Fine Arts Program

The department of Fine Arts awards degrees from two different programs, the B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) and the B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts). The Bachelor of Arts is the most common undergraduate degree, incorporating a general education component in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and mathematics, besides the creative experiences in studio art classes and Art History (54 credit hours).

The B.F.A. is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual arts. The degree differs from a Bachelor of Arts degree in that the majority of the program consists of a practical studio component and Art History (78 credit hours), as contrasted with lecture and discussion classes.

• Foundation Studio Requirements
• Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts
• Bachelor of Fine Arts
• Art History Program
• Minors & Associates Degrees

All students in the Department of Fine Arts devote their first two years to a basic art program. Incoming freshmen complete two art history and four studio art courses: two Art History Survey courses, Drawing Fundamentals, 3-D Design, 2-D Design and Color Theory, and Computer Art and Design. The last four classes listed comprise the Studio Foundations Program. This foundation of study provides all students with a commonalty of information needed for advanced studies in all areas within the department. The studio courses build skills in the elements and principles of art, problem solving, and oral and written communications. Models of art from the 20th Century are used extensively to prepare the student for more advanced study and to give a stronger sense of contemporary art movements.

Foundation Studio Courses

• F100 Intro to Drawing
• F101 3-D Design; Prerequisite
• F102 2-D / Color Design; Prerequisite
• P273 Computer Art and Design

The Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts degree focuses on art and design within the context of a program of liberal studies. A Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts at Indiana University Southeast is a four-year program comprised of six studio concentrations with supporting courses in Art History:

• Ceramics Concentration
• Drawing Concentration
  
• Graphic Design Concentration
  
• Painting Concentration
  
• Printmaking Concentration
  
• Studio Arts Concentration
  

Students can focus in one or more of these studio concentrations and can also minor in Art History.

Foundations courses at IU Southeast are required of all students majoring in Fine Arts. These courses provide a fundamental background in design and composition (both 3D and 2D). This basic foundation in visual principles and design is essential for students as they develop concepts and ideas that can be applied to their own creative work.

B.A. Curriculum in Fine Arts: Ceramics, Drawing, Graphic Design, Painting, Printmaking

Foundations:

• F100 Intro to Drawing
• F101 3-D Design
• F102 2-D / Color Design
• P273 Computer Art and Design

Beginning Art History:

• A101 Ancient to Medieval Art
• A102 Renaissance to Modern

200-level Studio Courses and Art History:

• S200 Drawing I
• S230 Painting I
• S240 Printmaking I
• S250 Graphic Design I
• S260 Ceramics I

Upper level Studio:

• 300 and 400 level studio:
  •  Take a minimum of 12 credit hours (15 in Graphic Design) in one or more of the five concentrations.

Seminar:

• A401 Senior Art Theory, and the following 2 upper level art history courses:
• Upper level Art History:
  • A449 (20th Century)
  • 300/400 level non-western Art History

BA curriculum in Fine Arts: Studio Arts

Foundations:

• F100 Intro to Drawing
• F101 3-D Design
• F102 2-D / Color Design
• P273 Computer Art and Design

Beginning Art History:

• A101 Ancient to Medieval Art
• A102 Renaissance to Modern

200-level Studio Courses and Art History:

• S200 Drawing I
• S230 Painting I
• S240 Printmaking I
• S250 Graphic Design I
• S260 Ceramics I

Upper level Studio:

300 and 400 Level Requirements for Studio Areas One and Two

• Studio Arts requires a student to concentrate on two different studios referred to as Area One and Area Two: one 300 and one 400 level art course must be taken in both of these areas.
  • 300 level course selection:
    • S301 Drawing (3 cr.)
    • S331 Painting (3 cr.)
    • S361 Ceramics (3 cr.)
    • S341 or S343 or S348 Printmaking (3 cr.)
    • S351 Graphic Design (3 cr.)
  • 400 level course selection: Depending on the selection of 300 level courses the Studio Arts concentration will require taking a 400 level course in both of the selected areas:
    • Example: if S301 Drawing then S401 Drawing is taken, if S331 Painting then S431 Painting is taken

Seminar:

• A401 Senior Art Theory, and the following 2 upper level art history courses:
• Upper level Art History:
  • A449 (20th Century)
  • 300/400 level non-western Art History

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program at Indiana University Southeast is tailored to the needs of today's professional artist. It is different from other fine arts degrees in that it offers flexibility to work across a range of media from painting to graphic and web design to ceramics, drawing and printmaking--and you can do this either as a part-time or full-time student. With an Individualized Major Program also in place at IUS, you could earn a BFA in painting with an emphasis on medical illustration. Although you can be a discipline-specific practitioner of one particular medium in our program, such as a painter, ceramicist, or graphic designer, we also encourage and nurture students who can eventually solve artistic problems across a range of different media.

