected skills of creative thinking and critical making in order to produce outstanding works of art.
Upon completion of the studio art program (B.A., B.F.A.), students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
- Acquire the technical skills (informed control of technique, process, and materials) and an understanding of principles of visual organization sufficient to achieve basic visual communication and expression in one or more media
- Understand fundamentals of studio practice shared across studio disciplines
- Document and present work (portfolio, exhibition, online gallery) that demonstrates a basic understanding of professional practices
- Develop the ability to think and act creatively through experimentation, and analysis of options and parameters – enabling work to progress from idea to physical form
- Develop an understanding of creative research as an iterative process that informs and allows artwork to evolve
- Develop effective vocabulary and skill (both verbal and written) to engage in critical analysis of form and content relationships in their own artwork and the work of others
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements, students must
- attain a final cumulative GPA of at least 2.0
- complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
- take at least half of their major course requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum of 18 hours of C or better in the major core requirements (some majors require 21 hours).
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| Studio Courses | ||
| Three Tier I studio courses | 9 | |
Select one 2-D course (see list below) | ||
Select one 3-D course (see list below) | ||
Select one 4-D course (see list below) | ||
| Three Tier II studio courses (see list below) | 9 | |
| Two Tier III studio courses (see list below) | 6 | |
| Two studio art elective courses 1,2 | 6 | |
| Art History Courses | ||
| Two art history survey courses numbered ARTH 100 to ARTH 200 | 6 | |
| Seven ARTH courses numbered from ARTH 201 to ARTH 699, with at least two numbered 400 and above 1 | 21 | |
| Professional Development/Capstone | ||
| ARTS 500 | Senior Seminar 3 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
| 1 | Students can count senior honors thesis credits (up to six hours) as studio or art history electives or split between the two, depending on the nature of the thesis project. |
| 2 | Any ARTS classes, including first-year seminars |
| 3 | May be substituted with an art history (ARTH) capstone. |
B.F.A.–A.H. students should be aware that courses taken in the Department of Art beyond the 60 credits outlined in the major will not count toward graduation.
All General Education Foundations, Approaches, and Connections requirements must be satisfied.
Listing of Studio Art Courses by Tier
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Tier I Studio Art (Foundation) Courses | ||
| 2-D Courses | ||
| Two-Dimensional Design | ||
| Drawing I | ||
| Photography I H | ||
| Collage: Strategies for Thinking and Making | ||
| Painting I | ||
| Print I | ||
| 3-D Courses | ||
| Sculpture I | ||
| Ceramic I | ||
| Wood Sculpture | ||
| 4-D (Time-Based) Courses | ||
| Video I | ||
| Introduction to Web Media | ||
| Tier II Studio Art Courses | ||
| ARTS 205 | Photography II | 3 |
| ARTS 206 | Video II | 3 |
| ARTS 209 | 2D Animation | 3 |
| ARTS 214 | Life Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 221 | Color: Theory and Concept | 3 |
| ARTS 222 | New Technologies and Narrative Painting | 3 |
| ARTS 238 | Screen Printing | 3 |
| ARTS 243 | Metal Sculpture | 3 |
| ARTS 290 | Special Topics in Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTS 302 | Painting II | 3 |
| ARTS 313 | Ceramic II | 3 |
| ARTS 324 | Drawing II | 3 |
| ARTS 352 | Abstract Painting | 3 |
| ARTS 358 | Letterpress | 3 |
| ARTS 368 | Print II | 3 |
| Tier III Studio Art Courses | ||
| ARTS 309 | 3D Animation | 3 |
| ARTS 322 | Narrative Painting | 3 |
| ARTS 343 | MAKE: Art in the (New) Age | 3 |
| ARTS 353 | Phantasmagoria: Haunted Art, History, and Installation | 3 |
| ARTS 354 | Narrative Drawing | 3 |
| ARTS 355 | The Practice of Representation: Portraiture in Photography | 3 |
| ARTS 364 | The Walking Seminar: A Territorial Investigation | 3 |
| ARTS 390 | Special Topics in Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTS 391 | Theory, History, and Practice of Contemporary Curating | 3 |
| ARTS 402 | Advanced Painting Projects | 3 |
| ARTS 409 | Art and Science: Merging Printmaking and Biology H | 3 |
| ARTS 410 | Public Art | 3 |
| ARTS 413 | Advanced Ceramic Projects | 3 |
| ARTS 415 | Conceptual-Experimental Photography | 3 |
| ARTS 416 | Advanced Video | 3 |
| ARTS 417 | Advanced Mixed Media Projects | 3 |
| ARTS 418 | Advanced Printmaking | 3 |
| ARTS 423 | Installation Art | 3 |
| ARTS 428 | Book Art | 3 |
| ARTS 458 | Photo Printmaking | 3 |
| ARTS 490 | Advanced Special Topics in Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTS 493 | Studio Art Practicum or Internship | 3 |
| ARTS 515 | Advanced Topics in Photography | 3 |
| ARTS 596 | Independent Study in Studio Art | 3 |
| ARTS 637 | Social Practice and Performance Art | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
Special Opportunities in Art and Art History
Independent Study
Students may pursue independent study coursework with individual faculty members. Such work may be undertaken only with the permission of the sponsoring faculty member. Students should consult individual faculty members prior to registration to secure permission. A proposal and a contract must be approved by the appropriate director of undergraduate studies (studio art or art history) before students may enroll. (See the the departmental majors’ Sakai site for instructions.) Since faculty members are limited to supervising only two independent study students each semester, students are strongly advised to contact the faculty member with whom they wish to work early in the registration period for the upcoming semester.
