COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Studio Art at California State University, Sacramento requires students to complete a structured curriculum that combines foundational studio practice, art history studies, and advanced creative specialization. The program begins with 33 units of lower division core requirements designed to build essential artistic skills and knowledge. Students take introductory courses such as Global Modern and Contemporary Art, Beginning Drawing, Intermediate Drawing, Two-Dimensional Composition, Form and Space Vision, and Beginning New Media Art. In addition, students select introductory art history courses covering early global art traditions, including topics such as art before 1400 or cross-cultural artistic exchange between 1400 and 1800, along with courses exploring Islamic, Asian, European, or American art. The lower division curriculum also includes studio exploration through two-dimensional and three-dimensional courses such as Beginning Painting, Watercolor, Printmaking, Photography, Ceramics, or Sculpture, allowing students to experiment with different artistic media and techniques.At the upper division level, students complete 42 units that focus on advanced studio development and professional preparation. Core courses include BFA Junior Studio, Special Topics in Art Studio, Senior Seminar in Studio Art, and the BFA Senior Project, which allows students to produce a comprehensive body of work demonstrating their artistic growth. Students also select five advanced courses within a chosen studio concentration such as drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, or new media and animation. These courses emphasize technical mastery, conceptual development, and individual artistic expression. The curriculum further includes studio electives that may cover topics like interdisciplinary art, art education, curatorial studies, fieldwork, or the role of artists in the professional marketplace.To complement studio training, students must also complete two upper-division art history courses exploring areas such as Renaissance art, modern and contemporary art, Asian art, African American art, global animation history, or film as an art form. Overall, the program integrates studio practice with historical and theoretical perspectives to prepare students for professional artistic careers or advanced graduate study in the visual arts.