COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art at California State University, San Bernardino is structured to provide students with a comprehensive, professional-level education in studio art, combining technical skill, conceptual development, and creative practice. The program begins with 36 lower-division units designed to build foundational skills in two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, drawing, creative technology, and art history. Students also select five lower-division studio courses from areas such as imaging and illustration, photography, painting, ceramics, glass, and sculpture, with additional options for thematic courses like Xicanx Art or Border Art.The upper-division portion comprises 41 units and focuses on advanced practice, professional preparation, and in-depth study in both art history and studio art. Students take core courses including art history seminars, advanced art laboratory, and the BFA project, alongside five intermediate-level studio courses and four advanced-level studio courses, allowing specialization across diverse fields such as digital fabrication, socially engaged art, performance, installation, photography, painting, ceramics, glass, sculpture, and woodworking. This structure ensures students gain not only practical studio skills but also theoretical, historical, and professional knowledge necessary for a career in the arts.Total units for the B.F.A. program amount to 77 for the major, with the full undergraduate degree typically requiring 120 units for graduation when combined with general education and elective courses. Students usually complete the degree in four years of full-time study. Admission to the BFA requires students to first enroll in the BA in Art and, after completing all lower-division requirements with a GPA of 3.0 or higher, undergo a portfolio review with faculty to transition into the BFA program. The culminating experience of the program is a public exhibition of student artwork, showcasing the breadth and depth of their creative development.