Faculty: Thomas (Chair), Brand, Burleigh, Rich

The Studio Art major is a program in the Visual and Performing Arts Area of Study. Studio Art majors may not double-major or minor in Art, Science, and Innovation.

Studio Art Major Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete a MAJOR in Studio Art will:

1. Produce a self-motivated art practice
2. Effectively communicate conceptual motivations of their art practice in speech and writing
3. Contextualize art within the contemporary art world and within art history, through speech and writing
4. Develop professional skills in promotion, exhibition, and documentation
5. Demonstrate critical thinking to resolve conceptual and formal questions in their art practice.

The Studio Art Major

The Studio Art major, consisting of 50 credits, leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree. At graduation, Studio Art majors must have a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major. The calculation is based on all art courses taken at Allegheny on a letter-grade basis. Only the most recent grade is considered for courses that have been repeated. All art courses must be taken on the letter grade basis. Under exceptional circumstances, one additional course taken Credit/No Credit may be presented for the major with permission of the chair of the department. Typically, this exception is made when a student has taken an art course CR/NC before declaring a major in the department. A maximum of 8 transfer credits may be counted toward the major; exceptions must be approved by the department chair.

The Studio Art major is designed to develop a broad intellectual grounding in the traditions of the visual arts through an understanding of mediums and concepts. Students learn to discriminate between the processes of production, interpretation, and evaluation, and to think creatively about all aspects of artistic problem solving. Through the examination and creation of original works of art, students learn to contextualize works of art and understand the relationship between praxis, theory, and history.

The Major requires 9 courses in four categories, plus an Experiential Learning Experience, a Junior Seminar, and a two-semester Senior Project. 

Study Away Option at Newy York Arts Program

Students who wish to participate in the New York Arts Program (NYAP) should plan to do so in their junior or senior year, preferably before taking ART 610 . Students must refer to the Office of Global Education for application requirements and deadlines.

Students who wish to substitute an ART 590 internship to satisfy a requirement in Category IV: Advanced Work in Studio Art should indicate their preference on the substitution form before leaving for NYAP, communicate with the appropriate faculty member during her/his time at NYAP about progress, and present a portfolio of works to the appropriate faculty member upon return to Allegheny. In consultation with the Art Department, that faculty member will then decide if the ART 590 transfer credits will count in place of a course in Section IV, or if it will count as general elective credit.

The Global Study Abroad options sponsored by Allegheny College may not directly support the STUDIO ART Major or Minor, but we have had many students participate in these programs and still stay on track with their major/minor in order to graduate on time. Please discuss options with your advisor.