Bachelor of Fine Arts
Learn a wide range of artistic skills while you pursue a B.F.A. degree at ACU. An Art B.F.A. can lay the foundation for a career as an artist, teacher or pave the way for graduate school.
Art is all around us. It tells the most compelling stories of the human experience. And behind each piece of work is a story and a skilled artist.
What is a B.F.A. degree? The B.F.A. degree definition covers a challenging program of study. The ACU Bachelor of Fine Arts is a studio-intensive course of study designed for students with a strong commitment to a professional future as graphic designers, studio artists and/or art teachers. As a Bachelor of Fine Arts students, you’ll develop a broad repertoire of skills through the study of painting, sculpture and printmaking, and build a solid foundation in the fine arts through coursework in design, drawing, art history and art theory.
You can further hone your skills by concentrating in one of these areas: art education, graphic design, painting, photography or sculpture.Our goal is that once you graduate with a B.F.A., you’ll leave ACU with an exceptional, professional portfolio, especially appealing if you plan to pursue an MFA after graduation.
Why Art?
Our program is focused on information management and human interaction: We prepare you for careers in which people and information come together. We emphasize team-building, the analysis and organization of information, and critical thinking.
ACU offers two communication degrees:
- The Bachelor of Arts includes a foreign-language requirement and a minor, enabling you to apply your skills to a range of career fields
- The Bachelor of Science includes studies in communication research and offers several hours of electives, allowing you to explore other disciplines.
Rebecca Barker (‘04) helped shape one of the campus icons.
Read MoreAfter Graduation
- Art Historian
- Advertising Director
- Set Designer
- Special Effects Artists
- Conceptual Artist
- Commercial Photographer
Outside the Classroom
By design, so much of what fine-arts students do in the classroom is real-world experience: they paint, they draw, they sculpt, they design. Outside of these built-in and literally hands-on learning opportunities are several student organizations and co-curriculars including
- Study abroad
- Student exhibitions
- Morris + Mitchell (student-run ad agency)
- American Institute of Graphic Arts
Geoffrey Broderick
Frozen in bronze on the walkways of downtown Abilene, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy remind people of childhood stories.
Dan McGregor
Art and design professor McGregor chronicled his recent Study Abroad adventure in Leipzig the way he knows best: in a sketchbook.
Katelyn Goodman
What started as an illustration class assignment has turned into a money-making opportunity for Goodman of Abilene.
Degree Details
Fine Art (BFA)
Tracks
Sculpture (ART-SCPT)
Painting (ART-PTNG)
Graphic Design (ART-GRDS)
Art level Teaching (ART-ARTT)
Required Hours
*Based on track selection
University Requirements: 56 credit hours + Major Requirements: 72 credit hours (Choice of 4 tracks) + Electives: 0 credit hours = Total Required: 131 credit hours*
Example Coursework
ART 105 - Two-Dimensional Design
ART 106 - Three-Dimensional Design
ART 111 - Basic Drawing
ART 112 - Figure Drawing I
Department
Art and Design
Application Deadlines
National Candidates: May 1st
Early Action: November 1st
Regular: February 1st
