The BFA in Fine Arts is offered by Cal Poly Humboldt's Art department. BFA students work closely with faculty from our eight different media areas: Painting, Drawing/Illustration, Printmaking, Graphic Design/Digital Media, Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Jewelry/Small Metals. The BFA degree offers students the opportunity to further their studio art practice and to prepare for graduate school or professional art careers through a rigorous and focused course of study in the visual arts. The BFA requires 70 units of Art classes (as opposed to 54 units for the BA in studio art).
The BFA is a cohort-based program for students in their junior and senior years. Students will be typically be admitted to the program in the spring of their sophomore year. Students may be able to apply to enter the program in the fall of their junior year if space permits. Students must plan on being in the BFA program for a minimum of two semesters prior to graduation.
Students applying to the program should have taken the 5 core classes of the HSU studio art major (Art 103A: Art History Survey I and 103B: Art History Survey II; 105B - Drawing Fundamentals; 105C - 2D Foundations; 105D - 3D Foundations) or their equivalents as well as two lower division studio electives. One of these classes may be in progress. Students should have a B average in the major at the time of application.
BFA students will be admitted based on the strength of their portfolio, their artistic promise, creative vision, professionalism and the suitability of the BFA to their academic plans as evidenced through their submitted work, transcript, personal statement and faculty references. Applicants will also be considered for admission based on their potential to positively contribute to the intellectual and artistic life of the cohort to which they are admitted.
Students will be permitted to re-apply once to the BFA if the first application does not result in acceptance to the program. Reapplications should follow the same guidelines as first time applications.
Applications to join the BFA program will be accepted in Fall 2021 for students planning to graduate in Spring 2023 and applications will be accepted in Spring 2022 for students planning to graduate in Spring 2024. Applications will be due in late October/early November and late March/early May. Students planning to graduate after Spring 2024 should plan on applying in a later application cycle.
To apply, you will need to submit the following:
- A statement of purpose (250-500 words)
- A copy of your DARS/transcript
- 12-15 samples of your work. 3 should be from Art 105B (Drawing Fundamentals) or equivalent, 3 should be from Art 105C (2D Foundations) or equivalent and 3 should be from Art 105D (3D Foundations) or equivalent. You should also submit 3-6 works that come from studio elective courses. This is also a place where you can showcase your strongest work and/or work that demonstrates where you see yourself developing as an artist.
- The name and email address for 2 academic references.
If you need help with best procedures for photographing your artwork, watch THIS VIDEO.
If you have additional questions please email Stephen Nachtigall at sn90@humboldt.edu or Nicole Jean Hill at njh27@humboldt.edu.
Application form for Cal Poly Humboldt's Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Fine Arts offered by the Art Department.