Undergraduate Programs

Introduction to Visual Art Undergraduate Programs

Through the Visual Art Program in the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory, students will find opportunities to showcase their talents and to participate in the wider art world of the university and the city of Vancouver. The Visual Art Students Association, or VASA, connects Visual Art and Art History students though events and programs, including their newsletter. The student-run publication, The Undergraduate Journal of Art History, gives students an opportunity to have their work printed in a student-run university journal. An annual BFA/BA exhibition is staged for Graduating VISA students: works selected for this exhibition are prominently displayed and published in the exhibition catalogue.

The VISA program equips students with the tools and skills necessary to work professionally in contemporary visual art fields, and to pursue further studies in related fields such as Masters of Fine Arts, Faculty of Education, or in the School of Architecture and Interior Design.  Students also have the foundation to pursue other careers and other careers and studies requiring an arts degree, for example Law and Library + Archival studies.

The AHVA Department’s faculty are actively involved in research and bring this strength into their teaching at all levels. Undergraduate and graduate seminars enhance student experience in advanced academic and artistic research. Many of our graduates have established distinguished careers in the creative, scholarly and gallery fields.

The main goal of Art History, Visual Art and Theory is to foster critical and reflexive thinking about the visual arts within an inclusive and supportive environment. The Department maintains the highest standards of intellectual, creative and administrative practice, seeking to be innovative in pedagogy and international in scholarly perspective. The Department regards interaction with the social sphere as an essential component of academic study and engages with professional and community groups associated with their practices.

There are four undergraduate programs available in Visual Art:

• The Bachelor of Arts major in Visual Art, BA (VISA) is similar to a liberal arts degree with an emphasis on Studio Art. (A Double Major option is available. See Faculty of Arts requirements)
• The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a professional program in the practice of art. It can lead to further studies in art practice such as a MFA or to other professional programs that involve the making and understanding of art and visual culture.
• The honours BFA program is for students demonstrating, in the opinion of the Department, a special aptitude and capacity who would benefit from working intensively in the subject.
• The minor in Visual Art program is for students in a major or honours program in a subject other than the Visual Art specialization.
  

To learn more, please explore our website or contact the Undergraduate Advisor, Deana Holmes, at deana.holmes@ubc.ca

BFA and BFA Honours in Visual Art  |  BA in Visual Art  |  BA in Visual Art (Minor)

• BFA & BFA Honours in Visual Art
• BA in Visual Art
• BA in Visual Art (Minor)