Undergraduate and Graduate

Undergraduate students may choose between two degrees: The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) is a liberal arts degree with three distinct areas of study: Art History, Art Education, and Studio Art. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) is a professional degree with emphases in drawing and design, fibers, graphic design, painting, print & photo media, and sculpture & metalsmithing. With an additional 21 hours of study, students may obtain teaching licensure (certification) with the B.F.A. An undergraduate degree in art opens many doors. Graduates of the Art Department are employed in area schools, museums, and corporations. Others pursue graduate study in art history, art education, fine arts, design, and architecture, in addition to other professional fields where an ability to see, think, and write critically is especially valued. The vast majority of graduates from our Teacher Preparation Program secure teaching positions across the Commonwealth.

Graduate studies are offered through the Joint Program in Visual Studies, the country's only graduate program in visual art with faculty composed of members from two autonomous universities: Norfolk State University and Old Dominion University. Two degrees in visual studies are offered: the Master of Arts (MA), a 33-hour graduate degree; and the Master of Fine Arts (MFA), a 60-hour terminal degree in studio art. For more information about the Visual Studies program, go here.