Major in Fine Arts

The Fine Arts Program at USF is dedicated to providing students with both traditional and modern skills as they address established and contemporary concepts in a studio setting under the guidance and mentorship of professional artists. Our intimate class settings balance group interaction and one-on-one instruction with exposure to galleries, museums, and events in the Bay Area. The curriculum is designed to challenge young artists' imagination and creativity while providing them with the techniques and tools they will need to realize their career goals.

The focus is an integration of the progressive and "back to basics": use of environmentally safe, responsible practices and materials, and the acquisition of auxiliary practical skills such as grant writing and collaboration--with other students as well as with community-based organizations.

Course offerings include in-depth study in diverse painting and drawing media, sculpture in wood, ceramics, fiber and mixed media, indoor and outdoor installation, a variety of printmaking techniques, mural, stained glass, and a senior portfolio class. The forward-thinking full year sequence, Arts Outreach: The Artist as Citizen, exposes students to new paradigms for the artist through community-based work. Fine Arts coursework is augmented by visiting artists, field trips, and interdisciplinary study within the university.

The Fine Arts Curriculum includes

• Studio Systems (introduction to materials and practices of studio art)
• Drawing
• Painting--various genres
• Sculpture
• Printmaking
• Stained Glass
• Installation/Public Art
• Art History in a variety of contexts (Women in Art, Asian Art, African Art, and others)
• Many one-time offerings on special topics

Requirements for the Major

The Major in Fine Arts Requires 48 units, as follows:

Required Core Courses (32 units)

• VA - 101 Survey of Western Art History 1
• VA - 102 Survey of Western Art History 2
• VA - 120 Studio Systems
• VA - 150 Introduction to Graphic Design
• VA - 210 Drawing 1
• VA - 470 Fine Arts Senior Studio
• VA - 487 Art Outreach: Artist as Citizen A
• VA - 488 Art Outreach: Artist as Citizen B

Required Fine Arts Courses (12 units)

• VA - 220 Painting 1
• VA - 230 Sculpture 1
• VA - 240 Printmaking 1
• VA - 290 Photography 1

Electives (4 units)

• VA - 250 Stained Glass 1
• VA - 305 Modern and Contemporary Art
• VA - 306 Women and Art
• VA - 307 Asian Art
• VA - 308 African Art
• VA - 310 Drawing 2
• VA - 320 Painting 2
• VA - 330 Sculpture 2
• VA - 340 Printmaking 2
• VA - 360 Mural Painting
• VA - 370 Installation/Public Art
• VA - 390 Special Topics
• VA - 420 Art and Business
• VA - 425 Sculpture 3