With an art BA degree, you’ll develop your artistic skills and prepare for a career in the arts.
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
Main Campus - Cape
Art (BFA)
BFA
On-Campus
Main Campus
DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
Complete a professional fine arts degree program while refining your talent: find your fearless.
A BFA in Art prepares you for a career in the art and design industry, as a freelance artist, or furthering your expertise in graduate school.
What You’ll Do With an art degree
With a BFA in Art at SEMO, you’ll gain incredible real world learning experiences through juried exhibitions and other exciting opportunities.
- Work closely with faculty to prepare for a formal portfolio evaluation required for all art majors.
- Exhibit your work at multiple River Campus exhibition venues.
- Work side by side with expert faculty artists in multiple disciplines.
- Create works of art in modern studios equipped with traditional and progressive technology.
- Art BFA students will complete a studio art specialization and participate in a BFA exhibition to show the culmination of your work.
What Can You Do with a BFA in Art?
A BFA in art doesn't just prepare you for a job; you'll learn to think visually, solve problems in new ways, and build a bold career that fits who you are. With specializations in ceramics, graphic and interactive design, painting, photography and new media, printmaking and fibers, and sculpture, you can shape a path that fits how you want to make and share work. You'll graduate with real-world creative skills you can use on day one of your career.
Internship Opportunities of Art Degree Graduates
- Bold Marketing, Cape Girardeau
- Bruton Strouble, St. Louis
- Horizon Screenprinting, Cape Girardeau
- Abby, Ink, Jackson
- LaCroix Methodist Church
- Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Cape Girardeau
- Farfetched Studios, Chesterfield
- Wright Group USA, Perryville
National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency , Springfield - Lee Ferrell Design, Fairfax, VA
Rosemary Berkell & Harry L. Crisp II Museum, Cape Girardeau - Brighton US
Firecracker Press , St. Louis - Coolfire Studios, St. Louis
- Southeast Missourian
- Triune Communications
- Twist Integrated Marketing, St. Louis
Graduate Schools of BFA in art Graduates
- University of Georgia, Athens
Ohio University , Athens - University of North Texas, Denton
Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge Washington University , St. Louis - PRATT Institute, Brooklyn
- SUNY, Buffalo
- Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
- Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque
Eastern Illinois, Charleston Illinois State University, Bloomington - Normal - University of Syracuse, Syracuse
University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign
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BFA in Art Outcomes & Careers
-
$128k
Art Director
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for an art director is $128,100.
-
$76k
Fine Artist
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a craft and fine artist is $76,450.
-
$68k
Graphic Designer
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual salary for a graphic designer is $68,610.
What You'll Study
As an art BFA major, you’ll develop your artistic skills with intensive work in visual art and design. You’ll complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to complete this degree, including the general education requirements and at least 39 senior division hours. No minor is required.
84 Hour Major – No minor required
A 3.0 grade point average in the major must be maintained.
Grade of ‘C’ or better required in all BFA-Art major courses.
Foundation Courses:
- AR001 Foundation Review (0) *
- AR100 Drawing I (3)
- AR104 2D Design (3)
- AR106 3D Design (3)
- AR180 Digital Literacy for Art + Design (3)
- AR201 Color Composition (3)
- AR202 Drawing II (3)
Core Requirements:
- AR323 Introduction to Photography and New Media (3)
- AR325 Painting I (3)
- AR332 Sculpture I (3)
- AR342 Ceramics I (3)
- AR399 Professional Practices in Visual Art (3)
Choose 3 hours:
- AR314 Drawing III (3)
- AR319 Introduction to Graphic Design (3)
- Choose 3 hours:**
- AR302 Relief and Mixed Media Printmaking (3)
- AR303 Screenprinting (3)
- AR330 Paper, Book, and Fibers (3)
- AR501 Intaglio Printmaking (3)
- AR502 Lithography (3)
- Art History Requirements
- AH110 Art History Survey I (3)
- AH210 Art History Survey II (3)
- Choose 6 additional hours of Art History courses (300-500 level)
Required Specialization – 15-21 hours
- Studio majors select 15-21 departmentally approved credit hours in one of the following specialized areas: Ceramics; Graphic and Interactive Design; Painting; Photography and New Media; Printmaking and Fibers; or Sculpture.
Additional Art Electives – 12-18 hours
- Additional Art Electives – 12-18 hours – consult with advisor to fulfill the additional art elective requirement for each advising track. Specific courses may be suggested, depending on the student’s area of interest.
* Taken after completing all foundation courses, minimum-passing score of 2.5 is required for Foundation Review (two attempts only), and also applies to transfer students.
**Course taken by Printmaking specialty students will also count in the specialty area. See page 2 for Printmaking coursework.
Some requirements may be fulfilled by coursework in major program.
