Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts
VCU
Certificate of Fine Arts or Associate of Fine Arts in Visual Arts
To avoid excess credits at graduation from VCU, complete course recommendations listed below and apply in first year at community college. The community college ART classes listed under course recommendations will fulfil requirements for the Art Foundation program (the first year of all visual art majors) at VCU.
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.
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.
- 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
- Artist Agent
- College Professor
- Gallery Curator
- Museum Director
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
- No guaranteed admission.
- Apply for admission during first year at community college.
- Review deadlines and portfolio requirements for transfer applicants here.
- Quantitative Foundations requirement only
- Natural Sciences requirement only
- No
- Yes
Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Virginia Community College System (AFA in Visual Arts (apply after year one))
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | EXPAND YOUR COMMUNITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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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.
EXPAND 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.
- Research housing options for next year.
- Schedule a one-on-one meeting with a VCUarts representative virtually or attend a National Portfolio Day for individualized feedback on your portfolio.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
- Create LinkedIn profile.
- Complete career assessments through the Virginia Education Wizard.
- Browse information about occupations and job titles associated with craft and material studies.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- 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.
Craft and Material Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts
Virginia Community College System (AFA in Visual Arts (apply after year one))
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I | UNIV 111 | 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) |
| ART 132 | 3D Design (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, this course will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 133). | ARTF 133 | 3 | Major (Art Foundation) |
| ART 130 or ART 133 | Introduction to Multimedia or Time Studio (depending on your portfolio and admission to VCU Arts, these courses will either transfer as an ARTS 1XX elective or as ARTF 134) | ARTF 134 | 3 | Major (Art Foundation) |
| Select one of the following: ART 140, ART 141, ART 153, ART 160, ART 180, PHT 101, PHT 102, or PHT 164. | ARTF 138/139 | 3 | Major (Art Foundation) | |
| Community college credits transferred to VCU | 31 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete 21 credits (7 classes) of general education requirements (see VCU advisor for course options) | 21 | General education | |
| 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) | 9 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Studio electives (must be taken outside of the Department of Craft and Material Studies) | 4 | Major (Ancillary) | |
| Open electives | 6 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 89 | ||
| Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree | 120 | ||