Overview

Art is an individual and social practice that makes an impact. When people create or respond to art, they make connections between themselves and the experiences of others.
In some cases, art provides a private encounter whereby individual thoughts and feelings are expressed through art, or recognized in the art of someone else. In other cases, art gives form to ideas and issues that concern entire communities.

It is because art extends personal and public awareness that it is highly valued as a cultural activity. Those who make art and write about art offer imaginative insights that challenge us to see things differently.

By creating artworks yourself, and enhancing your capacity to interpret artworks made by other individuals, communities, and cultures, you contribute to one of the most important purposes of art, which is to celebrate this unique human form of social communication that shapes the way we see ourselves.

Students enrolled in the School of Visual Arts at Pennsylvania State University may seek entrance into the B.F.A. program no earlier than the second semester and no later than the fourth semester.
There will be a continuous review of portfolio and performance of students enrolled in the Art (B.F.A) program throughout the entire program. Students who do not meet the standards or who do not want to continue in the B.F.A. program may return to the B.A. program in art or choose another program of study.

Careers

As a BFA graduate you have achieved a level of competence that grounds your creative and critical capabilities, which enables you to pursue a range of professional options in visual arts and related fields.
As a creative artist with a distinctive practice and specialized expertise in art media of your choosing, you are informed and prepared to negotiate the different forms of professional participation in the art world that can be built around artist residencies, sustained studio practice, and gallery work.

You will also have a body of work that will ensure you can prepare a competitive portfolio for application to graduate school.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Ideas as Visual Images
Ideas as Objects
Commentary on Art
Ancient to Medieval Art
Renaissance to Modern Art
Digital Art and Design Criticism
Figure Drawing
Drawing: Techniques, Materials, and Tools
Beginning Printmaking
Beginning Oil Painting
A Chronological Survey of Photography

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-01-11 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-06-15 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

123 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

University Park, United States

Disciplines

Visual Arts Art History View 850 other Bachelors in Art History in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Application
Official secondary school records
Official test scores: SAT or ACT
English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

43290 USD / year

≈ 43290 USD / year
Out-of-State

41790 USD / year

≈ 41790 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

20644 USD / year

≈ 20644 USD / year

Living costs

University Park

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

University Park

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners