Art, B.S.

Mission

The Department of Art is a vibrant community of artists and scholars who integrate faith and creative practice. Through an innovative and rigorous curriculum, we cultivate a student’s ability to create and critically evaluate complex works of art in a mentoring environment. We foster curiosity through established and experimental mediums, methods, and theoretical perspectives.

Degree Program

The Bachelor of Science degree in Art (formerly Studio Art, B.S.) is offered for individuals who desire a liberal arts degree providing a broad foundation experience in art. There are two concentrations offered: Pre-Art Therapy and Studio Art. 

Concentrations

The Studio Art concentration provides students with a broad foundation experience in art, and is specifically designed for students who want to graduate with a double major or an art major with a minor in another academic discipline.

The Pre-Art Therapy concentration is a pre-professional preparation program for students who plan to pursue a graduate degree program in art therapy. Our program is designed to meet the prerequisite requirements of nearly all graduate art therapy programs in the US. This degree program also prepares students to be hired in some post-bachelors level jobs that are social-services related.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Art, students will be able to:

  1. Conceive, design and create works of art in one or more specific fine arts fields that are technically and conceptually sophisticated (ULO 1).
  2. Recognize, analyze, compare and evaluate historical and contemporary art movements and aesthetic philosophies, including both Western and Global material (ULO 1).
  3. Recognize and identify a variety of professional practices, career/employment and graduate education opportunities and apply that knowledge by developing a personalized career plan (ULO 3).
  4. Articulate a clear rationale for the production and evaluation of contemporary visual art that reflects an orthodox Christian value system (ULO 2).

Each Program Learning Outcome (PLO) listed above references at least one of the University Learning Outcomes (ULO 1, 2, 3), which may be found in the General Information section of this catalog.

Admissions and Program Requirements

The Department of Art has an open admissions policy. Incoming first-year students and transfer students from other institutions may declare an art major when they apply for admission to Biola University. Because of the rigorous schedule and amount of work required in the B.F.A. degree program, transfer students and Torrey Honors College students may need an additional semester to complete all of their requirements.

The Department of Art offers three degree programs. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art is a professional degree program focusing on intensive studio practice and requiring an area of concentration; the B.F.A. is the preferred degree for students who anticipate having an art-related career, or who are planning to attend graduate school. The Bachelor of Science degrees in Art and in Design contain a broader range of liberal arts general education courses and allow students the option of choosing a wide range of general electives. The two B.S. degrees also allow greater flexibility for students completing a double major or a minor in another academic discipline.

Every year, all art majors participate in formal reviews to evaluate their progress in the department. Student portfolios are appraised using a variety of criteria, such as technical achievement, creative problem solving, and aesthetic/artistic development. Reviews are conducted at the end of the freshman, sophomore and junior years. Graduating seniors in the B.F.A. program are evaluated the semester before their thesis exhibitions.

All art majors are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA in the program. Any grade below a C- (1.67) must be repeated.

In art and design studio classes, contact hours define the meaning of a credit hour. In these courses, one semester hour of credit equals two hours of class instruction with at least one additional hour of unsupervised laboratory work each week. Studio courses receiving three credits typically meet six hours a week for class instruction with the expectation that students complete an additional three hours of assigned laboratory work. Students taking ARTS 462 or ARTS 464, and independent studies, must complete a minimum of three hours of research/laboratory work each week during the semester for one hour of credit.

It is recommended that all Art majors own a Macintosh laptop. Contact the Department of Art office for recommended specifications.

Curriculum Requirements

Core Curriculum requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Art must conform to the University standards for B.S. degrees. All B.S. in Art majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 6 credits in philosophy and integration seminar within the major and are exempt from the Core Curriculum requirement in fine arts.
Program Courses
ARTS 107Drawing I3
ARTS 1102-D Foundations3
ARTS 1113-D Foundations3
ARTS 116History of Western Art I: Prehistoric Through Renaissance3
ARTS 126History of Western Art II: Baroque Through Modernism3
BBST 4654Integration Seminar: Contemporary Art and Theology 13
PHIL 216Introduction to Philosophy and Aesthetics 23
Select a Concentration below 3
Total Credits21
1

Fulfills the BBST 465 Biblical and Theological Studies Integration Seminar requirement.

2

Fulfills the Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement.

3

See concentration tables below which detail the requirements to earn a Bachelor of Science in Art degree.

Concentrations 

Pre-Art Therapy

In addition to meeting the Core Curriculum requirement of 6 credits in philosophy and integration seminar within the major and being exempt from the Core Curriculum requirement in fine arts, Pre-Art Therapy concentration students meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 9 credits in behavioral science, mathematics, and science within the concentration.
Program Courses21
Concentration Courses
ARTS 210Sculpture I3
ARTS 211Ceramics I3
ARTS 213Painting I3
ARTS 315Contemporary Art Trends3
ARTS 356Art Therapy I3
ARTS 433Global Art Paradigms3
ARTS 482Art Therapy II3
BIOS 254Human Anatomy 14
PSYC 200Introduction to Psychology3
PSYC 206Psychology and Christian Thought3
PSYC 209Statistics with Computer Applications 23
PSYC 211Statistics with Computer Applications Lab 21
PSYC 309Introduction to Psychopathology3
PSYC 320Developmental Psychology: Lifespan3
PSYC 411Theories of Personality3
SOCI 220Introduction to Sociology 33
or ANTH 200 Cultural Anthropology
Concentration Electives
Select one upper-division ARTS course3
Concentration Course Requirements: 50 credits
Core Curriculum Requirements 445-49
General Electives0-4
Total Credits120
1

BIOS 254 fulfills the Science Core Curriculum requirement.

2

PSYC 209 & PSYC 211 fulfill the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement.

