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UTeaChattanooga

ART (BFA Degrees)

The Department of Art is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. We offer BFA studio degrees in four areas: Graphic Design, Painting and Drawing, Photography and Media Art, and 3D.

The BFA provides opportunities to: learn about the history of art; engage in visual culture; solve complex problems; develop technical skills; and work productively with others.  Students will learn to think critically, articulate themselves forcefully, and define theoretical underpinnings in support of an art/design practice. Each of our students develops a distinctive artistic voice.

Although our students develop mastery in a particular discipline and thus become highly skilled, this is not a vocational degree program. Our focus is primarily on equipping students to practice in a fine-art context.

Top Things To Know

• Freshmen pursuing studio degrees enter as pre-art majors. Students must pass Art 2900 Sophomore Review (in the spring semester) to advance into the upper division. Transfer students (including those with Associate degrees) are required to complete their sophomore-level studio coursework at UTC.
• The art curriculum is linear and art courses are sequential, so that each course prepares a student to succeed in a subsequent course. In addition, not every course is offered every semester. It is very important to see an advisor in the Art Department regularly to avoid potentially significant delays in matriculation.
• All studio courses meet for double-contact hours. This makes it highly impractical to hold a full-time job and complete an art degree in four years.
• Students primarily interested in animation, illustration, game design, advertising and other forms of vocational training (i.e. learning photoshop) would be better served elsewhere.

Career Information

Students who graduate with a BFA in studio art from UTC are well prepared to enter into a competitive yet deeply rewarding field. Most of our graduates work as professional artists or designers. They also work at design firms, in film production, at galleries and museums and as creative members of corporate teams. A studio practice can be funded through sales, grants, residencies and consultation fees.

Many of our students have gone on to pursue MFAs at competitive and prestigious institutions, including Cranbrook Academy, Maryland Institute College of Art, Hunter College in New York, the California Institute of the Arts and the Naropa Institute, among many others.

Link to Art Clear Path Showcases

ART EDUCATION

To be admitted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP), you must have completed ONE of the following with the corresponding score: Praxis I (Math 173, Reading 174, Writing 173); ACT 21 prior to 1989, Enhanced ACT 22 after 1989; SAT 920 prior to 4/95, Re-centered SAT 1020 after 4/95.

Students must have a 2.5 GPA in four areas (UTC, cumulative, content/Art and Education) before they can complete a departmental interview and be recommended for TEP admission. Student must also complete all art and education classes with a C grade or better.

Prior to student teaching, students must complete Praxis II. This exam is taken in two parts: 1. Art and art education content and knowledge (0135), and 2. The Professional Licensure Test (PLT) in education. The art portion of Praxis II requires a passing score of 157 or better. The PLT test scores must be: 0621 (PreK-3) score of 155; 0622 (K-6) score of 158; 0623 (5-9)  score of 158; 0624 (7-12) score of 155.

Top Things To Know

• Art Education courses are not available during the summer terms.
• Art 2100 Introduction to Art Education is offered during the day; Art 3230, 3240 Materials and Procedures in Art Education and Art 4200 Seminar in Art Education are only offered in the evenings.
• Student teaching (12 hrs) is a full-semester experience that typically takes place during the final semester prior to graduation. General education coursework may be completed following student teaching.
• A complete list of check-point requirements can be found on the UTC Teacher Preparation Academy home page.

Career Information

Students who graduate with a B.S. in Art Education will be certified to teach art in elementary and secondary schools. Outside the classroom teaching experience, you might choose to work in the community at art and cultural centers as a recreation specialist teacher/instructor. You could become an art critic or writer, artist-in-residence (in the school), work as an arts administrator, be a freelance illustrator, or teach overseas through a government agency. Working in an art gallery or nursing/daycare center are also options.

There is also the opportunity to pursue graduate-level studies in an array of degree programs.