Art - Fine Art (BFA)

This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2025-Spring 2026 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS)
Department: Art and Design
Academic Plan Code(s): See Track Requirements tab.

Program Information

The Department of Art and Design, endowed as the Hite Institute of Art and Design, offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. Primarily intended for professionally oriented art and design students, and for those planning to pursue graduate work in the studio arts or to assume leadership positions in the fields of graphic or interior design, the BFA degree provides the opportunity for students to go into more depth in their chosen area. There are three tracks in the BFA Program:

• Graphic Design
• Interior Design
• Studio Art

Completion of this degree requires work to be submitted for the department’s Learning Outcomes Measurement. For details, contact the department. 

Degree Summary

¹

 Some credit hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the program, in which case additional electives will be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree. See the Degree Requirements tab for specific coursework.

²

To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed for all tracks, some hours from the General Education Requirements may be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements will require additional hours to complete the degree requirements.

Specific coursework information can be found on the Degree Requirements tab.

Departmental Admission Requirements

Primarily intended for professionally oriented art and design students, as well as those planning to pursue graduate work in the studio arts or to assume leadership positions in the fields of graphic or interior design, the BFA degree provides the opportunity for students to go into more depth in their chosen area. 

Admission to the BFA program is selective, and enrollment may be limited. University of Louisville students who are approved as majors in the BA in Art, track in Studio Art may apply for the BFA upon completing the Foundations courses and the introductory course for their chosen track. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in department courses (studio art and art history) and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5. Once admitted, students must maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.5 and a GPA of 3.0 or higher in department courses to remain in the BFA program.

Students who meet the BFA admission requirements should contact the department at hite@louisville.edu to request an application.

Upon admission to the BFA Program, students and faculty will complete and sign a BFA Student/Mentor Contract, which outlines the expectations for progress toward degree completion. If, at any point during the student’s studies, the mentor deems the student’s progress or ability to meet program requirements unsatisfactory, the mentor has the right to resign from their role. In such cases, the student must either seek a new mentor or transfer back into the BA in Art, track in Studio Art. If the student requests a new mentor and no faculty member agrees to work with them, the student will be returned to the BA in Art, track in Studio Art.

Admitted BFA students who fail to meet or maintain the GPA requirements will be placed on departmental probation and given one semester to raise their GPA. If the requirements are not met within that time, students will be returned to the BA in Art, Track in Studio Art. Students may reapply to the BFA program once the GPA requirements are met.

Completion of the BFA degree requires students to submit work for the department's Learning Outcomes Assessment. For Studio Art candidates, this includes a committee review of the student's work one semester prior to graduation, as well as participation in the BFA exhibition during the semester of graduation. For Graphic Design and Interior Design candidates, this includes participation in the professional portfolio review at the end of their professional practice course.

General Education Requirements

*All degrees require the completion of the University-wide General Education Program (link provided above). Some General Education requirements may be met in the requirements for the major or supporting coursework, in which case additional electives may be required to complete the minimum hours for the degree.

College/School Requirements

Program/Major Requirements

60 hours minimum Art/Art History total for Interior Design track; 66 hours minimum total for Graphic Design track; 63 hours minimum total for Studio Art track. At least 50 of the total minimum hours required must be at the 300 level or above.

A grade of C-minus or better is required in all 300 and 500-level courses in the major.

¹

In addition to courses counting towards General Education; 6 hours must be at 300 level or above.

²

May be incorporated into other degree requirements.

³

Students planning to study Interior Design must take DES 204 Foundation Interior Design (fall semester) concurrently with DES 361 Introduction to Interior Design.

⁴

Students planning to study Graphic Design must take DES 205 Foundation Graphic Design (spring semester).

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Students planning to study Studio Art may choose either ART 206 Foundation Art Concepts and Methods (spring semester) or ART 207 (fall semester).

⁶

Fulfills General Education AH requirement.

⁷

BFA Graphic Design students must take DES 301 History of Graphic Design and a 300-level elective. BFA Interior Design students must take DES 347 Historic Interiors for Interior Design. BFA Studio Art students must take 6 elective hours at the 300-level. 

⁸

BFA Interior Design students must take DES 361 and DES 362 Color Theory and Human Factors in Interior Design; BFA Graphic Design students must take DES 373 Introduction to Visualization and a 300-level elective. BFA Studio Art students must take 6 elective hours at the 300-level. 

⁹

BFA Graphic Design and BFA Interior Design students may have elective hours. Students who fulfill general education requirements with courses in the major or supporting courses may have electives. To complete the degree in the minimum number of hours listed, some hours from the General Education Requirements may need to be satisfied by courses defined by the unit and/or program. Using other courses to satisfy General Education requirements may require additional hours to complete the degree requirements or decrease the listed electives.

Track Requirements

Track in Interior Design

Academic Plan Code(s): ART_BFAIAR

Track in Graphic Design 

Academic Plan Code(s): ART_BFACOA

Track in Studio Art

Academic Plan Code(s): ART_BFASTA

Students will select a minimum of five 500-level courses from all studio areas (excluding Graphic Design and Interior Design).

Flight Plan

Track in Graphic Design

Track in Interior Design

Track in Studio Art

The Flight Plan outlined above is intended to demonstrate one possible path to completing the degree within four years.  Course selection and placement within the program may vary depending on course offerings and schedule, elective preferences, and other factors (study abroad, internship availability, etc.). Please consult your advisor for additional information about building a flight plan that works for you.

Degree Audit Report
Degree Audit reports illustrate how your completed courses fulfill the requirements of your academic plan, and which requirements are still outstanding. Degree audits also take transfer credits and test credits into account. "What-if" reports allow you to compare the courses you have completed in your current academic plan to the courses required in another academic plan.  Should you have questions about either report, please consult with your academic advisor.

Flight Planner
The Flight Planner tool is available for you to create a personalized Flight Plan to graduation.  Advisors have access to review your Flight Planner and can help you adjust it to ensure you remain on track to graduate in a timely manner.

To create these reports:

1. Log into your ULink account.
2. Click on the Academic Progress tile.
3. Select the appropriate report.
   1. To run a Degree Audit report, click on "View my Degree Audit."
   2. To create a What-if report, click on "What-if Advisement Report."
   3. To run a Flight Planner report, click on "Use My Flight Planner."

Click here to run a Degree Audit report, create a What-if report, or run a Flight Planner report.