FAQ

No. Prospective students do not submit a portfolio for Admissions into the School of Art. If you are accepted to BGSU, you may begin taking classes in the School of Art. If you opt to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the School of Art, you will take a portfolio review at the end of your first year of study in the School of Art.

If you would like to submit a portfolio with your application, you may submit it for scholarship consideration.

For information about the application process to BGSU, see the BGSU Admissions webpage. Only admission to BGSU is required for admission to the School of Art for a prospective student.

Yes. Prospective students that are freshmen direct from high school who plan to attend BGSU full-time as an art major the following academic year are eligible to apply for the Incoming Freshman Talent Award.

The Incoming Freshman Talent Award is a one-year non-renewable scholarship. But current students are eligible to apply for many scholarships in the School of Art, and there are Talent Awards available at every level and for every medium. For more information, see the Current Student Scholarship page.

Information about transferring as an art student is available on the School of Art Transfer page. You will also want to visit the BGSU Transfer page for information about the application and transfer credit process.

Prospective students can apply to live in the Arts Village, a living learning community for arts students.

The Graphic Design program requires students to complete an internship, and the Division offers assistance to students. Graphic Design students intern in a variety of companies and graphic design firms.

Digital Arts students obtain internships in a variety of settings, including companies such as Pixar and Blizzard.

Art Education students must student-teach to graduate with a BFA degree and to be eligible to apply for licensure.

Although the Studio and Art History divisions do not require that students complete internships, many opportunities are available for students who wish to intern. Studio students have obtained internships in galleries and studios across the country, and Art History students have obtained internships in galleries and museums, such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Toledo Museum of Art.

In addition to internal resources for internships in the School of Art, BGSU students can also participate in the Falcon Internship Guarantee.
 

Your academic advisor will contact you before your Orientation date about your class schedule.  

If you know that you would like to study art, but you are undecided on your major, it is advisable to select any of our art majors, so that you can be eligible to be registered for our Art Foundations courses. The Art Foundations courses are a set of three prerequisite classes (ART 1020, ART 1030, and ART 1120) within the First Year Program that art majors take their first year, and they are required for all studio-focused majors (Art Education, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, and Studio). You can then change your major once you have decided what to specialize in.

You can be an art major even if you have not taken many/any art courses in high school. The Art Foundations courses within the First Year Program are designed to give all first year students the prerequisite skills and knowledge for more advanced studio classes. However, if you do have the option of taking art courses before attending the School of Art, we do recommend taking them (especially drawing courses).

You do not need to have taken Digital Arts or Graphic Design courses before majoring in these areas. Each major requires a set of core introductory courses that are designed to teach you the skills you will need in the more advanced classes. But if you do have the opportunity to take some courses before attending the School of Art, this can be a good option.

You are not required to purchase a computer before attending the School of Art. Digital Arts and Graphic Design computer labs are available during posted hours for students taking classes in these areas. If you would like to purchase a computer before attending, you may consult the Graphic Design and Digital Arts pages for more information.

Yes. All new students will be contacted by their advisor before Orientation. Students can work with their advisor to finalize their schedule. A Mandatory Advising Hold will be applied to first-year students’ accounts for the next three or four semesters. Students will be required to meet with their Academic Advisor before being permitted to register. First- and Second-Year students will be assigned an Academic Advisor and a Faculty Mentor. Juniors and Seniors will be assigned a Faculty Mentor. All students are encouraged to meet with their Advisors and Mentors regularly.  

Occasionally School of Art faculty will organize a 3 week trip oversees that can count for course credit. Past destinations include Peru and New Zealand. BGSU also has education abroad opportunities outside of the School of Art.

Yes. The School of Art has many student organizations, each one focusing on a different medium. You do not have to be a major in an area to participate in a student group, and you can get involved in as many as you would like. Student groups raise funds to go on field trips and bring visiting artists to campus. BGSU also has approximately 350 registered student organizations that current students can participate in.

