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Updated February 26, 2015

Art

College of Liberal & Creative Arts

Dean: Andrew Harris

 

School of Art

Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

FA 265
Phone: 415-338-2176
Fax: 415-338-6537
E-mail: artdept@sfsu.edu (undergraduate)
artgrad@sfsu.edu (graduate)
Website: http://art.sfsu.edu

Director: Gail Dawson
Graduate Coordinator: Susan Belau

 

Faculty

Professors: deSoto, Downing, Johnson, Laplante, Levine, Mann, Marshall, Mullins, Perez

Associate Professors: Allen, Dawson, De La Rosa, Kavuri-Bauer

Assistant Professors: Arcega, Belau, Finley, Lipps

 

Programs

Bachelor of Arts in Art

Minor in Art

Master of Arts in Art

Master of Fine Arts in Art

Master of Arts in Museum Studies

 

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Program Scope

The School of Art is committed to offering a fine arts curriculum in a liberal arts context with diverse and vital programs for the study of the visual arts in Northern California. Its programs foster development of specialized skills, encourage personal creative direction, and promote understanding of the history and cultural traditions that shape artistic expression. The School of Art faculty are dedicated to bridging the practice, theory and history of art, and to combining traditional and new technologies in a manner that reflects and affects contemporary culture. The Bachelor of Arts in Art program consists of a common core and the choice of a concentration in Art Education, Art History, Studio Art or Art History and Studio Art. The core provides introductory experiences in art history and studio courses that are integral to each concentration. The area of concentration allows for more focused study in one specialty, but with a degree of breadth sufficient for understanding and awareness in other areas. Advanced courses in the concentrations focus on perceptual skills, modes of consciousness, creative expression, and critical thinking. Attention is given to traditions and heritage of the discipline, contemporary issues and forms, imaginative problem solving, and written English proficiency within the discipline. All courses are designed to provide a broad experiential and conceptual orientation to the visual arts and art history.

 

The Master of Arts in Art is the only terminal master’s degree in Art History in the San Francisco Bay Area. Coursework emphasizes methodology, history, research, and writing. Students produce a thesis that allows for focused research on a specific topic under the direction of a thesis advisor.

 

The Master of Fine Arts in Art program emphasizes the development of individual creative direction in the context of contemporary, interdisciplinary art practice. Coursework emphasizes contemporary art, critique, experimentation with forms of expression, and professional presentation of works of art.

 

The School’s web site offers additional information: http://art.sfsu.edu/

 

Facilities

The Fine Arts Building features studio spaces for sculpture, wheel and glaze rooms, a hand-building studio for ceramics, a textiles dye laboratory, loom and surface design studios, and specialized studios for photography, painting, and printmaking, an art education space, and two computer labs with multiple workstations, and specialized equipment including high end printers and a laser cutter. The building is also home to the 3,800 square foot Fine Arts Gallery, and the Martin Wong Gallery. Graduate studio spaces are located in the Fine Arts Building and on the grounds of SF State’s Romberg Tiburon Center across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, where there are outdoor ceramics activities as well. The School maintains an instructional archive/collection of historic and contemporary prints, drawings, and photographs.

 

Career Outlook

Opportunities for the graduate with a bachelor’s degree in art vary depending on the student’s initiative and inclinations. Students dedicated to creative expression in art practice, or scholarly research in the history of art, may elect to pursue graduate education. Others may find opportunities for technical or on-the-job training in the related fields. Courses in exhibition design are offered in the professional environment of the School gallery and provide intense, practical, and theoretical training for gallery and art museum careers. Art and art history students with an interest in working with visual artifacts, and with the diverse professional aspects of presenting art and artists elect courses in this popular area.

 

Graduate degrees open the door to teaching positions at the college-university level. Students who elect to pursue careers outside the arts may find access to more rewarding cultural life experiences through their visual arts education.

 

An art minor is offered for students who wish to pursue a secondary interest in art on a structured basis.

 

Admission

At the time of admission to the University, no special permission, application or portfolio review is required to declare the art major. Juniors or seniors who have declared in another major, but wish to change their major to art must:

Complete four courses with a grade of C or higher; two courses from each category

• Art History: ART 201, ART 202, or ART 205
• Studio: ART 210, ART 222, ART 231, ART 235, ART 240, ART 245, ART 260
• Proof of consultation with an art advisor
• For students transferring from other institutions, a minimum of 12 units in residence is required.

