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Wagner College

Art Department

Checklist for Art Majors

B.A. in Art

 
The Art Program offers a major in visual art leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree.  The purpose is to give students a strong foundation in visual art within the framework of a liberal arts curriculum and to prepare those students planning to pursue graduate studies in studio art.  The art major is exposed to a wide range of studio experiences and skills and a solid background in the history of art.  Major emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of drawing and painting. In addition, students are required to take, or elect to take, printmaking, digital imaging, photography, sculpture, and ceramics.  The rich exposure to art which is available in New York City makes the study of visual arts at Wagner an exceptionally valuable experience.
 

Art Major Checklist

The student who wants to declare art as a major can do so by meeting with Ms. Angela Caruso,  Art Department Secretary. At this point, the student should submit a portfolio for review by the art department. The student will then be assigned an art advisor within the department. The process of becoming a major is complete after the student meets in person with either the Chair of the department or with their new art advisor in order to go over the requirements needed to complete the art program.
 

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN ART (B.A.)

 A minimum of 15 units with the following distribution:

  • AR103 Design/Color
  • AR 105 Drawing I
  • AR 203 Graphic Design
  • AR 204 Sculpture
  • AR 205 Drawing II
  • AR 208 Painting I
  • AR 213 Printmaking I
  • AR 221 Gallery Management
  • Drawing Lab (0 units)
  • Art Studio/Art History  Electives (2 units): two additional courses chosen from among departmental offerings.
  • Art History Requirement (2 units): AH 109 or AH 118 and one additional elective in art history.
  • Senior Learning Community (3 units): AR400 (taken in both Junior and Senior Year) and Capstone Course (either AH491 or AH490)

In addition, Art Majors will complete the following:

  • Senior Thesis  (written in capstone course)
  • Senior Reflective Essay  (written in Senior RFT)
  • Exhibit of Senior Work in Senior  Art Gallery show
  • Assessment Portfolio

 

 

Art Major Senior Learning Community

Our senior learning community consists of three courses: an RFT taken in the spring of both
the junior and senior years and a Capstone Course in Art History taken in the spring of the
senior year. The learning community is designed to offer students maximum opportunity for
independent work. Each student will have access to their own studio space, where they will
build their portfolio and prepare work for the senior year exhibit. Weekly critiques from both
fellow students and professors help students hone their skills and interests while allowing them
to develop as practicing artists. The capstone course gives students in-depth knowledge of art
historical issues relevant to contemporary artists and the opportunity to write a sophisticated
thesis.

  • Junior Year: AR 400 Junior RFT

  • Senior Year : AR 400 Senior RFT and Capstone Course (either AH 491: Contemporary Art or AH 490 Imaging the Individual: What is a Portrait?)

 

Senior Year Portfolio Submission

Please be aware that in order to graduate from Wagner College with a B.A. in Art, you must
turn in a portfolio in your final (senior) year, that will be used for assessment purposes. These
works should be assembled from course assignments in your required courses. All of the
works in the portfolio will be returned to you before graduation.
Please include at least two examples of each of the following. Your name, the date and the
course in which the assignment was given should be on each work:

  • two drawings
  • two paintings
  • two sculptures or 3-D works
  • two prints
  • two pieces of graphic design
  • your senior thesis, a research paper involving multiple sources

 

Please be prepared to turn in this portfolio no later than March 1 of your final year. This
assessment portfolio is to be assembled by students majoring in art and by students who
are double majors if one of the disciplines is art. Students who are art ed majors, with a
concentration in art, are not required to assemble a portfolio for assessment purposes.
Students who are not yet seniors should keep all their art projects.

 

Click Here for more information on Senior Assessment Portfolio