Bachelor of Fine Arts Program (BFA)
The Painting and Printmaking Department has a national reputation, based on the professional reputation of our faculty and on the outstanding accomplishments of the students who graduate from our department. We are one of the largest departments of Painting and Printmaking in the country. All of the other departments in the School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University developed from the Painting and Printmaking Department, which was established in 1928. For over 70 years we have made significant contributions to the development of the School of the Arts' reputation as one of the premier art schools in the country.

Undergraduate Curriculum

Curriculum Philosophy
The departmental curriculum enables students to have a focused and specialized education in Painting and Printmaking as well as access, through electives, to many of the other disciplines in the School of the Arts , the University and the community.

In our undergraduate program you can expect to encounter and be part of a concentrated program of instruction in practice and theory which will provide the foundation for your independent exploration and artistic development. You will be given detailed technical instruction in a variety of media and the training that will enable you to be professional in the crafting and presentation of your work. In classroom discussions you will examine a range of contemporary critical issues which will enable you to understand your studio work as part of the historical continuum. You will develop skills for critical analysis, and you will be challenged to think, to articulate your ideas visually and to defend them verbally. The flexibility of the curriculum permits you to tailor a course of study suited to your professional and personal ambitions. The size of the department guarantees an exposure to a plurality of ideas and stylistic approaches. We believe that it is important intellectually, conceptually and technically, that our students have as extensive an experience as possible.


The Painting And Printmaking Major
Painting, Drawing and Printmaking form the core of our major. You may concentrate on Painting or Printmaking, or both. Much of your time as a major is spent developing basic and advanced skills in these disciplines.

We have excellent facilities in the four major Printmaking disciplines: Intaglio, Relief, Lithography and Screenprinting. In addition to the traditional techniques, there are many other contemporary avenues which enable students to explore printmaking. Available resources include a large Book Art Collection, a Print Collection and a new Computer Imaging Studio.

Majors take 40 credits in the core areas of Painting, Drawing and Printmaking, 2 credits of Senior Seminar and an additional 10 credits in departmental studio or lecture courses.

Additional credits enable students to take electives in any of the Visual or Performing Arts. (Crafts, Photography, Sculpture and Dance)