Office of the Registrar

Art Practices - Bachelor of Fine Arts 2022-23 Degree Map

Requirements (REQ) of a Bachelors Degree

Degree Maps show one way how you can earn a degree in four years. Talk with your advisor regularly to develop a personalized plan that works best for you, especially if you have any earned transferrable academic credit.

To graduate in four years, you need an average of 45 credits per year to reach 180 total credits, including 62 upper division (300/400 level courses) credits. You may need to take electives (courses that are not used to meet specific requirements) to reach those totals. Most courses at PSU are 4 credits each. If you transfer credit to PSU, the number of credits you need per year will vary accordingly. 

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This guide outlines the requirements in the 2022-23 catalog. Catalog year defines the specific set of requirements you need to complete a degree. Requirements occasionally change, so it may benefit you to follow a different catalog. Typically, your catalog year is the year you began at PSU, but if you are a transfer student you may be able to use an earlier catalog. Talk with your advisor about which catalog requirements make sense for you.

PSU Bulletins (2015-present) about this content

First Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5 Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5 Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5
ART 101 5 ART 102 5 ART 103 5
ART 104 2 ART 105 2 ARH 106 2
    200-level Art History or DES 290 4 ART 131 4
Total Fall Credits 12 Total Winter Credits 16 Total Spring Credits 16

First Year Note: Common Core Studio courses for Art Practice degree path. Students should complete 100 level courses by end of Spring term. Only one ART 101, ART 102, ART 103 can be taken per quarter in any order. Recommended to take ART 104, ART 105, ARH 106 one per quarter, in any order.

Second Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Sophomore Inquiry or Honors 4 Sophomore Inquiry or Honors 4 Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement 3-4
200 level Studio ART Elective 4 200-level Art History or DES 290 4 200 level Studio ART Elective 4
200 level Studio ART Elective 4 200 level Studio ART Elective 4 General Elective 4
General Elective 4 Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement 3-4 General Elective 4
Total Fall Credits 16 Total Winter Credits 15-16 Total Spring Credits 15-16

Third Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Upper Division Cluster or Honors 4 Upper Division Cluster or Honors 4 Upper Division Cluster or Honors 4
300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4
ART 303 4 300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 ART 336 4
ART 339 4 ARH 398 4 300/400-Level Art History 4
Total Fall Credits 16 Total Winter Credits 16 Total Spring Credits 16

Fourth Year

Fall Courses Fall Credit Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
ART 439 4 ART 496 4 Senior Capstone or Honors Thesis 6
300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 ART 498 4
300/400-Level Art History 4 300/400 level Studio ART Elective 4 ART 499 BFA Oral Review 2
    ART 485 2 General Elective 2
Total Fall Credits 12 Total Winter Credits 14 Total Spring Credits 14

 

Additional Map Notes:

  • 200-level Art History or DES 290: Complete 8 credits from the following options: any 200-level Art History or DES 290
  • 200 level Studio ART Elective: Prerequisites for 300 or 400 level Studio Art classes.
  • Sophomore Inquiry or Honors: For University Studies, two Sophomore Inquiry courses are required, but for Honors, three Sophomore courses are required.
  • Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement: Two courses required, each minimum 3 credits: one course must focus on the U.S. experience; the second course must center the experiences of groups under European and U.S. colonialism and imperialism beyond the United States. One must be within the School of Gender, Race and Nations or be cross-listed with one of the SGRN units: Black Studies (BSt), Chicano/Latino Studies (ChLa), Indigenous Nations Studies (NAS), or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WS). If you choose a RESR course that can be applied towards another requirement, take an elective here instead.
  • 300/400-Level Art History: Complete 8 credits from the following options: any 300 or 400 level ARH, ART 330, ART 322U, ART 323U, ART 497
  • You may need to add additional general elective credits to your plan to reach 180 total credits.

Resources for Art Practices

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