3

SOCI 220 or ANTH 200 fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.

4

See Core Curriculum Program section for details.

Studio Art

Program Courses21
Concentration Courses
ARTS 1124-D Foundations3
Select one upper-division art history course from the following:3
Contemporary Art Trends
Global Art Paradigms
Select two courses from the following:6
Sculpture I
Painting I
Idea and Image
Photography I-Introduction to Darkroom and Digital Processes
Concentration Electives
Select one lower-division ARTS course3
Select seven upper-division ARTS courses21
Concentration Course Requirements: 36 credits
Core Curriculum Requirements 154-58
General Electives5-9
Total Credits120
1

See Core Curriculum Program section for details.

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Art, B.S. Studio Art (ARSU)

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 1073ARTS 1113
ARTS 1103ARTS 210, 213, 215, or 2213
BBST 103 or 1653BBST 103 or 1653
ENGL 100 or 1123BBST 209 or 2103
GNST 1021Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4
KNES 1071 
 14 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 1123ARTS 1263
ARTS 1163ARTS Elective (lower-division)3
ARTS 210, 213, 215, or 2213BBST 2513
BBST 209 or 2103PHIL 216 (fulfills Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement)3
Science (see Core Curriculum)3Literature (see Core Curriculum)3
 15 15
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 315 or 433 (upper-division Art History Elective)3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
BBST 3543ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
Behavioral Science (see Core Curriculum)3BBST 3653
KNES Activity (see Core Curriculum)1Communication (see Core Curriculum)3
Math (see Core Curriculum)3General Elective3
General Elective2Graduation Application due in Registrar's Office
 15 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
BBST 300/400 Bible Elective3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ENGL 3133BBST 300/400 Bible Elective3
HIST 200, 201, or POSC 2253BBST 4654 (fulfills BBST 465 Integration Seminar requirement)3
 15 15
Total Credits 120

Art, B.S. Pre-Art Therapy (ARTP)

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 1073ARTS 1113
ARTS 1103ARTS 2113
BBST 103 or 1653BBST 103 or 1653
ENGL 100 or 1123BBST 209 or 2103
GNST 1021Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4
PSYC 2003 
 16 16
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 1163ARTS 1263
ARTS 2103BBST 2513
ARTS 2133BIOS 254 (fulfills Science Core Curriculum requirement)4
BBST 209 or 2103PHIL 216 (fulfills Philosophy Core Curriculum requirement)3
KNES 1071Literature (see Core Curriculum)3
 13 16
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 3153ARTS 3563
BBST 3543BBST 3653
PSYC 2063PSYC 209
PSYC 211 (fulfills Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement)
4
PSYC 3093PSYC 3203
SOCI 220 or ANTH 200 (fulfills Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement)3Communication (see Core Curriculum)3
KNES Activity (see Core Curriculum)1Graduation Application due in Registrar's Office
 16 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
ARTS 4333ARTS 4823
BBST 300/400 Bible Elective3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ENGL 3133BBST 300/400 Bible Elective3
HIST 200, 201, or POSC 2253BBST 4654 (fulfills BBST 465 Integration Seminar requirement)3
Writing Competency RequirementPSYC 4113
 12 15
Total Credits 120

NOTE: The course sequence table is designed by the major department and is one way that the classes will work out properly in sequence for your major. However, there are alternative or flexible ways to rotate some of the classes within the same year/level and sometimes between year levels. Please contact your major department advisor to discuss flexible alternatives in scheduling the sequence of your classes.

Taking coursework during the summer session may also be an option to accelerate your degree path.

See Core Curriculum Program section for a list of approved Core Curriculum courses.

Art, B.S. Studio Art (ARSU)

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 1014HNRS 1054
HNRS 1024HNRS 1064
ARTS 1073ARTS 1113
ARTS 1103ARTS 210, 213, 215, or 2213
GNST 1021Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4
 15 18
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 2104HNRS 2304
HNRS 2154HNRS 2314
ARTS 1123ARTS 1263
ARTS 1163PHIL 2163
ARTS Elective (lower-division)3 
KNES 1071 
 18 14
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 3244HNRS 3374
HNRS 3262HNRS 3392
ARTS 210, 213, 215, or 2213ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ARTS 315 or 4333ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
KNES Activity (see Core Curriculum)1ENGL 3133
Math (See Core Curriculum)3 
 16 15
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 4434HNRS 4584
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3ARTS Elective (upper-division)3
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3BBST 4654 (fulfills BBST 465 Integration Seminar requirement)3
Science (see Core Curriculum)3 
 16 13
Total Credits 125

Art, B.S. Pre-Art Therapy (ARTP)

First Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 1014HNRS 1054
HNRS 1024HNRS 1064
ARTS 1073ARTS 1113
ARTS 1103ARTS 2113
GNST 1021Foreign Language (see Core Curriculum)4
PSYC 2003 
 18 18
Second Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 2104HNRS 2304
HNRS 2154HNRS 2314
ARTS 1163ARTS 1263
ARTS 2103PHIL 2163
BIOS 2544 
 18 14
Third Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 3244HNRS 3374
HNRS 3262HNRS 3392
ARTS 2133ARTS 3563
ARTS 3153ARTS 4333
KNES 1071PSYC 2063
SOCI 220 or ANTH 200 (required)3PSYC 3093
 16 18
Fourth Year
FallCreditsSpringCredits
HNRS 4434HNRS 4584
ARTS Elective (upper-division)3ARTS 4823
ENGL 3133BBST 4654 (fulfills BBST 465 Integration Seminar requirement)3
PSYC 209
PSYC 211 (fulfills Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement)
4PSYC 4113
PSYC 3203KNES Activity (see Core Curriculum)1
 17 14
Total Credits 133