Dec 01, 2024  
Undergraduate Bulletin 2008-2009 
    
Undergraduate Bulletin 2008-2009 [Archived Catalog]

Fine Arts (B.A.)


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Program: B.A.
Department of Visual Arts/Fine Arts Program
College of Visual and Performing Arts

Visual Arts Building 117 ~ 260-481-6705 ~ www.ipfw.edu/vpa/


The student learning outcomes for the degree are as follows:

  • Students will develop fundamental technical skills in 2D and 3D media to successfully express artistic ideas and develop an artistic awareness through visual expression.  Students who are interested in the B.A. program combine advanced General Education study in such areas as anthropology, english, languages, and pyschology towards such careers as Art History, Art Management, and Art Therapy.

The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed to enable students to see, formulate, and articulate concepts through the manipulation of form and materials.  The art-making practice is through Department of Fine Arts studio concentrations including ceramics, metalsmithing, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. The B.A. program is a broad-based liberal arts degree which allows students to explore wide-ranging interests in and out of studio art study.  Students can choose to concentrate in a specific art discipline, or may explore a wide range of artistic disciplines. The Bachelor of Arts degree is divided into three parts; 33 credit hours of General Studies, 57-69 credit hours of Content Field (Art Studio and Art History classes), and 21-33 credit hours of General Liberal Arts classes. A total of 123 credit hours of study are required for graduation. Students in the Department of Fine Arts B.A. program must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Admission to B.A. Program with a Major in Fine Arts

To earn the B.A., you must fulfill the requirements of IPFW (see Part 8) and the College of Visual and Performing Arts (see Part 4). Students within the fine arts B.A. must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA within the Content Field (see below).

Components Credits
I. General Education       33
II. Content Field       57-69
III. General Liberal Arts       21-33
    Total   123

IPFW General Education Requirements Credits: 33


Area I Linguistic and Numerical Foundations Credits: 9


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

  • Quantitative Reasoning Credits: 3

Area II—Natural and Physical Sciences Credits: 6


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

Area III—The Individual, Culture, and Society Credits: 6


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

Area IV—Humanistic Thought Credits: 6


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

  • (Fine arts majors may not use any FINA-prefixed courses to fulfill this requirement)

Area V—Creative and Artistic Expression Credits: 3


See Part 2 General Education Requirements for approved courses

  • (Fine arts majors may not use any FINA-prefixed courses to fulfill this requirement)

College of Visual and Performing Arts Requirements


II. Content Field Credits: 57-69


Students must complete three (3) classes in Art History (9 cr.) plus 36-48 credit hours of studio work to fulfill the Content Field.

100 level Foundation Requirements Credits: 12


100 Level Foundation Portfolio Review Checkpoint


Students in all of the Department of Fine Arts programs will submit a portfolio of 100 level Foundation studio work to be reviewed by Department of Fine Arts faculty. The review is a checkpoint to assure that students have met adequate quality standards in the Foundation program. The portfolio should consist of 12-15 works, with at least two works from each 100 level Foundation course.  Upon a satisfactory portfolio review, students will continue in 200 level Fundamentals studio classes. Some students may be asked to re-take certain Foundation classes to attain department standards.

200 Level Studio Requirements Credits: 12


200 Level Studio*                                                   9 cr.

At least one class each from the 2D and 3D area below.

  • FINA P223 Figure Drawing (2D)
  • FINA P225 Painting Fundamentals (2D)
  • FINA P241 Printmaking Fundamentals (2D)
  • FINA P231 Sculpture Fundamentals (3D)
  • FINA P233 Metalsmithing Fundamentals (3D)
  • FINA P235 Ceramics Fundamentals (3D)

            plus

  • VCD P273 Computer Art and Design                    3 cr.

*Additional 200 level Fundamentals classes beyond the four required can be used in the B.A. Advanced Studio area listed below.

Petition into the B.F. A. Program

Students may petition the Department of Fine Arts to enter the (Bachelor of Fine Arts) B.F.A. program after taking all of the above 200 level Fundamental classes.   Candidates for the B.F.A. program will be asked to fill out an application, present a portfolio for review (see below) of seven (7) 200 level studio classes, and be part of an interview with Department of Fine Arts faculty. Judgment will be made based on the above criteria and a review of grades.

Art History Requirements Credits: 9


Advanced Studio Courses Credits: 24-36


Advanced Studio                                                                    
At least eight (8)but no more than twelve (12) studio classes can be taken at the Advanced Studio level. At least two classes must be taken at the 300 level in each area of concentration before 400 level classes.  400 level classes can be repeated to meet credit requirements. Of the total credit hours in this category, up to four (4) studio classes can be taken from the Department of Visual Communications and Design (VCD) unless permission from your advisor is given to include more. Advanced studio classes should be selected in consultation with the Chair of the Department of Fine Arts.

III. General Liberal Arts Courses Credits: 21-33


A minimum of seven (7) but no more than eleven (11) liberal arts courses are needed to fulfill the B.A. requirements.  Liberal Arts classes are defined as any IPFW class counted towards a degree (does not include remedial courses).  An option of pursuing a minor in an outside field is encouraged within these credits. 

Total Credits: 123


Recommendations, Requirements, Transfers, and Policies


Recommendations Students should schedule classes within the B.A. program under the guidance of the official departmental advisor.
 
Residence Requirements  For a bachelor’s degree, registration in and completion of at least 33 credits of resident course credit at the 200 level or above, including at least 15 credits at the 300 level or above, in courses applicable to the major.
 
Transfer and Returning Student Credit All studio and art history courses transferred from another institution or former IPFW art programs must be evaluated by appropriate faculty in the Department of Fine Arts program before they may be applied to a major in Fine Arts. See Transfer and Returning Student Credit Review.
 
Transfer and Returning Student Credit Review Courses in studio art that have been transferred to IPFW from another institution or former IPFW art programs are not counted as part of the Fine Arts major unless they have been reviewed by the Fine Arts faculty. For a review of transferred studio credit, the student should provide the viewer with a portfolio consisting of representative work in each area (e.g. painting, sculpture, etc.) for which the transfer credit is desired. The portfolio should include both studies and finished work and be as encompassing as possible.       
 
Academic Probation/Dismissal Policies
If a student does not meet the university’s GPA standard, they will be notified that they have been placed on academic probation and will be asked to make progress towards meeting campus standards. Department of Fine Arts programs have their own academic standards as stated above. If a student is not meeting these standards, they will be notified and placed on departmental academic probation. If a student does not make positive progress towards meeting the academic standards of the department within twelve (12) credit hours of study, they will be subject to dismissal from the Department of Fine Arts program.

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