BGSU studio art degree offers multidisciplinary 2D and 3D art studies in a BFA or BA degree at one of the largest art programs in a public Ohio university.

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

Art: Studio Art

The BGSU Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Studio Art prepare students with a solid foundation in all media.  

Contemporary art is increasingly blurring the traditional boundaries of mediums. To reflect this, the Studio Art Division prepares students with a solid foundation in two- and three-dimensional courses to allow students to search for their own personal artistic vision.The BGSU Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Studio Art prepare students with a solid foundation in all media.

Knowledge is absorbed through a choice of focused studio experiences across the disciplines of ceramics, drawing & painting, glass, jewelry & metals, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.

From this open foundation, the studio art curriculum encourages and fosters experimentation and risk-taking. Students can select intermediate and advanced level courses best suited to the individual’s creative vision.

Admission to the BFA degree is competitive, but does not require a Portfolio Review for entrance into the School of Art. Prospective students wishing to pursue a BFA degree will be fully admitted to the School of Art as pre-BFA students. These students will be required to pass a Portfolio Review during Spring semester of their first year of study.

Admission to the BGSU School of Art as a BA degree candidate does not require a portfolio review.

Full of Possibilities

The Studio Art Division of the BGSU School of Art is committed to providing a positive environment in which a range of inclusive artistic viewpoints may flourish.  

Diversity and independent thinking is nourished, while closely assisting students in their search for their own personal artistic vision. The degree in Studio Art provides students with depth and flexibility through expression in several disciplines or expression within a single medium.

The search is aided by faculty that are practicing artists, recognized nationally in their own fields. This focus on professional practice prepares students for a career in the arts.  

At the School of Art, students pursuing their BA, BFA, MA, or MFA degrees experience the exclusivity of a private art academy - our student to faculty ratio is 15:1 - yet enjoy the affordability of a state university.

With service-learning opportunities in the community and one of the largest art intakes of any state university in Ohio, BGSU offers a world of opportunities to flourish.

BGSU is one of the largest state art schools in Ohio.

Career - what can you do with a studio art degree?

The Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Studio Art prepare students to actively commit to and engage with various professional opportunities in the arts. We insist that art is vital to the well-being of all communities and that our students will play important roles in this effort wherever they go.    

What this looks like is different for each student. Many BGSU art graduates pursue a studio practice supported by the gallery system. Others mix commissions, grants, residencies, teaching and community arts with a studio practice.

The critical thinking, research, and creative response process central to art prepares graduates for a wide range of creative careers.

A recent national survey of over 200,000 arts graduates found that 74% of those who intend to be designers and artists work professionally in their chosen field. Graduates experience relatively low unemployment rates, a little more than the historical average.   

21st-century employers are looking for creative individuals. An IBM poll of 1500 CEOs around the world revealed that they rank creativity as the number one leadership quality for the future, even above global thinking and dedication.

Career paths

  • Studio Artist
  • Printmaker
  • Jewelry Designer
  • Museum Curator
  • Photographer
  • Craft Potter
  • Art Director 
  • Medical Illustrator
  • Film Animation
  • Image Editor 
  • Educator

Quick Facts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

View Average Salaries

Curriculum

The studio art major engages with 2D and 3D art disciplines:

Ceramics
Drawing and Painting
Glass
Jewelry and Metals
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture

Students are encouraged to work across media, allowing the artist's creative journey to lead them to a new medium without starting over in a new major.

Understanding the contexts of art production, art reception, collecting, exhibition, and publication is attained through art history classes that draw upon various critical theories to offer students a comprehensive understanding of their practice in time.

Electives and multidisciplinary components can add entrepreneurial or skill-based competencies to engage with various professional opportunities in the arts.

Students are aided in their creative journeys and taught professional skills by a dedicated and passionate faculty of practicing artists recognized in their own fields.

An active MFA program, art education program, digital arts program and particularly well-equipped ceramics, glass and sculpture studios mean creative expression can take practically any form imaginable.

Required courses

Three art galleries on the BGSU campus and a vibrant studio art scene in northern Ohio encourage professional experiences.

Sample courses

  • Physical Practices Sculpture
  • Advanced Painting and Drawing
  • Advanced Ceramics
  • Glass: Kiln Formation
  • Jewelry and Metals
  • Community Projects in Photography
  • Screenprinting
  • Metal Casting
Criminal Justice

Arts Village Learning Community

DANCE. ART. THEATRE. FILM. MUSIC. CREATIVE WRITING.

Open to students of any major, the Arts Village is a residential learning community that involves exploring all aspects of the arts and sharing views with one another and faculty of various disciplines. The community keeps the creative spirit alive and well daily with on-site classes geared explicitly to art students and collaborative projects, activities, and social events.    

Study Abroad

With a breadth of learning a key part of any artist’s work, all BGSU arts students have the opportunity to study abroad. The university provides a structured study abroad program for students to experience different cultures and art education within those cultures.  

One popular option is to study at the Studio Arts College International (SACI), our sister school in Florence, Italy. You may enroll for one of the academic year terms (Fall or Spring) or one of the two summer terms. All courses taken at SACI in Florence will be given direct credit on your BGSU transcripts. Students who have attended the program all agree: it is a life-changing experience in one of the world’s most beautiful and inspiring cities.

Art in the community

As well as developing a personal practice and skills to execute your vision, BGSU takes art into community contexts. Art projects among the community have included mural art projects, the transformative Saturday Art Club, the Rick Valicenti Collaborative Teaching Initiative and community photography initiatives.

Updated: 08/07/2024 02:34PM