Hunter College BFA Program
What is the Hunter BFA?
The 61-Credit Major BFA degree program is open to the student who wants to complete work in studio art beyond the 42-credit art major. It is geared toward the student who intends to pursue a career as a professional artist and attend graduate school. Students follow the regular GER (General Education Requirements) for the BA degree. Departmental approval of the 61-credit BFA concentration is required.
In addition to the scheduled course load, feedback from graduate students, peers and critiques from visiting faculty members will provide ample opportunity for development and personal growth.
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Why should I get a BFA?
The BFA Program is designed to offer students the intellectual training and practical experiences of artistic practice. Critical and analytical visual thinking engages the students in this programmatic context and allows for insights into a life committed to art production.
Students are encouraged to define and pursue their own visions through constant peer contact in the studios, individual work with faculty tutors, group seminars and classes in the theory, criticism and history of art. The program is open to all media and each candidate must select one field of concentration in studio art: painting, sculpture, graphics, photography, ceramics, installation or combined media.
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Why get a BFA at Hunter?
The Department of Art’s curriculum is predicated upon the belief that the most necessary training for a student of art is the development of critical and analytical thinking. This emphasis is consistent with Hunter’s liberal arts tradition and seeks to develop students as prospective artists, critics and historians capable of continued growth once they leave the relatively structured environment of the university. Beyond their course work, students are encouraged to take advantage of the cultural and intellectual resources of New York - its libraries, galleries and museums - and to make maximum use of the vital accessibility of contemporary art.
The BFA Program is intended to make Hunter students competitive with students from the best art schools and programs in the country. As a “fifth year” program, it augments a liberal arts education with prolonged, intense focus on studio practice, contemporary art and theoretical issues, which is the kind of experience that is highly regarded in the field of fine arts. The two-semester program prepares students to compete for entry into MFA programs nationwide.
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Am I eligible to become a Hunter BFA student?
Students are eligible to apply for the BFA program at the successful completion of at least 39 credits of the 42 credits major, consisting of three art history classes and ten studio courses, with a concentration in one specific area, plus all basic distribution requirements for a total of 90 credits.
Students who have successfully completed 90 credits and no outstanding incompletes, may apply to the BFA program, pending an interview with the BFA advisor who will sign and file the application. Students are required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 in order to apply to this program and must have successfully completed Artcr 360.18 (2D/3D/4D Seminar course).
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What is the Art Department looking for in a BFA Candidate?
The Art Department seeks candidates who show promise of independent artistic ideas developed through a committed, motivated work process. Admission is on a competitive basis, and applications are accepted every Spring and Fall semester. Once admitted, entry into the BFA program is effective the following semester. Students are provided with their own studio spaces at the MFA Studio Building, making it possible for them to practice their professional investigations continuously, spending 15 to 20 hours a week on self-directed projects. They are joined for one semester by undergraduates from Europe who participate in the department’s exchange program, often creating a group of young artists whose diverse and lively contributions enrich each student’s experience.
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How do I apply to the program?
How do I apply to the program?
BFA Application forms can be downloaded here, or obtained in person from the Art Department office, Room 11054 Hunter North.
The application and all supporting materials, including transcripts, essay, and letters of recommendation, must be reviewed and approved by the BFA advisor. Please make an appointment to discuss and review your application material with the BFA advisor before the deadline.
Applications must be complete and on file by the deadline. Application deadlines are firm and cannot be extended due to schedule conflicts. Exact dates are posted in the Art Department.
The application package must contain the following materials
1. Completed BFA Application Form
2. Current transcript with completed Worksheet
3. Short Essay
4. Two letters of recommendation
Finally, after notification, selected candidates will present a body of work to the BFA Committee, which also interviews students and reviews the applications at that time. Upon admission, students should file a change of major form, from the 42-credit major to the BFA Major.
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What if I am rejected as a BFA candidate?
Students who are refused admission may reapply once.
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What is the program in a nutshell?
As an overview, the required courses for the completion of the BFA Program are: ten courses in Studio Art, five courses in Art History, and three courses in the BFA Major. In order to stay in the BFA Program the student is required to maintain a grade of “B” average at all times.
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How is the BFA program structured?
The program is taught alternately by two full-time faculty members. They are also available for individual tutorial meetings in the students’ studios.
The center of the program is ArtCr 459 and ArtCr 460, Professional Experience in Art I and II, taken in consecutive semesters. With 6.5 credits per course, it fulfills half the course load. The focus is on critical discussion of student work in a seminar setting. The BFA Exhibition is organized in this course. ArtCr 405, Art and Current Ideas, a 3 credit course, is taught every spring semester. Students study critical texts and respond with written evaluations of these essays as well as written reviews of contemporary art exhibitions. By taking an art history course on contemporary art in the fall semester and Art and Ideas in the spring, students are prepared to enter critical discourses and pursue a line of inquiry applicable to their own work. The program culminates in the following semester with the BFA Degree Show at the Bertha and Karl Leubsdorf Art Gallery, located on the ground floor of the West Building of the main campus. This important event presents a new set of tasks and experiences that address all phases of creating an exhibition, such as planning and scheduling, preparation and installation, lighting, labeling, and the designing of the invitation to the opening of the group show.
