Art and Art History (BA)

This program is offered by the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts/Department of Art, Design and Art History and is only available at the St. Louis main campus.

Program Description

The BA in Art & Art History is a liberal arts degree that familiarizes students with the rich tradition of the visual arts and introduces them to the various means of artistic and humanistic inquiry as creative practice. While exploring a variety of media to gain an understanding of the tools and materials available to today's practicing artists, students also study the history of artistic practice and construction of meaning to discover fundamental concepts that unify art while enabling its infinite variation for cultural and personal expression. To enrich their studies, students are encouraged to explore other interests throughout the university and incorporate those interests into their artistic conversation. Art & Art History students will discover their own creative, conceptual, and analytical voices via artistic, written, and oral means of communicating, preparing them for success in a variety of employments and cultural environments

This program is offered through the Department of Art, Design, and Art History in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts. Please see the Colleges, Schools, and Departments section of this catalog for further information.  

Learning Outcomes

Successful graduates of the BA in Art and Art History program will be able to:

• Express an individual, creative voice through an artistic practice that engages with contemporary global art and design discourse.
• Implement the formal vocabularies of art and design as a foundation for artistic dialogue.
• Draw upon the history of art and design as a wellspring for ideas, solutions, and meanings within one’s own creative  and investigative practices
• Analyze and discuss art and design through discipline-specific vocabularies and methods.

Special Requirements

All BA in Art & Art History majors must register for ART 1900: First-Year Exhibition in the spring of their first year. The First-Year Exhibition is an opportunity for students to display their work with their first-year cohort in a group exhibition with a public reception, offering an opportunity to consider their progress and direction, and celebrating their accomplishments. DADAH faculty review the work and offer feedback.

All BA in Art & Art History majors must register for ART 2900: DADAH Critique in the Spring of their sophomore year if a traditional incoming freshman. For transfer students this will occur in their first semester at Webster, or when they have a combined total of 18 ART/DESN or 9 ARHS credits. The DADAH Critique is a review of student progress by DADAH full and part-time faculty held on one day during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students can choose to have studio/design work or art history work reviewed. Following the review, students will meet with their advisor to discuss faculty concerns and recommendations as written on the evaluation form by the advisor during the review. In some cases a student may be advised to undergo a second review in the following semester. The department notifies students of portfolio review dates.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 45-46 required credit hours
• 30 Global Citizenship Program credit hours
• 45-44 elective credit hours

Required Courses

Core Distribution (18 hours)

• ART 1010 Creative Strategies (3 hours)
• ART 1150 Observational Drawing (3 hours)
• ART 1310 Materials and Making (3 hours)
• ART 1900 First-Year Exhibition (0 hours)
• DESN 1500 Digital Visualizations (3 hours)
• ARHS 2200 Current Art (3 hours)
• ARHS 2210 Intercultural History of Art (3 hours)
• ART 2900 DADAH Critique (0 hours)

Course Distributions (18 hours)

• 2D: choose 3 hours from among:
  ART 2130 Illustration (3 hours)
  ART 2410 Painting (3 hours)
  ART 2610 Printmaking Concepts and Techniques (3 hours)
  ART 2715 Fine Art Photography (3 hours)
  DESN 2200 Design Play (3 hours)
• 3D: choose 3 hours from among:
  ART 2315 Sculpture I (3 hours)
  ART 2530 Ceramics: Space (3 hours)
  ART 2540 Ceramics: Form and Design (3 hours)
• 4D: choose 3 hours from among:
  ART 2810 Video Art (3 hours)
  ART 2820 Sound and Noise Art (3 hours)
  ART 3820 Performance Art (3 hours)
  DESN 2350 Type in Motion (3 hours)
• choose one (1) more ART or DESN course (3 hours)
• choose 6 hours Art History (ARHS)

Concentration (6 hours)

• choose 2 courses in ART and/or DESN 
  OR 6 hours in ARHS

Capstone Choice (3 or 4 hours)

• ART 4800 Practicum (3 hours)
  OR ART 4030 Senior Critique (3 hours) AND ART 4910 Senior Exhibition (1 hour)

Total: 45 or 46 credit hours

 

Other Program Considerations

• Students are encouraged to pursue at least two years of a foreign language and take advantage of Webster's study abroad options.
• Students should consider in consultation with their advisor desired fields of interest and pursue further electives that can enhance achievement of those goals. 

Admissions

See the Admission section of this catalog for general admission requirements. Students interested in applying must submit their application online at www.webster.edu/apply. Transcripts should be sent from your institution electronically to transcripts@webster.edu. If this service is not available, send transcripts to:

Office of Admission
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119