BA Degree
The Bachelors of Art degree is offered in the majors of Art History and Studio Art in the Department of Visual Arts at Messiah College.
The BA in Art History combines study in art history, studio, and other related courses, along with off-campus study and internships, to provide a background for teaching, museum work, and administrative careers in the arts.
The Bachelors of Art degree for the studio art major is intended for students who wish to experience a broad liberal arts education with an emphasis in the study of visual art.
Professional and career opportunities for students completing a BA degree, majoring in studio art, include working as an artist, designer, photographer, illustrator, digital media designer, or other jobs and vocations that require visualization, creative problem solving, visual communication, and the production of visual materials, artifacts, or media.
The BA in studio art consists of a minimum of 57 credits in the major.
The BA in studio art provides students with both breadth and depth as future artists and designers. Students begin the curriculum with a five course foundational sequence consisting of the following courses:
- Visual Literacy
- Introduction to Art History
- Foundations of Drawing
- Color and Design
- Form Space and Media
These foundational courses are typically completed by the sophomore year of study. Students also begin a four-course art history sequence, which includes a survey of the history of Western art and modern art history. The studies in art history are normally completed by the junior year.
Students officially declare a concentration area of study in the studio art major by the end of their sophomore year. There are three concentration areas as follows:
Students take a minimum of 12 credits in their chosen concentration area, which includes an advanced capstone course taken in the fall of their senior year. Students also take an Art Seminar course where they explore the relationship of Christian faith to contemporary art in the student’s individual area of study. In the spring of their senior year, studio art majors prepare an in-depth exhibit of work in their concentration area of study.
Keeping within the spirit and framework of the liberal arts education, students will also take 6 credits from each of the two areas of study outside their selected concentration (i.e. "cross concentration" areas). For example, if a studio art major were concentrating in Two-Dimensional Studies, students would take 6 credits in Three-Dimensional Studies and 6 credits in Graphic Design and Digital art.
The BA for the studio art major creates an opportunity for students to demonstrate knowledge of several areas of visual arts with a professional-ready level of depth in one concentration area.