At IU Southeast, the Bachelor of Fine Arts program offers challenging individual majors in painting (both acrylic and oil painting media), drawing (with a wide range of drawing materials and mixed media), graphic design media, ceramics (wheel and hand-built), and printmaking (including a variety of media such as silkscreen, lithography, relief, and intaglio). These five studio disciplines are not exclusive; you have the flexibility to explore more than one area. Importantly, the disciplines are integrated around theory seminars and art history that deal with issues of process and context shared throughout the fine arts field.  There is also an emphasis on critical thinking both in terms of individual work and broader cultural contexts.

Graduates from the Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Indiana University Southeast find employment in a variety of positions within the arts professions, including curatorial work, gallery administration, design, research and teaching, continued study in competitive graduate programs, as well as participating in individual and group-generated projects and studio practice.

For a personal tour of our facilities and more in-depth introduction to our exciting program, please don't hesitate to contact us for an appointment at by contacting the department at (812) 941-2413.

B.F.A. Curriculum in Fine Arts

Foundations:

• F100 Intro to Drawing
• F101 3-D Design
• F102 2-D / Color Design
• P273 Computer Art and Design

Beginning Art History:

• A101 Ancient to Medieval
• A102 Renaissance to Modern

200-level Studio Courses and Art History:

• S200 Drawing I
• S230 Painting I
• S240 Printmaking I
• S250 Graphic Design I
• S260 Ceramics I

• 300 level studio in studio major
• 400 level studio in studio major

• 18 credit hours of 400 level BFA Studio Major

Upper level Art History:

• A449, 20th Century Art, 1925 to Present
• 400 level Art History, nonwestern
• 300-400 level Art History, nonwestern or western

Seminars:

• U400 Sources and Resources, Professional Skills in the Fine Arts
• G400 BFA Final Review

Art History at IU Southeast provides a diverse range of courses covering both western and non-western traditions. Fine Arts students graduate with a broad knowledge of the visual arts from all parts of the world, giving them an informed awareness of the diversity of human visual expression from both a historical and cultural point of view. The Art History Visual Resource Center contains one of the largest collections of non-western art images in the state. Our Art History faculty members also teach courses in Art Appreciation – one of the most popular courses taught on our campus. Our resident Art History faculty member has traveled extensively to study art historical traditions from as far away as Samoa and other islands of the South Pacific.

Students majoring in other areas may choose to minor in Fine Arts. The Fine Arts minor requires the foundations sequence:

• F100 Foundation Studio–Drawing
• F101 Foundation Studio–Three-Dimensional Design
• F102 Foundation Studio–Two-Dimensional and Color Design
• P273 Computer Art and Design
• A101 Ancient and Medieval Art
• A102 Renaissance through Modern Art

Also required are the five 200-level Fine Arts studio courses:

• S230 Painting
• S200 Drawing
• S240 Printmaking
• S260 Ceramics
• S250 Graphic Design

Minor in Art History

The minor in Art History is open to all students who have an interest in the history of art regardless of their major. At least 18 credit hours are required, including A 101 Ancient and Medieval Art, A 102 Renaissance Through Modern Art, A 458 Topics in the Ethnographic Arts, plus a minimum of three other courses above the 200 level. At least one of these additional courses must cover a European, Euro-American, or Euro-Australian topic. At least one must concentrate on the arts of an indigenous people (e.g., Native American, African, South Pacific, or Asian). Art history minors must meet with a Fine Arts departmental advisor for program planning.

Associate of Arts in Art History

See “General Requirements for the Associate of Arts Degree.” In addition, students must complete the following courses:

• A101 Ancient and Medieval Art
• A102 Renaissance through Modern Art
• A458 Topics in the Ethnographic Arts
• Upper-level elective, Western topic
• Upper-level elective, Indigenous topic
• Upper-level elective, student choice of topic