The BFA degree is a student’s path toward professionalization. It emphasizes the interdependency of studio practice, art history and theory, technical mastery, and individual management while emphasizing critical thinking. This degree is the doorway for the student seeking to become a fine artist. The course of study weaves students into a major international art center and uses Chicago’s most famous galleries as the backdrop for a rigorous integration with one of the most dynamic cultural spaces in the world. Students work through a series of opportunities to share their work while the experience culminates in an exhibition and accompanying catalog.

As a result of successfully completing program requirements, students should be able to:

• understand and use visual arts techniques and research methods for the production of fine art;
• produce a body of work that reflects their knowledge­-both visual and conceptual-and professional development;
• engage in an active studio practice employing creativity, criticality, technical ability, problem solving and historical research;
• competetively pursue graduate education; and
• practice as an artist in the marketplace and in arts-related fields.