CSU vloggers answer your most-pressing questions
May 2, 2023
CSU’s student vloggers team up to answer some of your questions about applying to Colorado State, making friends, and more.
Art (B.F.A.) Major
Do you love to create thought-provoking work, explore different mediums, and use visuals to communicate ideas?
At a glance
The B.F.A. in Art is a professional degree for studio art and art education majors, allowing you to explore various mediums and gain a foundational knowledge base in art history. You’ll get opportunities to learn from masters of their crafts as well as look back upon art throughout the ages, different forms of expression, and their impact on society.
| Degree type | Bachelor of Fine Arts | |||
| Format | On campus | |||
| Part of | College of Liberal Arts | |||
| Competitive major? | No | |||
| Accelerated option? | No |
Not sure if this is the right major for you?
See all of them!
See all of them!
Concentrations
A concentration allows you to specialize in a certain area within your major, offering a depth of information and hands-on experiences that you may not otherwise get. Many students in this major will concentrate in one area to work in a specific field after college, as well as find mentors and internships before they even graduate.
Art Education
The Art Education concentration embraces the artist-teacher concept, allowing you to develop a studio practice while preparing to teach art at the K-12 level.
Drawing
In the drawing concentration, you’ll build a solid foundation in the basics of drawing and perception skills, as well as acquire a visual vocabulary, and explore personal expression and a broad range of ideas and theories.
Electronic Art
You’ll focus on experimental video and animation techniques, net art, and using software as a medium for creative output. Additionally, you’ll gain technical skills that are complemented by research on contemporary art, current technology, and the role of new media art.
Fibers
You’ll be skilled at creating and transforming fabrics and fiber structures into works of expression. You’ll gain a strong foundation in weaving, surface design, and related textile techniques.
Graphic Design
Explore and master graphic design theory, history and professional practices to create artistic expressions in print and digital media, and experimenting with treatments of typography and illustration.
Metalsmithing
Explore traditional metalsmithing techniques, while developing your own artistic practice. Projects introduce and strengthen technical skills and explore historical and contemporary practice within the field.
Painting
You’ll gain an understanding of the visual language and technical aspects of painting. As your proficiency in advances, you’ll work with alternative tools, methods and surfaces.
Photo Image Making
Learn the fundamentals of photographic practice, gain an understanding of its connections to the contemporary art world, and explore personal applications of the photography and photo image creation.
Pottery
This comprehensive ceramics curriculum exposes you to the range of contemporary ceramic art processes and concepts while you develop critical, technical, and manual skills and explore self-expression through functional art.
Printmaking
Examine and develop a technical background in the variety of media needed to cultivate a studio practice in the old art of printmaking. Courses are taught workshop style to allow you to share diverse creative inquiry with other artists as you learn.
Sculpture
You’ll be encouraged to experiment and innovate while exploring content in the areas of object making, installation, site-based work, performance, time-based art, and digital processes with a variety of materials and mediums.
Some Career Options
Graduating with a B.F.A. in Art will provide you with a number of transferable skills in communication, analysis, and critical thinking that are vital for work in traditional business as well as positions in academia and roles as freelance artists, graphic designers, art educators, art historians, studio artists and as “creatives” in government, marketing, and nonprofits.
- Art Teacher
- Graphic Designer/Technical Illustrator
- Sculptor/Potter
- Furniture Designer
- Photographer
- Mural Artist
- Textile Designer/Weaver
- Jewelry Artist
- Game Designer
- Creative Consultant
Tour and info session options
Tours may be available as part of Admissions tours and info sessions, offered throughout the year.
For additional opportunities, please reach out to:
College of Liberal Arts recruiter at CLA_Recruitment@colostate.edu or (970) 821-5276 (Text friendly. Please include your/the student’s full name in the message.)
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Explore even more
Want a more in-depth look at this major? Take a look at the program website to learn more.