Students are required to decide on a concentration by their junior year, and to discuss their choice with an advisor in that area. Since some areas are very crowded, students transferring at an advanced level from other institutions should contact an advisor in their proposed concentration upon application for admission to the University. The concentration programs may be structured to fit individual needs after conferring with an advisor and obtaining the advisor’s approval.

Concentrations:

• The concentration in Art Education explores the place of the visual arts in elementary and secondary education, and in general human development.
• The concentration in Art History examines the history of visual form in relation to the values, beliefs, and institutions of specific cultures.
• The concentration in Studio Art provides students with the framework to develop their own body of work through a variety of studio experiences supported by knowledge of past and contemporary art making practices.
• The concentration in Art History and Studio Art is available for students with combined interests in studio and art history. The concentration consists of a planned combination of courses in both areas, approved in advance by advisors in art history and studio.

Students should be aware that art practice is time-consuming and expensive. Instructional Materials Fees are required for most studio courses, and students may find themselves spending additional sums of money on their projects.

 

Studio practice courses require hands-on practice and experience; this limits the number of students who can enroll in such courses.

 

Studio Areas: Ceramics, Digital Media & Emerging Technology, Painting and Drawing, Printmaking, Photography, Sculpture and Textiles

Each studio area is structured to provide a similar sequence of development in the medium. Lower division courses provide technical foundations and introduce students to upper division topics in the area of study; intermediate courses extend and deepen skills while providing opportunities for students to engage with conceptual and critical issues; and advanced courses help students develop a focused body of work with awareness of the historical and contemporary concerns of art practice more broadly.

 

Advising

Students are strongly encouraged to consult with a major advisor on a regular basis as they advance through the program. A list of departmental advisors and contact information can be found on the School’s website: http://art.sfsu.edu/pages/academic-advising.

 

Students are also advised to consult with the University’s Advising Center for information about General Education and other University requirements, as well as the Student Achievement and Resource Center in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts: http://lca.sfsu.edu/academics/student-achievement-and-resource-center.

 

Complementary Studies

All candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Art must complete 12 units of complementary studies from courses bearing a prefix other than ART, and not cross-listed with ART.

 

Students may satisfy this requirement in a variety of ways designed to facilitate timely graduation. Under advisement students may complete 12 units of coursework in a single foreign language, an approved study abroad program, partial completion of a second major, minor, or certificate program in a related area of study. Related areas include Museum Studies, Design and Industry, Cinema, Music and Dance, Theatre, and Business. Requirements vary for each of the four Art concentrations (Studio; Art History, Art Education, and Studio/Art History) and students are strongly encouraged to work closely with their major advisor toward completion of this requirement.

 

Students who have earned AA-T or AS-T degrees and are pursuing a similar B.A. degree at SF State are required to fulfill the Complementary Studies requirement as defined by the major department. Students should consult with a major advisor about how transfer units and/or SF State units can best be applied to this requirement in order to ensure degree completion within 60 units.

 

Note: Students who complete two majors, or a major and a minor, automatically complete the complementary studies requirement.

 

General Education requirements met in the Art major (all concentrations):

The requirement below is deemed “met in the major” upon completion of the courses listed (even though the courses are not approved for GE). This is true whether or not the student completes the major. All other requirements must be completed as outlined in the General Education section of the Bulletin. Area C1 (Arts) is satisfied upon completion of both ART 201 and ART 205.

 

Bachelor of Arts in Art — 46 units

Before advancing to the 300-level or higher courses or declaring a concentration, all majors must have completed the University’s lower division requirements and the lower division courses for the major, or equivalent. Change of major students must also have proof of art advisor consultation.

 

Concentration in Art Education — 31 units

Concentration in Art History — 34 units

 

Concentration in Studio Art — 31 units

Concentration in Art History and Studio Art  — 34 units

To declare a concentration in art history and studio art, the student must consult advisors in the appropriate areas and to draft a contractual proposed course of study on the Concentration Advising Form. The program must be approved by the advisors and by the School of Art director in advance. Copies of the form are retained by students and their advisors.

Note: A minimum of 40 upper division units must be completed for the degree (including upper division units required for the major, general education, electives, etc.). A student can complete this major yet not attain the necessary number of upper division units required for graduation. In this case additional upper division courses will be needed to reach the required total.