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What studio facilities are there for BFA students?
All BFA students are provided individual studio spaces in the MFA Building located at 450 West 41st Street. Students are required to work in these studios throughout their residencies. There are three rooms used for group critiques.
The building has both a loading dock and freight elevators, allowing for easy entry of bulky or large materials for making art. The building is accessible to students seven days a week from 8:00 am to midnight throughout the year.
The Main Campus, located at 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, houses the administration, the library and the slide library. Students are already familiar with the workshops for photography, graphics, metal, wood, plaster, computer graphics and painting occupying the entire 11th floor of the North Building. Art History classes are held here, as well as the MFA/MA Lecture Series, to which BFA students are invited. The clay workshop with its intermediate exhibition space is located in Thomas Hunter Hall.
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Will I have an exhibition?
The BFA Program culminates in a formal group exhibition in which the students present their work to the Hunter community and the public at large.
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What will I study each year of the BFA Program?
The Program of Study for the BFA Program begins with the requirements for the 42 credit major. ArtCr 101 and ArtCr 221are prerequisites and must be taken consecutively. Courses must be taken in the following sequence:
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Year 1 One studio course and one art history course:
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ArtCr 101 Introduction to Study of Visual Experience
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ArtH 111 Introduction to Art History
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Year 2 Four studio courses from the following areas:
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ArtCr 221 Beginning Drawing
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ArtCr 225 Graphic Arts Workshop
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ArtCr 235 Painting
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ArtCr 251 Sculpture
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ArtCr 257 Ceramics
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ArtCr 271 Principles of Photography
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Year 3
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Five studio courses with two 300-level courses repeated in area of concentration:
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ArtCr 326 Advanced Graphic Arts Workshop
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ArtCr 336 Advanced Painting
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ArtCr 352 Advanced Sculpture
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ArtCr 357 Advanced Ceramics
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ArtCr 372 Advanced Photography
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Art History Requirements: For the 42 credit major, three Art history courses are required.
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Please note, in addition to ArtH 111 taken in the first year, it is highly recommended for prospective BFA candidates to take ArtH 249 and/or ArtH 250 in the third year, followed by ArtH 299 (Contemporary Art), One additional art history course is required for a total of 15 credits for the BFA degree.
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Year 4 - BFA Major
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ArtCr 459 Professional Experience in Art I
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ArtCr 460 Professional Experience in Art II
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ArtCr 405 Art and Current Ideas
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Art History elective (see above recommendations)
The BFA Program culminates in a formal group exhibition in which the students present their work to the Hunter community and the public at large.
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How long will it take to finish my BFA?
Because of the extraordinary demands, studio experiences and complexity of the course material, it may take a fifth year to complete the BFA Major.
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What will it cost to do my BFA?
The standard fees apply for the BFA program as for study at Hunter College. New York State residents, undergraduate matriculated first time freshmen, or non-CUNY transfer:
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Student Activity Fees
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Full time $84.50
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Part time $54.45
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Is there Financial Aid available?
For a complete listing of all financial aid programs please see the Hunter College Undergraduate Catalog and the Schedule of Classes.
Are there awards or scholarships available?
The Department of Art awards grant money to a select group of BFA students wishing to travel collectively during the Winter Recess.
The Exchange Program is open to BFA students who have successfully completed their first semester in the BFA program. The Art Department maintains exchanges with prominent art schools in Europe; please inquire at the department for deadlines. Application forms can be downloaded here or obtained in person from the Art Department office, Room 11054 Hunter North
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Does the Art Department accept Trasfer Credits?
With the approval of the BFA Committee, up to half of the required credits, or 31 credits, may be transferred from other accredited art schools. In general, credits in the area of concentration will not be accepted. Students must maintain their working studio in the MFA Building. Students who have an undergraduate degree (BA degree) can transfer up to 90 credits towards the BFA degree, 30 credits must be completed at Hunter. If eligible, students may apply to the BFA program. To apply, please follow the “INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLYING TO THE BFA PROGRAM”.
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What if I still have questions?
If these guidelines have left you with questions remaining, you should make an appointment with Prof. Evertz, the Program Director. She will answer your questions and suggest the best approach for you in developing your creative academic career.
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Which faculty are on the review committee?
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Contact Information
For further information about the BFA Program, you may contact the Art Department secretary at (212) 772-4995, consult an undergraduate advisor or make an appointment with the BFA advisor.
Hunter College Art Department
Phone (212) 772-4995;
Fax (212) 772-4458
Art Department Chair: Thomas Weaver
Assistant to Chair: Wendy Ramirez
Department Secretary: Anastasia Davis
Department Technician: Phil Williamston
MFA Building
450 West 41st Street
New York, NY 10036
Phone (212) 695-2154
Supervisor Tim Laun
Other Offices
Registrar / OASIS (212) 772-4474
Bursar’s Office (212) 772-4400
Financial Aid (212) 772-4820/4821
Student Services (212) 772-4882
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