Art students will fi nd that they have numerous and varied choices in college selection—almost every college and university in the United States has an art department! So the choice is up to you: a professional art school, a liberal arts college, a small university or a large university could offer the art program of your dreams. When you begin the college search process, you may know that you want to study art, but you might not know which kind of art appeals to you most. On the other hand, you may know exactly what kind of art you want to focus on that will lead you on the path to the artist that you one day will
become.
Identifying the Type of Art Student You Are
Early in the college search, it’s important to identify which type of art student you are:
The art student who still has a lot of exploring to do in terms of studying art forms before
choosing one or two for mastery or the art student who has chosen a specifi c focus
already.
If you are the “exploring student,” you have the widest options of colleges available—you
can choose almost any art department and take several courses in different art forms since
your college goal is to explore art in general. As you progress in your studies, you will
begin to narrow down which types of art are the best for you to pursue in depth.
Suppose that you already have experience with different art courses in high school and
in extracurricular courses, and you have decided that you have an affi nity toward sculpture.
As a “focused student,” you need to structure your college search process slightly
differently. You will have to dig a little deeper in your research and do more investigating
among faculty members and admission offi cers at prospective schools. You want to be
certain the art programs you are considering offer enough of the specifi c courses in your
area. It’s important to fi nd a program at the level of intense study you need to become a
certain type of artist.
If you know you want to be a painter, fi nd out how many faculty members teach painting
and how many levels of painting courses are offered. Also research the kinds of painting
courses offered. Watercolor? Acrylic? Both? If your goal is to become a painter, you will
need to have a breadth of courses in all painting forms with multiple painting classes
rather than a college that only offers one or two.
Types of Art Programs
The most common art degree offered by a professional art school—as well as several
colleges and universities—is the BFA (bachelor of fi ne arts). This degree is designed to
prepare you to become a professional artist. Approximately three-quarters of your studies
will be in art courses and the remainder will consist of general education requirements.
The BA (bachelor of arts degree) is most often offered at liberal arts colleges and small
universities. The BA degree is more fl exible in terms of courses taken outside of art and
usually has more emphasis on art history and art criticism than professional art school
courses. The BA degree can be a good choice if you are not sure you want to be a professional
artist one day but still want to consider the possibility while exploring other
academic options.
Pursuing a BA usually requires about 30 to 40 credits of courses in the art major, and the
rest of the coursework is for general education requirements and electives. Double majoring
in another fi eld is feasible if you elect to attend a liberal arts college or university and
enter a BA program.
Art Program Philosophy
Art programs each have their own approach to teaching art. Some schools are more
traditional and focus on the basics in a very structured way from beginning-level courses
to advanced courses. Other schools have a different bent on how they teach and can be
more experimental. One of these is California Institute of the Arts, where students are
encouraged to do more exploratory art, push boundaries of their artmaking and combine
art forms.
Because every program is different, it is crucial you investigate the philosophy of each art
program you are contemplating. If you are the kind of student who prefers more structure
or who knows that you want to be an art teacher, you’ll need a more traditional kind of art
program to prepare you for that career. Also, happiness is a key element. When talking
to faculty members, compare your art philosophy with theirs. If your expectations mesh
with theirs, you’ll probably be happy on that campus. But if you fi nd yourself thinking
differently, you’d probably be happier elsewhere and you should continue your search.
Source: Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers
