Art, BFA

The highly ranked Department of Arts degree programs provide creative students with the critical and artistic skills needed to excel in contemporary, multidisciplinary art and design practices.The art curriculum fosters positive collaboration and innovative art production, while encouraging diverse points-of-view.

Degree programs feature a rigorous foundation program, a set of six courses that students often complete by participating in the popular Contemporary Art & Artists First-Year Interest Group (FIG), before branching out into one or more specialized areas such as ceramics, comics, drawing, glass and neon, graphic design, papermaking, performance/video, photography, sculpture, social practices, etc.

Potential Careers for Artists include: animation, ceramics, glassblowing, metal fabrication, graphic and multi-media design, illustration, videography, photography, teaching and, of course, as a gallery artist. Our graduates also work as community arts organizers, user experience designers, medical imagists, technical assistants for major film companies, jewelry designers and fabricators, book designers, and more.

The department offers five ways to complete a degree:

· The Bachelor of Science in Art degree

· The Bachelor of Science in Art degree with Graphic Design option

· The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree

· The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with Graphic Design option

· The Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree differs from the B.S.Art degree by requiring a larger number of studio and aesthetic courses. The BFA degree is often selected by students wishing to develop a refined visual art portfolio in preparation for a career as a professional artist or designer, and/or for graduate study.Studio art majors begin their undergraduate career in the B.S.-Art program. After completing the foundations and studio breadth coursework, students can declare one of the other art programs, if desired.

The Bachelor of Science in Art Education degree program licenses students to teach in both elementary and secondary schools.

The Department of Art believes that hardworking students who learn to harness and nurture their creative energies today will be the people influencing progress tomorrow. Come join us!

1. Learn the fundamentals of art and design through investigation of form, technology and concept within a cohort of like-minded and diverse artists and designers.
2. Develop skills in research, creative problem solving, and professional practices.
3. Expand knowledge of historical, thematic, critical, and theoretical issues as a means of strengthening verbal and visual vocabulary.
4. Demonstrate a broad understanding of distinct concepts and practices in two-dimensional media, three-dimensional media, four-dimensional media, printmaking, photography, or graphic design media.
5. Demonstrate competency at an advanced level in at least two disciplines of student's choice. (Graphic design named options: one of the two disciplines must be in graphic design.)

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

Art Department Advising

Prospective freshmen and art studio/graphic design certificate students will meet with undergraduate art program advisor Matthew Mauk, [email protected]. Students declared in the B.S.–Art or BFA–Art major, as well as potential transfers into art, will meet with undergraduate art program advisor Julie Ganser, [email protected]. Both advisors are located at 6241 Humanities Building, 455 North Park Street.

Current students can schedule an appointment with either advisor online through the Starfish app in MyUW. Appointments can also be made by contacting either advisor via email or, once the office reopens, by calling 608-262-1660. Students are also strongly encouraged to confer with an advisor in the School of Education Student Services office on a regular basis, see below.

General School of Education Advising

Dedicated to supporting and promoting student success, the School of Education Student Services office coordinates a number of student-related services for prospective and current School of Education students in all programs. Student Services staff offer support in academic advising, career advising, mentoring and advocacy for underrepresented and international students, requirements monitoring, interpreting academic policy, and more. Students in the School of Education are encouraged to make Student Services a vital part of their academic and employment journey.

To schedule an appointment: Call 608-262-2651, email [email protected], or stop by 139 Education Building when the office reopens. Current students can schedule an appointment online through the Starfish app in MyUW.

Career Advising in the School of Education

The School of Education Career Center provides students with the knowledge needed for connecting their classroom experiences with real-world application. Through individual appointments, events, and online resources, the Career Center provides students and alumni with the tools needed to be successful in their career development. From building resumes, conducting job and internship searches, developing interview skills, and negotiation strategies, the Career Center provides a foundation for developing the essential skills for the ever-changing world of work.  

Students can set up their profile on Handshake, the campus online career management system, to find open internships, jobs, and career events.  

Current School of Education students can make an appointment with a Career and Internship Advisor by logging into Starfish from the MyUW dashboard and selecting a day and time that works best with their schedule.

School of Education Alumni can schedule an appointment by completing the appointment request form.

For more information, visit the School of Education Career Center website or reach out at