- Social and Behavioral Sciences – 6 hours
- Constitution Requirement – 3 hours
- Written Communication – 6 hours
- Oral Communication – 3 hours
- Natural Sciences – 7 hours (from two disciplines, one to include a lab)
- Mathematics – 3 hours
- Humanities & Fine Arts – 9 hours (from at least two disciplines)
- Additional requirements – 5 hours (to include UI100 for native students)
- Civics examination
First Year
Fall Semester (16 Hours)
- UI100 (1)
- EN100 (3)
- AH110 (3)
- AR100 (3)
- AR104 (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- AH210 (3)
- AR106 (3)
- AR201 (3)
- AR202 (3)
- General Education (3)
Second Year
Fall Semester (15 Hours)
- AR001 (0)
- AR180 (3)
- AR302/303/501/502 (3)
- AR323 (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- AR314 or AR319 (3)
- AR332 (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Milestone: Must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in the major. Pass Foundation review by the end of 1st semester, second year.
(Summer courses are encouraged to avoid 18-hour semesters)
Third Year
Fall Semester (15 Hours)
- AR325 (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- AH3XX-5XX (3)
- General Education (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- AR342 (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- General Education (3)
- General Education (3)
Milestone: Must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in the major.
Fourth Year
Fall Semester (14 Hours)
- AR399 (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- General Education (3)
- Elective (3)
Spring Semester (15 Hours)
- AR490 (3)
- AH3XX-5XX (3)
- AR Specialty (3)
- General Education (3)
- Elective (3)
Milestone: Must maintain a GPA of 3.0 in the major.
A “Milestone” signifies a significant stage for a student in the completion of a degree.
"Critical Courses" are italicized and bolded. These courses are indicators of potential for success in the degree program.
After completing the Art course requirements, students will choose one specialty area. The BFA Art specialty areas include Photography & New Media, Graphic & Interactive Design, Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking, and Ceramics. The requirements for each art specialization are listed in the tables below.
Photography & New Media (18 hours)
- AR448 Photography & New Media Seminar (3)
- AR490 BFA Capstone (3)
Choose one 12-hour block:
Block 1:
- AR328 Photography Fundamentals (3)
- AR384 Lighting Theory (3)
- AR428 Alternative Process Image Making (3)
- AR484 Visual Literacy: Culture of Images (3)
Block 2:
- AR324 Time Based Media (3)
- AR418 Transformational Image Making (3)
- AR423 Visual Narratives (3)
- AR447 Topics in New Media (3)
Graphic & Interactive Design (21 hours)
- AR322 Typography (3)
- AR381 UI/UX Design (3)
- AR327 Web Design 3 units (3)
- AR490 BFA Capstone 3 units (3)
Choose one 9-hour block:
Block 1:
- AR407 Design for Social Good (3)
- AR409 Illustration (3)
- AR416 Visual Branding (3)
Block 2:
- AR337 Interactive Design (3)
- AR480 3D Production for Interactive Media (3)
- AR485 Topics for Interactive Design (3)
Sculpture (15 hours)
- AR425 Sculpture II (3)
- AR431 Sculpture III (3)
- AR432 Sculpture IV (3)
- AR433 Sculpture V (3)
- AR490-01 BFA Capstone (3)
Painting (15 hours)
- AR424 Painting II (3)
- AR426 Painting III (3)
- AR427 Painting IV (3)
- AR449 Painting V (3)
- AR490-05 BFA Capstone (3)
Printmaking and Fibers (15 hours)
- AR302 Relief & Mixed Media Printmaking (3)
- AR303 Screenprinting (3)
- AR330 Paper, Book, & Fibers (3)
- AR490-06 BFA Capstone (3)
- AR501 Intaglio (OR) AR502 Lithography (3)
- AR505 Social Practice Printmaking and Fibers (3)
Ceramics (15 hours)
- AR441 Ceramics II (3)
- AR442 Ceramics III (3)
- AR443 Ceramics IV (3)
- AR490-03 BFA Capstone (3)
- AR541 Ceramics V (3)
What will it cost?
Studio Art Specializations
BFA in Art specializations include:
- Photography and New Media
- Graphic and Interactive Design
- Printmaking and Fibers
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Ceramics
LIFE IN THE ARTS
Take a brief look at a typical day for our Southeast Missouri State University art students.
Learn While Doing
We know that it takes countless hours of practice and feedback to be a great artist. In the Department of Art and Design we have the experiences, faculty, and spaces that will transform you from a talented student into a professional. Learn more.
BFA in Art Student Work
Take a brief look at a typical day for our Southeast Missouri State University art students.
Become a Redhawk.
Do more than dream about the future. Take the first steps to make it all happen.
Accreditations
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DEGREE TYPE
Bachelor's Degree
PROGRAM TYPE
Undergraduate
LOCATION
Main Campus - Cape
COLLEGE
DEPARTMENT
Contact Us
Location
Office
River Campus Seminary 104
Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS 7825
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701