Program Overview

Photography and Digital Studio BFA Option

The Photography and Digital Studio BFA option is available within the Art major at Oregon State University, with a focus on developing individual expression and a forward-thinking approach to photography. This program is offered at the Corvallis location.

Overview

With an emphasis on inclusion, diversity, and equity, the program challenges students to confront and respond to critical issues, such as the environment, identity, and social justice. Students learn to use traditional darkroom techniques as well as the latest concepts and technologies in digital photography, digital printing, exhibition techniques, studio lighting, and video-art.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:

• Demonstrate broad and discipline-specific knowledge of art processes and history.
• Describe and analyze works of visual art critically and relate them to historical and contemporary contexts.
• Articulate discipline-specific concepts in writing, orally, and visually.
• Create original art and/or research projects by applying discipline-specific tools, skills, methods, and sources.

Requirements

• The primary objective of offering the BFA is to provide professional education in visual art at the undergraduate level and to enable graduates to enter professional, studio-based careers and within the creative industries.
• Art (BFA) majors taking the Photography and Digital Studio BFA option may not take required art courses on an S/U graded basis.
• Students may not use courses in which they have earned less than a C- to satisfy BFA requirements.
• A minimum 3.00 grade-point average must be maintained in all art courses used to meet BFA requirements.

Course Requirements

The required courses for the Photography and Digital Studio BFA option include:

• Required Lower-Division Studio Art Courses:
  • ART 100: ART ORIENTATION (2 credits)
  • ART 101: INTRODUCTION TO THE VISUAL ARTS (3 credits)
  • ART 115: 2-D CORE STUDIO (4 credits)
  • ART 117: 3-D CORE STUDIO (4 credits)
  • ART 121: DIGITAL CORE STUDIO (4 credits)
  • ART 131: DRAWING CORE STUDIO (4 credits)
• Lower-Division Art Electives:
  • Select one studio art course at the 200-level (4 credits)
  • Select two art history courses at the 200-level (6 credits)
• Required Photography and Digital Studio BFA Courses:
  • ART 222: INTRODUCTION TO TIME-BASED ART (4 credits)
  • ART 263: DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY (4 credits)
  • ART 339: PROFESSIONAL PRACTICES FOR ARTISTS (3 credits)
  • ART 340: DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY I (4 credits)
  • ART 345: INTERMEDIATE PHOTOGRAPHY (4 credits)
  • ART 347: PHOTOGRAPH: STUDIO LIGHTING (4 credits)
  • ART 456: PORTFOLIO-PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO ART (repeatable up to 8 credits; must be taken in senior year) (4 credits)
  • ART 495: EXHIBITION DESIGN (1 credit)
• Photography and Digital Studio BFA Electives:
  • Select 29 credits from the following, with at least 8 credits at the 400-level:
    • ART 341: DARKROOM PHOTOGRAPHY II
    • ART 348: CONCEPTS IN DIGITAL IMAGING
    • ART 349/NMC 349: VIDEO ART (repeatable up to 8 credits)
    • ART 350: PHOTOGRAPHY ON ASSIGNMENT
    • ART 354: ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
    • ART 355: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK
    • ART 359: PHOTOGRAPHY: ACTIVISM, AND SOCIAL CHANGE
    • ART 409: PRACTICUM STUDENT MEDIA (repeatable up to 2 credits)
    • ART 422: NEW MEDIA: INTERACTIVE
    • ART 432: GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND THE PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE
    • ART 439: SONIC ARTS
    • ART 455: THE PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOK II
    • ART 457: OFF THE SCREEN - VIDEO INSTALLATION ART
    • ART 488: SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES AND THE ARTS
    • ART 441: ADVANCED DARKROOM
    • ART 443: COMBINED MEDIA: PHOTO INSTALLATION
    • ART 444: THE CONSTRUCTED IMAGE
    • ART 446: DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
    • ART 447: ADVANCED STUDIO LIGHTING
    • ART 454: ALTERNATIVE PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY II
    • ART 456: PORTFOLIO-PHOTOGRAPHY/VIDEO ART (repeatable up to 8 credits)
    • NMC 383: FIELD PRODUCTION
• Required Art History Courses:
  • ART 264: PHOTOGRAPHY: HISTORY, TECHNOLOGY, CULTURE AND ART (3 credits)
  • ART 366: ART SINCE 1945 (3 credits)
  • ART 411: ART IN CONTEXT HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL APPROACHES (3 credits)
  • ART 462: DIRECTIONS AND ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY ART (3 credits)
• Additional 300/400 Art Electives:
  • Select 20 credits in studio art and/or art history with at least 8 credits at the 400-level

Total Credits

The total credits required for the Photography and Digital Studio BFA option is 120 credits.