Overview

The Art Practice BFA degree from Portland State University offers you the foundational toolkit you'll need to succeed. Core courses foster community and excitement for the diverse ways we engage in creative life and provides learning situations that open up those possibilities.

Art practice is the exploration of studio art experiences and processes with an emphasis on developing your own creative vision. Our program goes beyond the physical activities of making to include idea generation, influences, materials, tools and methods. We offer an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on current trends in contemporary art.

It’s a flexible degree that allows you to design an individual path of study based on your interests and goals. We strive to acquaint you with fundamental concepts while nurturing your own unique vision.

Our faculty, who are all active makers as well as educators, will mentor you along your path in small classes with frequent one-on-one instruction. As you progress as an art practice major, you will experience a variety of traditional media including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and textiles. But you might also be intrigued by time-based arts that have a durational dimension, such as film, video, sound, and performance art.

We are leaders in the pioneering field of Art + Social Practice. Instead of making art as objects, this field focuses on collaborative experiences and interaction between the artist and cultural systems through activism and social engagement.

Career opportunities:

While some graduates of our program go on to pursue a master of fine art degree, many find work in a wider array of jobs. As more and more employers look for people who know how to think creatively, an arts training is a great asset.

Fine artist
Art Director
Illustrator
Filmmaker
Photographer
Designer
Teacher or Arts Educator
Art gallery manager
Exhibition designer
Arts administration
Art therapy
Museum technician

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Surface

Space

Time

Ideation

Digital Tools

Visual Literacy

Drawing

Making & Meaning

Professional Practices

Critical Theories

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-07-22 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-07-05 00:00:00
Starting 2026-09-30 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-08-01 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-01-06 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-05 00:00:00
Starting 2027-03-31 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-03-05 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

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

180 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Portland, United States

Disciplines

Art History View 851 other Bachelors in Art History in United States

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

Academic requirements

GPA

2.5

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

110

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

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

You must have a cumulative (overall) grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 when converted to the U.S. 4.0 grading scale.
Meet the English Language Proficiency Requirement. You may be admitted to Portland State University and an Intensive English Language Program (IELP) pathway if you do not meet PSU's English Language Proficiency Requirement. Learn more about PSU’s English language programs.

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

34599 USD / year

≈ 34599 USD / year
Out-of-State

34599 USD / year

≈ 34599 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

12999 USD / year

≈ 12999 USD / year

Living costs

Portland

United States

1271 - 2262 USD / month

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

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Get Visa Support

Get personalized guidance from a certified VFS Global advisor and save 20% through Studyportals.

Avoid common visa mistakes and delays
Know exactly what documents you need
Get a clear checklist tailored to your situation

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Art Practice.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career opportunities:

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

Portland

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners