Studio Arts Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree

Acquire the conceptual and technical skills required to succeed as creative professional in a community that is fostered through shared experiences and facilitated programs.

• Engage in comprehensive inquiry that expands and supports your subject matter knowledge, ideation through sketches and models, articulation of a rationale for the application of media and process, and finally the refinement of your work through editing and critique.
• Explore a wide scope of visual arts and study their cultural relevance through visiting artists, trips to museums, and attendance at professional conferences.
• Exhibit you final body of work in a gallery during your senior year
• Receive guidance and partake in experiential projects focusing on the presentation of work, self-promotion, business practice, and issues of professional engagement within the field help you thrive as creative professionals after graduation.
• Learn from inspiring artists in the field. Faculty members are active artists who exhibit widely and are committed to diverse approaches to art-making. They offer support and networking opportunities as students emerge as professionals.

Studio Arts Options

A studio arts major with a variety of options available.

The studio arts major offers a variety of options for you to delve further into your studio art topic of interest. You may choose an option in one of the following areas:

• Ceramics–The ceramics option supports a range of fundamental topics within ceramics and the development of professional and practical skills necessary to operate a studio business.
• Furniture design–The furniture design option engages students in the pursuit of their creative interests while providing a comprehensive technical background in contemporary woodworking.
• Glass–The glass option cultivates each student’s creative potential with glass through studio instruction in glassblowing, flame-working, glass imaging processes, and more.
• Metals and jewelry design–The metals and jewelry design option focuses on design, aesthetics, as well as material and process mastery.
• Painting–Students selecting the painting option engage in contemporary visual art practice through a personal exploration of painting techniques.
• Printmaking–The printmaking option addresses a wide variety of media, tools, and both traditional and technological techniques, as well as theoretical concepts to facilitate skill development and experimentation processes.
• Sculpture and Expanded Forms– The sculpture and expanded forms option cultivates the use of three-dimensional space and four-dimensional time through various materials and techniques from traditional bronze casting and stone carving to digital printing and installations.
   

What can you do with a studio art degree?

The specific career path can you choose can vary depending on an your specialization and career goals. Upon completion of the studio art BFA, you may choose to continue you education at the graduate level or begin your career by setting up independent studios and exhibiting your work.

Like our recent graduates, you may also find employment in:

• The fields of art therapy
• Art criticism
• Art restoration/ Archival
• Gallery and museum management
• Set and display design
• Marketing and advertising
• Education
• Auction houses 
• Art foundries
• Metal fabrication shops
• Artist residencies
• Non-profit art institutions
• Other creative industries

Gain Real-World Experience with Hands-On Opportunities

Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop

The School of Art's annual Pre-College Portfolio Preparation Workshop is a two-week visual arts class designed to prepare the portfolios of rising high school juniors and seniors for admission to college art programs.

Students also have the opportunity to gain invaluable hands-on experience through participation in paid cooperative education and internships offered through streamlined art and design co-ops.

Enhance Your Studio Art Major and Further your Education

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degree

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can. accelerate your learning and position you for success.