The Honors Tutorial College B.A. program in studio art balances a commitment to breadth and rigor with an opportunity for self-disciplined and highly motivated students to explore contemporary and fundamental issues creatively. In dialogue with the School of Art + Design curriculum, the program offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of studio art intensively in one-on-one relationships with faculty members. The program's mission is to train highly skilled artists with a broad understanding of contemporary art, emphasizing critical skill development and a strong intellectual framework. Individualized curriculums reflect intensive practical training, scholarly research in art history, critical theory, relevant research fields, as well as opportunities for collaboration and professional experience. The program prepares students for entry into MFA and PhD courses of study and other related professions in the field.
The B.A. program is a four-year program requiring a student to take one tutorial each semester, introductory and upper-division studio art courses, art history, and collateral studies. Upper division classes and tutorials will be concentrated in the area in which the student is earning the B.A. This enables the student to acquire the full range of skills necessary to successfully continue in graduate study.
To earn a B.A. degree in the Honors Tutorial College, a student must fulfill all the academic requirements of the program of study and have at least a 3.5 overall GPA.
Tutorials/Courses/Thesis
Students are required to take one tutorial per semester. Tutorials encompass a diverse range of subjects including: practical training; scholarly research, whether in the School of Art + Design, College of Fine Arts, or the University; and professional experience. The tutorials in the first year are designed to compliment and intensify foundations level classes, providing a more in-depth experience of this fundamental coursework. Designed in collaboration with the Director of Studies, second and third year tutorials may compliment studio coursework, addresses a topic of relevance to the student's concentration, or explore pertinent areas of creative and scholarly research. In the third year, students begin research on a studio topic that will culminate in the fourth year as the thesis exhibition and paper. In the spring semester of the third year, students submit a proposal for the thesis. In the fourth year, students pursue their specialization in depth, developing a body of work for exhibition and producing a written thesis based on original research that relates to their artistic interests.