 

Minor in Art

For students transferring from other institutions, a minimum of twelve units in residence is required.

 

Art, minor — 24 units

 

Graduate Program in Art

Two graduate programs are offered–Master of Arts with an emphasis in art history and a Master of Fine Arts in Art. The three-year professional M.F.A. .curriculum is an integrated course of study across a spectrum of studio arts and their adjunct fields of theory, history, and criticism. The M.A. prepares students for doctoral studies and for careers in galleries, museums, and other community institutions.

 

Master of Arts in Art

This program is under review for temporary suspension. Please contact the department for more information.

 

Master of Fine Arts in Art

 

The three-year Master of Fine Arts in Art program is designed to provide professional competency for the student pursuing a career as an artist including working in a range of public roles. Students are accepted into the program in the following areas of emphasis: ceramics, conceptual and information arts, new practices, painting and drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, or textiles. While affiliation with a single emphasis is the norm, a broad approach to art-making and the development of a coherent, informed understanding of issues relevant to many forms of expression is encouraged throughout the program. The emphasis of new practices is available to students who work across media.

 

Studio related seminars and individually supervised tutorials form the core of the program. Special seminars in adjunct academic fields complement the studio focus of the program. Approximately two-thirds of the program is dedicated to studio and one-third to academically related courses. While all students can expect to experience a similar range of studio, seminar and tutorial classes, individual paths through the program are worked out through consultation with a graduate advisor/mentor.

 

Admission to Program

Applications for the M.F.A. program are accepted November 1 through January 15 for admission the following fall.

 

Applicants are required to file two separate applications, one to the University, and one to the Art Department. Applicants who do not complete both requirements cannot be considered for admission. Both the University’s Graduate Studies Division and the Art Department must accept applicants. Admission to the program is highly competitive and it is not possible to admit all fully qualified individuals.

1. An undergraduate art degree or equivalent preparatory degree, with three units of contemporary art history taken within the last five years. If the applicant does not complete this upon admission to the program, enrollment in a contemporary art history class during the first semester is required.
2. A 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units completed in undergraduate degree.

 

The M.F.A. admission application requirements are listed below. All application materials are submitted to the department electronically through an online application site. Application procedures and the M.F.A. admissions application can be found on the department’s website.

1. A completed Department of Art M.F.A. Admissions Application
2. One copy of either official or unofficial transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended. These must be included in your application package. (The department’s transcript requirements are in addition to the official transcripts required in the application to the University.) Note that transcripts will not be forwarded to the Art Department from the Graduate Admissions Office and vice versa.
3. One copy of your current resume/CV.
4. A two-page double-spaced Statement of Purpose describing your interests and background in art, reasons for pursuing the M.F.A. degree, and reasons for selecting San Francisco State University.
5. Three letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to testify to your capabilities and readiness to enter graduate study in art. The three letters should be signed, sealed and included with all other application materials.
6. Creative work portfolio.

 

Up to 12 classified graduate units taken while completing a master’s degree in art at any accredited institution may be transferred towards credit for the M.F.A. degree. No more than 12 units (a maximum of 6 units in studio courses) of work taken in unclassified post-baccalaureate status may be transferred towards credit for the M.F.A. degree. All transfer of credit must be approved on a course-by-course basis by a departmental graduate advisor, graduate coordinator, and the Division of Graduate Studies.

 

A department review of each student’s progress is required at the end of each year in the program.

 

Written English Proficiency Requirement

All students in graduate programs at SF State must demonstrate Level One (entry) and Level Two (exit) writing proficiency in accordance with university, departmental and or programmatic guidelines.

 

Level One is satisfied with the successful completion of ART 700.
Level Two is satisfied by the successful completion of ART 705.

 

Completion of the Degree

In order to complete the M.F.A., students must satisfy all University and Department requirements. Department requirements are described in detail in the M.F.A. General Information brochure. In addition to satisfactory completion of the course of study, other requirements include satisfactory performance on yearly departmental reviews, a creative work exhibition and review, and creative work documentation. The department accepts transfer units on a course-by-course basis, only upon advisement, and in accordance with the limits established in the section entitled Transfer of Credit for Previous Graduate Work of the M.F.A. General Information brochure. If the creative work project is not complete in the final semester of the program, students must enroll in ART 899 in the semester they intend to graduate. Students are required to be enrolled during the semester in which they graduate.

 

Art (M.F.A.) — minimum 60 units