Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/Design Studio

School of Art & Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/Design Studio

School of Art & Design

On-Campus

Program

120 Credit Hours

to Graduate

Full-Time, In-State Tuition

$5,010 Per Semester

Free Books

for All Students

EKU
College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences
School of Art & Design
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/Design Studio

← School of Art & Design

Specialize Your Art Knowledge and Supercharge Your Creativity

If you are interested in a career as an artist, graphic designer, or art educator, a B.F.A. from EKU can help you get started on an exciting career. As a specialized degree, the B.F.A. is a fantastic choice if you are interested in building a high-quality professional portfolio and/or planning to pursue an M.F.A. degree. The studio arts concentration allows for an emphasis in your chosen medium of art, including ceramics, painting, jewelry and metals, printmaking, and photography.

Apply Now Schedule a Visit

Learn More

Loading…

Career Outlook

Overall employment in arts and design occupations is projected to remain steady through 2023 to 2033.

– U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Common Job Titles

A degree in art and design can lead to a wide variety of careers. Whether you want to be a studio artist, a designer, an art educator, or entrepreneur, you will take away skills that translate into a variety of professional opportunities.

Job Titles Include:

Art educator
Graphic designer
Photographer
Illustrator or cartoonist
Creative director
User interface designer
Art director
Web designer
Printmaker
Ceramicist
Painter
Jewelry designer
Art administration
Art professor
Curator

Where EKU Graduates Have Worked

EKU BFA graduates have found employment in a variety of organizations and sectors.

Employers Include:

Google
Landor
Occulus Studios
Lexmark
Bullhorn Creative
Tiffany
Disney
Dustin Stevenson Photography
Berea Arts Council
Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind
All Saints Episcopal School in Tyler, TX
The Learning Center, Fayette County
Franklin County High School, Ky
Madison Southern High School, Ky

EKU Career Services

The Office of Academic and Career Services is a one-stop shop for all your career and professional development needs.

Services Include:

Creating/updating your resume and cover letter
Interviewing tips and coaching
Career documents review
Job search

Why EKU?

Free textbooks through EKU BookSmart
No application fee
Reduced tuition for active-duty military members and their spouses
Customize your degree with 1 of 3 concentrations
Small class sizes, allowing for greater individual student attention
Award-winning faculty recognized as experts in their field

Program Options

Choose between three concentrations that offer the opportunity to tailor the degree to specific career goals and give you a competitive edge in the job market. Options include:

Teacher Art Education

Our young artists design the future. EKU programs in art education embrace the notion of the artist-teacher allowing future leaders to develop a strong sense of studio practice, while preparing to teach art in K-12 public and private schools, museums, and community settings. We strive to nurture effective artists and designers who become creative thinkers, and able advocates for the art and design education. Our mission is to prepare our future teachers to be lifelong creative learners, reflective practitioners, researchers in all creative branches of art, futurists, visionaries, and agents of change.

Graphic Design

The B.F.A. in Graphic Design program provides rigorous study and training in the various aspects of graphic design to prepare you to enter a professional employment field upon graduation. Our program begins with DES 250: Introduction to Graphic Design where you are introduced to the field of graphic design and its conceptual and technical makeup. It is within this course that your portfolio is reviewed to determine enrollment for upper level graphic design courses and subsequent acceptance into the BFA in Graphic Design program.

Subsequent courses build on the core classes and introduce:

The use and history of typography (letterforms)
Exploration of visual communication issues and application in graphic design and print production
Professional standards and practices in the field of graphic design
Artistic and technical issues of multimedia (Web and Animation)
The development of analytical faculties used in problem-solving design
Portfolio strategies in print and digital media

Through the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Graphic Design program, you develop your creative talents and technical skills to become a graphic designer in advertising agencies, design firms, in-house art departments of magazines and newspapers, book publishers, commercial printing firms, freelance and open opportunities for admission to graduate school, and other creative venues.

Studio Arts

Ceramics

The B.F.A. in Ceramics offers you opportunities to explore various ways of working with clay. Our program begins with ART 270: Ceramics I, which is a core course that concentrates on basic hand building and decorating techniques. As a Ceramics student, you will be challenged by a range of past and present techniques and theories to define your own positions within the contemporary landscape of ideas and as a professional artist/craftsperson.

Jewelry and Metals

The B.F.A. in Jewelry and Metals provides you with an in-depth knowledge of history of metalsmithing as well as hands on use of the equipment and techniques used in the craft. You will begin your course of study with ART 240: Jewelry and Metalsmithing I, where you are introduced to the use of metal as an expressive media and techniques and tools associated with the art form including piercing, sawing, embossing, soldering, simple stone setting, and casting.

Painting

The B.F.A. in painting provides you with an in-depth knowledge of painting using both traditional and contemporary techniques. You begin your course of study with ART 210: Painting I, where you will be introduced to basic painting techniques and concepts, perceptual skills, and the use of color. You take supporting courses in order to build on your personal style and artistic philosophies. Additionally, our advanced painting courses will expand your abilities in figure painting, multimedia painting, personal expression, and portfolio development.

Printmaking

The B.F.A. in Printmaking is designed to allow you to establish a focused and specialized education in the discipline of Printmaking. The first course in Printmaking is ART 230: Printmaking I, where you learn the basic concepts and techniques of the printmaking craft. Additional courses will help you develop a solid foundation for independent exploration and aesthetic development as it pertains to the discipline of printmaking. You will also be exposed to a variety of printmaking techniques such as Intaglio and relief printmaking processes, Lithography, Collagraphy, Monotyping, Silk-screening, and Book arts.