Independent study work requires a minimum of three hours per week per credit hour. For example, a typical three-credit-hour class would require at least nine hours of work per week. Once the semester begins, students must meet with the faculty member initially to confirm goals, review expectations, and establish semester deadlines. Thereafter, students must meet regularly to review work in progress, with a suggested biweekly frequency. Total time spent in direct interaction with the faculty member for the semester must average 45 minutes per week. This may be in the form of face-to-face meetings, blog or e-mail exchanges, or group critiques with other independent study students and their advisors.
Departmental Involvement
Students have opportunities to see and interact with a variety of arts professionals through exhibitions in the Allcott Galleries, installations of sculptural works in the Alumni Sculpture Garden, an artist-in-residence program, the Visiting Arts Professionals Program, and the Hanes Visiting Artist Lecture Series.
There are several undergraduate student organizations serving the visual arts at Carolina. The Undergraduate Art Association (UAA) is a campuswide social club that supports and develops undergraduate visual artists at Carolina — regardless of their enrollment in art classes — and strengthens the impact of visual art in the University community. The Studio Art Majors Association (SAMA) is aimed at developing community and professional opportunities that augment the experience for studio art majors and minors, especially through programming of the SAMple Gallery in the Hanes Art Center. ArtHeels is a service-based organization that is passionate about bringing arts (visual, performing, and literary) to the healthcare setting. The Art History Liaisons is the undergraduate art history group. Kappa Pi is the department majors' honors society which includes both studio and art history majors. These groups serve as an important link between the majors and the department’s administration. The department utilizes these organizations to facilitate communication about matters of interest, including participation in departmental initiatives or other extracurricular opportunities.
Internships
Art and art history majors are encouraged to pursue internships at local, regional, or national arts institutions or businesses. Students have worked in many art career contexts including museums and galleries, arts programming, and local businesses specializing in art-related production (photo studios, printmaking studios, illustration, design firms, and publishing). The departmental majors' Sakai site has useful information about the requirements and how to set up the contracts for ARTH 293 and ARTS 493 as well as a partial listing of organizations that have worked with our students in the past. If you would like to discuss specific ideas about a possible internship, speak to any faculty member or the relevant director of undergraduate studies (art history or studio). All internships taken for UNC credit are subject to governmental guidelines, and students must have internships preapproved and under contract before enrolling for either ARTH 293 or ARTS 493.
Study Abroad
Students are encouraged to pursue study abroad opportunities. While there are many opportunities to study art abroad, the Department of Art and Art History maintains a special affiliation with the Studio Art Centers International (SACI) and the Lorenzo di Medici — both in Florence, Italy — and the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. Students should discuss their study abroad plans with the undergraduate advisor in studio art to obtain prior approval for courses taken abroad. Basically, courses that have an equivalent in the UNC–Chapel Hill curriculum usually are approved. Courses that fall outside the UNC–Chapel Hill curriculum must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. No guarantee exists that a course will transfer for credit unless preapproved. Contact the Study Abroad Office to discuss the procedures for approval.
Undergraduate Awards
UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS COMPETITION IN STUDIO ART
The studio program awards more than $24,000 annually to students, with individual awards ranging from a minimum of $500 to $3,000. A competition each November allows studio art majors to submit up to four works to be considered for the following scholarships:
- The Alexander Julian Prize (one award to our best student)
- The Sharpe Scholarships (multiple awards for students receiving financial aid)
- George Kachergis Studio Art Scholarships (multiple awards chosen by a student-designated committee)
- The Anderson Award
- The Penland School of Craft Scholarships (two awards cover expenses for a summer course at the Penland School of Craft)
- A design honorarium to develop proposals for the Alumni Sculpture Garden (see below).
ALUMNI SCULPTURE GARDEN COMPETITION
Every year, the Department of Art and Art History commissions student work for the Alumni Sculpture Garden. Commissions are a minimum of $5,000, and the department awards up to three commissions. The selection process occurs in three stages: identifying interested students, a design phase, and the production of the work. During the November Awards Competition, interested students compete for one of six $500 design honorariums that are to be used to develop proposals. Winners of this first phase are required attend a session early in the spring semester to learn about how to develop a proposal and the components that must be included. Proposals are reviewed in March to select winners.
Undergraduate Research
Opportunities for undergraduate research in the Department of Art and Art History exist in several forms. Detailed descriptions and application guidelines are available on the art majors’ Sakai site and from the department's student services manager.
Allcott Travel Fellowships support two summer research projects in studio art and/or art history.
The Beatrice Pearman Fund supports special projects in both art history and studio art. Competitions for art history research funds are held in the fall and the spring. Studio art students may request funds for special projects by submitting a proposal to the director of undergraduate studies in studio art. Awards are $500 or less.
Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) are administered through the UNC Office for Undergraduate Research. These $3,000 awards support undergraduate research projects over the summer. UNC's broad definition of research includes creative practices, and the James Boyd Gadson SURFs are specifically designated for studio art. SURF applications from studio art majors are automatically considered for these Gadson Fellowships. This fund typically supports at least two awards. Application deadlines (usually in February) are set by the Office for Undergraduate Research. Students interested in pursuing summer research should contact possible faculty sponsors toward the end of the fall semester.
The Jacquelyn Friedman and Marvin Saltzman Fund in Art provides supplemental monies for painting supplies for students who for economic reasons may be hindered from working to their full potential. Any undergraduate student with need, regardless of major, enrolled in a departmental studio art painting class during the fall and/or spring semesters is eligible. Students can contact their course instructor or the student services specialist for further information.