Yes. The School of Art has a University Gallery that runs exhibitions year-round. We also host visiting artist series throughout the year. Additionally, the Arts have many events that students can attend and participate in, including ArtsX, our largest student-run event of the year, as well as theatre performances, readings, lectures, and many other activities and events.

Yes. The Fine Arts Center is open 24/7. Some specialized spaces have limited hours, such as the computer labs, the woodshop, and the Media Center.

The best place to purchase art supplies in Bowling Green is the Art Supply Depo.

Art majors have the opportunity to submit work to the Undergraduate Exhibition. Graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students also have the opportunity to submit a final portfolio to participate in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition. Many students also pursue exhibition opportunities outside the School of Art.

School of Art students graduate and begin employment in a variety of settings. For more specific information about career opportunities, see the Division pages (Art Education, Art History, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, Studio).

Some art courses and all Art History courses require the purchase of one or several textbooks. Books can be purchased through your myBGSU account as a current student.

The School of Art offers majors in Art, Art Education, Art History, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, and Studio. We also offer minors in Art, Art History, Community Arts Education, Design for Social Impact, Digital Arts, Glass, Jewelry Design, Photography, Printmaking, and Word & Image.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees are both four-year undergraduate degrees. The BA degree requires the completion of a minor in addition to general studies and major courses, whereas the BFA degree replaces the BA minor requirement with advanced art courses and studio support courses. The BA degree is a good option for students who would like to combine the study of art with another subject across the university, whereas the BFA degree focuses most intensely on art courses. The BFA requires passing a portfolio review at the end of the first year of study, whereas the BA does not require a portfolio submission.

We offer BFA degrees in: Art Education, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, and Studio.
We offer BA degrees in: Art History and Art (with specializations in Digital Arts and Studio).

Graphic Design combines art, communication, and marketing to create innovative designs, encouraging independent and collaborative thinking, creative problem solving/analytics and design, creative writing, design for the public good, exploration of alternative visual communication methods, and a solid understanding of modern professional practices.

The Digital Arts offers courses in digital arts and animation, focusing on creative expression using digital technology. Students have the option to focus in Computer Animation and Video, Digital Imaging, and Interactive Multimedia.

Yes. Most of our introductory studio and art history courses are open to non-majors. Some prerequisite requirements may apply. See the Course Catalog for more information.

The School of Art offers minors in Art, Art History, Community Arts Education, Design for Social Impact, Digital Arts, Glass, Jewelry Design, Photography, Printmaking, and Word & Image.

As a new student, your first year will depend on your major, whether you are a freshman direct from high school or a transfer student, whether you are enrolled part-time or full-time, and whether you are bringing in previous credit (AP, dual-enrollment, CCP, transfer credit…). For a new full-time non-Art History School of Art major a typical first year means approximately 15 to 16 credit hours per semester (about 5 courses), which typically includes two Art Foundations courses and three general studies courses the first semester. For the second semester, a student typically completes the last Art Foundations course and takes one or two additional art courses and two or three general studies courses.

Most studio courses meet twice per week for 2 hours and 20 minutes per class session. Most class sessions include lecture, studio/work time, and/or critiques.

Most Art History courses meet either twice a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or three times per week for 50 minutes per class session. They are typically lecture and discussion/seminar format.

Most studio and Art History courses have extra fees attached to the class. Fees vary according to the medium.

Some instructors will purchase supplies for you, whereas others will not. Often, students will have basic supplies provided and will need to purchase supplemental supplies if they wish to create additional/larger works. Purchase of equipment and supplies for an art course is similar to the cost of purchasing textbooks for other courses, and the cost will vary by class.

The School of Art offers a limited selection of summer classes. Course listings by semester can be found using the Class Search function.

High school students interested in Graphic Design can sign up for the Design for Social Good camp. During the semester,the School of Art offers art courses for K-12 students through our Saturday Art program.

All studio courses are typically capped at 18 students. Art History courses can have larger class sizes.

We offer a limited selection of online courses, but you would not be able to complete our degrees entirely online.

The Course Catalog offers information about courses and a description of each course. The Class Search allows you to find courses that are offered during a given semester.