Fine Arts BFA Degree Program
School of Art and Design
Applications accepted for fall only. NYSED: 27871 CIP: 50.0702
In the Fine Arts BFA major, students join the vibrant art scene in New York and explore a wide range of creative possibilities, from traditional media to 3D design and multimedia. Students obtain internships in museums, galleries, professional printmaking studios or in art restoration companies that prepare them to assume a variety of positions in the art world as art handlers, experts in art transportation and installation, and preparators in gallery and museum settings. Curriculum below is for the entering class of fall 2026.
| Semester 5 | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| MAJOR AREA | FA 341 - Drawing Workshop/Experimental Drawing | 1.5 |
| FA 351 - Painting V: Contemporary Concepts | 3 | |
| FA 361 - Sculpture III: Advanced Traditional Materials | 3 | |
| FA 371 - Printmaking III: Advanced Works on Paper | 2 | |
| RELATED AREA | CG 214 - Web Page Construction or CG 311 - 2D Computer Image Generation | 1.5 - 2 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | HA 331 - Contemporary Art and Culture: 1945 to the Present | 3 |
| choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/World Languages | 3 | |
| Semester 6 | Credits | |
| MAJOR AREA | FA 352 - Painting VI: Sources of Painted Imagery | 3 |
| FA 363 - Sculpture: Casting as a Creative Medium | 3 | |
| FA 471 - Advanced Experimental Printmaking | 2 | |
| RELATED AREA | CT 200 - Content Design and Research | 2 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | HA 411 - Western Theories of Art | 3 |
| choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/World Languages | 3 | |
| Semester 7 | Credits | |
| MAJOR AREA | FA 441 - Experimental Drawing II | 1.5 |
| FA 451 - Painting VII: Development of Personal Aesthetics | 3 | |
| FA 462 - Sculpture: New Materials | 3 | |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/History of Art | 3 |
| ELECTIVE(S) | choice - General Elective(s) | 3 |
| Semester 8 | Credits | |
| MAJOR AREA | FA 411 - Interdisciplinary Media | 1.5 |
| FA 491 - Senior Project Thesis: Painting or FA 492 - Senior Project Thesis: Sculpture | 3 | |
| RELATED AREA | choice - see Requirements: Internship/Related Area Elective | 3 |
| LIBERAL ARTS | choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts Elective(s) | 3 |
| choice - see Requirements: Liberal Arts/Writing Elective(s) | 3 | |
| TOTAL CREDIT REQUIREMENTS | ||
| ELECTIVE(S) | 3 | |
| MAJOR AREA | 29.5 | |
| RELATED AREA | 6.5-7 | |
| LIBERAL ARTS | 21 | |
| Total Credits: | 60-60.5 | |
Fall 2026 Requirements: See below.
Internship/Related Area Elective: 3 credits. IC 497 or AC 311, BE 403, EP 365.
Liberal Arts and Sciences Course Content Requirements
(24 AAS credits* + 21 BFA credits = 45 credits total)
- English: 9 credits.
- EN 131 meets SUNY GE: Communication-Written (COMW) and Communication-Oral (COMO)*
- CHOICE any 200- or 300-level EN literature or speech course*
- CHOICE of any 200- or 300-level EN Writing course
- Mathematics: 3 credits.
- CHOICE of any MA that meets SUNY GE: Mathematics (MATH)*
- Natural Sciences: 3 credits.
- CHOICE of any SC that meets SUNY GE: Natural Sciences (NSCI)*
- Diversity: Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice: 3 credits.
- CHOICE that meets SUNY GE: Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DVRS)*
- History of Art: 15 credits
- HA 231*
- HA 331
- HA 411
- 3 credits CHOICE of HA course that meets SUNY GE: World History and Global Awareness (GLBL).
- 3 credits CHOICE of an additional course (See the full list of Art/Design History courses under HA: History of Art and Civilization (HUMN)*.
- World Languages: 6 credits. Two semesters of the same world language, one of which must meet General Education SUNY GE: World Languages (WLNG)
Liberal Arts Elective(s): 6 credits*. Select a Liberal Arts course (for which prerequisites have been met) from the following subject areas: AB (Arabic); CH (Chinese); EC (Economics); EN (English); ES (Educational Skills); FI (Film and Media Studies); FR (French); HA (History of Art); HE (Health Education) HE 201, HE 301; IT (Italian); JA (Japanese); HI (History); MA (Math); MC (Modern Languages and Cultures); MU (Music); PC (Political Science); PE (Physical Education and Dance) PE 215, PE 216, PE 217, PE 220; PL (Philosophy); PO (Portuguese); PY (Psychology); SC (Science); SO (Sociology); SP (Spanish); and SS (Social Sciences).
*Credits from AAS will apply as appropriate
FIT’s 2+2 degree structure requires an earned AAS or equivalent plus all the BS or BFA degree requirements. For more information, please see Requirements for Degree Completion.
Students who successfully complete the Fine Arts BFA program will be able to:
- Conceive, conceptualize, and execute independent working processes into a cohesive body of work (thesis exhibition).
- Articulate and communicate visual ideas through coherent written and verbal presentations.
- Utilize critical and analytical skills through written assignments and class critiques.
- Synthesize and utilize knowledge and skills gained from the Fine Arts curriculum, art history, digital technology, and cross-disciplinary research, into clear visual communication.
- Identify career options and gain professional experience in the workplace.
- Gain career building skills and position their own work in the marketplace.