Newcomb Art Department

Studio Art Programs / Degrees / Requirements

Studio Art Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Fine Arts, abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. A Bachelor of Arts, BA degree, is also available. [Major/Minor Requirements Brochure - pdf]

BFA in Studio Art

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art provides a unique and tailored education that trains creative individuals to be resilient problem solvers and critical thinkers, as well as preparing them for a career in the arts. Balancing academic rigor with experimental play, the program empowers students to approach their artistic practice with a deep understanding of its interconnectedness with society and the environment. Our undergraduate experience is characterized by small class sizes, a commitment to individual mentorship, and support for distinctive expression across diverse forms and techniques. Students are encouraged to take courses in any medium or field of study relevant to their evolving practice utilizing state-of-the-art facilities in ceramics, digital art, glass, painting & drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Through creative project development, interdisciplinary research, and exposure to a wide range of artistic traditions, students emerge equipped with the skills to produce art that shapes and reflects the world around us.

Note: For the BFA in Studio Art, students must fulfill all general requirements as described in the Liberal Arts curriculum including those of the Newcomb-Tulane College core with the following exception: one science with laboratory course is required in the Math and Natural Science distribution requirement of the core curriculum for B.F.A. degree-seeking students instead of one science with laboratory course plus an additional Math and Natural Science course. 

BFA in Studio Art requires a total of 52 credits:

  • required credits in studio art courses
    • ARST 1050 - Drawing I 
    • ARST 1060 - Drawing II or ARST 2101 Sequence and Series 
    • ARST 1000-level: 3D Area (choose one: Ceramics I, Glass I or Sculpture I)
    • ARST 1000-level: 2D Area (choose one: Printmaking I, Painting I, Photo I, Digital Arts I)
    • ARST Elective # 1 - beyond the 1000 level
    • ARST Elective # 2 - beyond the 1000 level
    • ARST Elective # 3 - beyond the 2000 level
    • ARST Elective # 4 - beyond the 2000 level
    • ARST Elective # 5 - beyond the 2000 level
    • ARST Elective # 6 - beyond the 2000 level
    • ARST 5010 Studio Research -  Fall of Senior Year; taken in conjunction with ARST Elective #5
    • ARST 5020 Senior Capstone Studio Spring of Senior Year; taken in conjunction with ARST Elective #6
  • required credits in art history courses

Note: During the senior year, Studio Art majors are required to take a 4-credit studio art course above the 2000-level each semester- one in conjunction with ARST 5010 Studio Research (3 c.h.) in the fall and one in conjunction with ARST 5020 Senior Capstone Studio (3 c.h.) in the Spring. 

Transfer students wishing advanced standing in studio courses toward the BFA are required to submit representative examples of the work done for which credit has been received at another institution. Incoming first-year students who expect to be art majors are advised to take Art Studio 1050 and three foundations courses during their first year. At the end of the sophomore year, the art department studio faculty will assign an adviser. Candidates for the BFA. are allowed to take only one level of a studio course sequence in summer school.

Declaration of the BFA major is contingent on the acceptance by the faculty and must be done at least one year before graduation. Review of applications will take place once at the end of each semester. Applications must include: (1) major declaration form; (2) current degree audit sheet; (3) portfolio of 5-10 pieces of artwork in any medium. The faculty strongly suggests that the student meet with his/her major studio professor before initiating this process. Accepted candidates will then be reviewed and evaluated during the spring semester of their junior year and late in the fall semester of their senior year.

BA in Studio Art

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Studio Art provides a comprehensive education in artistic production that trains creative individuals to be resilient problem solvers and critical thinkers, as well as preparing them for a career in the arts. Balancing academic rigor with experimental play in a program designed to allow for additional majors, the BA in Studio Art empowers students to approach their artistic practice with a deep understanding of its interconnectedness with society and the environment. Our undergraduate experience is characterized by small class sizes, a commitment to individual mentorship, and support for distinctive expression across diverse forms and techniques. Students are encouraged to take courses in any medium or field of study relevant to their evolving practice utilizing state-of-the-art facilities in ceramics, digital art, glass, painting & drawing, photography, printmaking, and sculpture. Through creative project development, interdisciplinary research, and exposure to a wide range of artistic traditions, students emerge equipped with the skills to produce art that that shapes and reflects the world around us.

BA in Studio Art requires a total of 40 credits:

  • required credits in studio art courses
    • ARST 1050 - Drawing I
    • ARST 2060 - Drawing II or ARST 2101 Sequence and Series
    • Any ARST 1000-level course
    • ARST Elective # 1 - any level
    • ARST Elective # 2 - beyond the 1000 level 
    • ARST Elective # 3 - beyond the 2000 level 
    • ARST Elective # 4 - beyond the 2000 level 
    • ARST 5010 Studio Research*
    • ARST 5020 Senior Capstone Studio*

  • required credits in art history

    • One Art Survey course: ARHS 1010 - Art Survey I, ARHS 1020 Art Survey II, ARHS 1030 Introduction to Asian Art, ARHS 1040 Introduction to Ancient American Art, OR ARHS 1050 Introduction to African Art
    • One ARHS Elective From the Contemporary/Modern- 19th Century or Later Distribution Area. See list here: https://catalog.tulane.edu/liberal-arts/art/art-studio-ba/#requirementstext

    *During the senior year, Studio Art majors are required to take a 4-credit studio art course above the 2000-level each semester-- one in conjunction with ARST 5010 Studio Research (3 c.h.) in the fall and one in conjunction with ARST 5020 Senior Capstone Studio (3 c.h.) in the spring.

Minor in Studio Art

A minor in Studio Art allows for the pursuit of artistic making and thinking in a way that compliments and informs the student's primary fields of study, consisting of five courses in total. Students choose two courses from the following four options: any 1000-level course in a 2D area (digital art, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking), any 1000-level course in a 3D area (ceramics, digital fabrication, glass, sculpture),  ARST 1050 Drawing I (4 c.h.), and  ARST 2101 Sequence and Series (4 c.h.). The other two studio courses can be any ARST course above the 1000-level. One Art History course is also required; students can choose from any of the Art Department's diverse offerings in the history and study of art.

Note: No more than half of the required courses can be transferred into the program.