Photography

The B.F.A. in Photography will provide you with the ability to acquire knowledge about and experience in the technical and aesthetic matters specific to photography, as well as develop your own personal photographic vision. This program begins with ART 280: Photography I, where you will begin by learning basic photographic techniques using a manual camera and black and white film. As you progress through the B.F.A. program in Photography, you will further develop skills in digital photography, color photography, lighting effects, photo editing, and portfolio development.

Minors & Certificates

Select from a wide range of minors, allowing you to explore interests or make use of prior credits. Suggested minors available for this program include:

Innovation & Entrepreurial Thinking
Business
Communication Studies
Psychology

You can also choose from numerous undergraduate certificates in specialty areas that complement and enhance your major as you work toward your degree. Suggested certificates for this program include:

Marketing Research & Analytics
Corporate Communication
Sales
Communication Studies
Dispute Resolution

View the full list of certificates available for completion as you earn your degree.

Curriculum & Admission

The Baccalaureate of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree prepares students for professional careers as artists, designers and art educators. Upon completion of a BFA degree, students will have gained a specialized knowledge of a variety of media and techniques, the ability to apply elements and principles of art and design, an awareness of the influence of perception and observation, and the ability to communicate ideas effectively and expressively. Students in the BFA degree program will have opportunities for in-depth study of various artistic media to advance their studio proficiency. Students will also apply critical and creative thinking through research, analysis, and writing to demonstrate an awareness of historical and contemporary concepts, theories, and styles across global cultures and time periods. Students will engage with professional practices and portfolio development.

A minimum of 120 credits are required to graduate.

View the degree requirements:

EKU Academic Catalog

Please review the admissions requirements before applying for this or any program. If you have questions about the program or are planning to register for classes, please speak to the program advisor.

Students may transfer up to 90 hours of credit from accredited institutions. Please note that a minimum of 30 credit hours in this degree program must be completed at Eastern Kentucky University.

Previously earned credits must be reviewed upon admission to EKU for appropriate articulation.

Term	Application Deadline	Classes Begin
Fall	August 1	August
Spring	December 1	January
Summer	May 1	May

All applicants must provide an application and evidence of appropriate scholastic achievement through prior educational experience.

Please note that certain degree programs have special admission requirements. Admission to the University does not mean automatic admission to all degree programs.

The completed application and all required supporting documentation must be received by the University no later than:

• August 1 for fall enrollment
• December 1 for spring enrollment
• May 1 for summer enrollment

To apply for undergraduate admission to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), submit an application at apply.eku.edu and submit any required materials electronically or by mail to:

Office of Admissions
Eastern Kentucky University
Whitlock Bldg. 112, CPO 54
521 Lancaster Avenue
Richmond, KY 40475-3154.

Enrolling & Advising Information

EKU’s College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences is committed to delivering high-quality enrollment and academic advising for our students. We strive to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and meaningful engagement to help students reach their academic goals and have a rewarding educational experience.

Interested in enrolling? Reach out to our college enrollment counselor today.

Kelsi Butcher

College Enrollment Counselor

859-622-2705
kelsi.butcher@eku.edu

Schedule an Appointment

Additional Contact Info

Admissions: 859-622-2106
Academic Testing: 859-622-1281
Big E Central (Financial Aid & Student Account Services): 859-622-2361
Military & Veterans Affairs Office: 859-622-2345

Student Stories & Features

See All Student Stories

Teddy Morgan

EKU Graphic Design Graduate

One of my favorite parts of being an EKU student was the sense of community that the university held. Feeling like an individual in such a large school is rare, but faculty make a point to build relationships and make sure you are on the right track. Earning a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from EKU has completely changed my life. I have been able to get higher-paying jobs, all while doing what I love!

Quick Links

Resources for Current Students, Faculty & Staff


31	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Today
Clear


JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Today
Clear


201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030
Today
Clear


199020002010202020302040205020602070208020902100
Today
Clear


190020002100220023002400250026002700280029003000
Today
Clear

News & Updates

See All News & Updates

Meet the Newest EKU Colonels

Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) welcomed the class of 2028, which is projected to be the largest freshman class in EKU history at nearly 3,000 students. The freshmen come from 108 Kentucky counties, 34 states and nine countries. More than 50% of the incoming class are first-generation college students. Since 2020, during a time of national […]

From Sidewalk Chalk to Derby Art

Wylie Caudill, ’18, is the official artist of the 2024 Kentucky Derby. “Since before I can remember, my parents tell me I have been drawing,” he said. As Caudill grew up, he started exploring various art forms on all kinds of surfaces. He made the world his canvas, using sidewalks, canvases, whiskey bottles, horse statues […]

From Studio to Startup

Ashley Norman, ’11, half of the husband-and-wife team that created Dirty South Pottery in Winchester, Kentucky, didn’t choose pottery as her profession. It chose her. Originally, Ashley came to EKU with plans to pursue nursing. That’s in sharp contrast to today’s career calling, where she sits contentedly at her pottery wheel, elbows deep in wet […]

Related Programs

See All Degrees & Certificates

Close up of a student in a jewelry class, touching up a colored flower piece made of metal

B.S. in Art & Design Studio

Common Job Titles: Studio Artist, Arts Administrator, Multimedia Designer

Modalities: on-campus

Credit Hours: 120

Bachelor of Music

Common Job Titles: Musicians and Singers, Music Directors and Composers, Music Educators

Modalities: on-campus

Credit Hours: 120

Contact Information

School of Art & Design

Campbell Building
Room 309
2396 Crabbe Street
Richmond, KY 40475

859-622-1629
Fax: 859-622-6509
art@eku.edu

Department Directory

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/Design Studio

School of Art & Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art/Design Studio

School of Art & Design