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2024-2025

Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts

VCU

Community college:
Uniform Certificate of General Studies (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Uniform Certificate of General Studies (UCGS)

Associate of Fine Arts in Visual Arts (please consult with the VCU Transfer Center for additional course recommendations)

Completing the UCGS or associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The Department of Craft and Material Studies explores the language of ceramics, glass, wood, fiber and metal. The department offers both a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Craft and Material Studies and a Master of Fine Arts in Fine Arts degree and invites students to choose specialized coursework in ceramics, fiber, furniture design, glassworking, or jewelry/metalworking.


Students are encouraged to learn and explore through the traditional craft media. Together, faculty and students hone, improvise, and redefine ancient technologies with new technologies; they bend and blend concepts and materials.

The Department of Craft and Material Studies is housed in a state-of-the-art facility that provides a safe and excellent physical environment in which to work. Students have access to well-equipped studios in each of the five media areas. The department shares the facilities with the departments of Sculpture, Painting and Printmaking, and Kinetic Imaging.

Career opportunities

Other career paths include: ceramicist, glass artist, jewelry designer,  enameling and metalwork artist, fibers, textiles and weaving artist, and public artist/outdoor sculptor. Graduates may also consider a career in the business of art, including: artist’s agent, studio assistant, gallery owner, art critic/writer, educator, display  designer, or exhibitions coordinator.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Art Residency Administrator
  • Artist's Studio Assistant
  • Ceramic Artist
  • Fashion Designer
  • Fine Artist
  • Furniture Maker
  • Jeweler
  • Metal Fabricator
  • Museum Exhibition Designer
  • Precious Metal Worker
  • Textile Designer
  • Woodworker
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Artist Agent
  • College Professor
  • Gallery Curator
  • Museum Director
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
  • No guaranteed admission. 
  • Apply for admission during first year at community college. 
  • Review deadlines and portfolio requirements for transfer applicants here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Craft and Material Studies

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Experience Year 2

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Prepare a portfolio as part of your application to VCU.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit your FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review application deadlines and portfolio requirements for visual arts applicants.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Virginia Community College System (Uniform Certificate of General Studies)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning (or any other approved MTH course) MATH 131 3 General education
ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 103 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern (this course fulfills a requirement for the Art Foundation program at VCU) ARTH 104 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 121 Foundations of Drawing (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, this courses will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 131). ARTS 1XX or ARTF 131 3 Major (Art Foundation)
ART 131 Two-Dimensional Design (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, this courses will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 132). ARTS 1XX or ARTF 132 3 Major (Art Foundation)
Social Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab Science Select one of the following (UCGS Block IV): BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 106, CHM 101, CHM 111, CHM 112, ENV 121, ENV 122, GOL 105, GOL 106, GOL 110, PHY 100, PHY 201, PHY 202, PHY 241, PHY 242. VCU equivalent 4 General education
History Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. HIST 3 General education
Community college credits transferred to VCU 32
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Art Foundation Program. Students must complete the Art Foundation program at VCU or equivalent courses at another institution to be eligible for admission to the Craft and Material Studies degree.
ARTF 133 Space Research (ART 132 at community college will fulfill this requirement if admitted to VCU Arts) 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 134 Time Studio (ART 130, ART 203, or ART 208 will fulfill this requirement if you are admitted to VCU Arts) 3 Major (Ancillary)
ARTF 139 or ARTF 138 Project Studio or Project Seminar 2 Major (Ancillary)
Craft and Material Studies major requirements
CRAF 282 Sophomore Seminar 3 Major
CRAF 382 Junior Seminar 3 Major
CRAF 480 Senior Studio/Critique Course 4 Major
CRAF 482 Senior Seminar 3 Major
CRAF Basic craft electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 12 Major
CRAF Advanced craft electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 24 Major
ARTH Art History electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 6 Major (Ancillary)
ARTH Art History non-Western elective (see VCU advisor for course options) 3 Major (Ancillary)
Studio electives (must be taken outside of the Department of Craft and Material Studies) 4 Major (Ancillary)
Open electives 18 Elective
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 88
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120