Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree

About the Program: A Fine Arts Focus

The UC Berkeley Department of Art Practice offers an undergraduate program in studio art which provides a firm grounding in fundamental techniques and principles while encouraging experimentation and critical thinking. Our curriculum is designed to teach students to think visually and develop a creative intelligence through the disciplined practice of making art.

The Department of Art Practice has a fine arts focus and requires rigorous studio work of all its majors. Our courses reflect the themes and interdisciplinary research of our accomplished faculty, spanning material and research-based investigations across the humanities and sciences, and encompassing physical and digital forms. Faculty present their work in a wide range of contemporary art contexts—from international museums and galleries to public and community-based sites. Our areas of studio concentration include: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture (wood, metal, and mixed media installation), ceramics, digital photography, performance, social practice, new media, and video. Select classes in graphic novel, experimental animation, and sound art are also taught.

We do not specialize in commercial art fields such as character animation, illustration, graphic design, logo design, fashion, or UX design. Students seeking these specific disciplines are encouraged to find an alternate program.
Art Practice majors are expected to round out the required studio courses with Art History and theory classes. Each semester the Advanced Studio and Critique Program (ASCP) awards individual studios to Art Practice majors who show exceptional commitment and promise. All students produce a capstone senior thesis project culminating in an exhibition at the Worth Ryder Art Gallery.

The Art Practice Department seeks to graduate students who demonstrate an original vision in their approach to practice, form, and content and who have the potential for significant artistic and cultural impact. Successful Art Practice graduates understand the professional art world and are articulate about their work. They are deeply engaged with their art forms, rigorously committed to their craft, and interdisciplinary in their media, methods, and creative research. Students graduating with a major in Art Practice go on to pursue successful careers in a host of creative fields, including as professional artists, art directors, arts educators, and arts-related jobs with museums, galleries, arts management, creative firms, publishing, and artists’ organizations.

Applying to the Art Practice Major

The Art Practice Department is a high demand major which means that not all students who apply to the major will be accepted. Applications are competitive and may include a portfolio review. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as they have completed the prerequisites. The last chance to apply is the beginning of your first semester of junior year.

Please remember that the Art Practice Department is a fine arts program and we do not focus on character animation, design, illustration, fashion, and other commercial art fields.

Beginning with the first-year student entering class of Fall 2023, there are two pathways to declare a high demand major: 

1. Admission into L&S (Intended Art Practice): Students who selected Art Practice on their UC Berkeley admissions application are guaranteed a spot in the major subject to completing the prerequisites, maintaining good academic standing in L&S, and submitting a Major Declaration Form by the deadline.
2. Changing to a high demand major (Discoverer path): For students who did not select Art Practice on their UC Berkeley admissions application, the process for declaring a high-demand major will be through a comprehensive review, rather than a minimum GPA requirement only. Students will have one opportunity to apply to Art Practice and will be required to have an alternate plan to declare a non-high-demand major as a back-up.

While we do our best to accept all qualified students, there is no guarantee that any one particular student will be admitted into the major. Discoverer students may apply to the Art Practice major once and all admissions decisions are final. When completing the prerequisites required for the Art Practice major, students should take the necessary steps to prepare for an alternative major in order to ensure a timely graduation.

Intended double majors: Prioritize the Art Practice major FIRST, as the required courses are difficult to get into and you should focus on Art Practice if you want it as one of your majors. For more information on double majoring, consult the L&S page.

Pathways to the Major

For first year students admitted Fall 2023 or later who applied to Berkeley with Art Practice as an Intended Major

You will need to meet the following criteria and deadlines. Do not declare another major prior to declaring Art Practice as this will remove “Applied HD Art Practice” from your CalCentral.

1. Earn a 2.0 GPA in Major Declaration Requirement courses with at least a letter grade of C- or better

2. Have a 2.0 GPA for the semester in which you are declaring the major with letter grades of a C- or better

3. Have a 2.0 cumulative GPA

Submit the Major Declaration Form provided by the Student Services Advisor by the start of the first semester of your junior year. You do not need to submit a portfolio review or formal application.

For students applying through the Discoverer Path 

Students admitted into UC Berkeley in Fall 2023 and onward who did not select Art Practice as a major when applying to UC Berkeley, you will need to meet the following criteria and deadlines.

1. Earn a 2.0 GPA in Major Declaration Requirement courses with at least a letter grade of C- or better

2. Have a 2.0 GPA for the semester in which you are declaring the major with letter grades of a C- or better

3. Have a 2.0 cumulative GPA

4. Submit a portfolio review and formal application by the first semester of your junior year. Applications are open at the start of the Fall and Spring semester. 

• Freshman and sophomores are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as they are enrolled in or have completed the three course requirements (ART 8, one lower division studio course, and an Art History course). 

• Second semester sophomores should attempt to get all the Major Declaration Requirements completed, or ensure being enrolled in them next semester. Summer Sessions also offers ART 8 and lower division courses that will count toward the major.

• First semester juniors: it is the last semester you can apply to the major. If you are not currently enrolled in or have not completed the three course requirements, you cannot apply to the major.

• Second semester juniors and all seniors: it is too late to apply to the major.

For Junior Transfer Students 

There are two pathways:

1. Direct Admission (Art Practice): Transfer students can be directly admitted to the major upon acceptance into UC Berkeley. To qualify, you must formally indicate the Art Practice major on your University of California, Berkeley application.

Policy Update (Starting Fall 2027): Students who select the Art Practice major on their UC Berkeley application are automatically declared and do not need to take any other action to join the major. Any remaining declaration requirement courses that are not completed prior to transfer must be completed to graduate. Please refer to the website for more information on Direct Admission.

2. Undeclared (Discovery) transfer students can apply during their first semester at UC Berkeley but must already have: 

• At least one undergraduate fine art studio class taken at community college

• One Art History class taken at community college

• Must be enrolled in ART 8 at UC Berkeley during their first semester (contact Student Services Advisor to confirm this)

• Note that the first semester of your junior year is the very last semester you can apply to the Art Practice Major.

Resources for Transfer Students

Transfer students have the same graduation requirements as all BA students and typically complete their degree in four semesters.

• Transfer Credits: Up to four lower-division fine art studio courses can be transferred into the Art Practice Major with assistance from the Student Services Advisor. Courses in commercial fields (design, illustration, fashion or other Art class that the Art Practice department does not offer at University of California, Berkeley) do not transfer.

• Enrollment: Declaring the BA major is required before enrolling in upper-division courses.

Major Declaration Requirements

• Completed R&C (Reading & Comprehension) requirements
• Completed or be enrolled intwo lower division studio courses:
  • ART 8: Introduction to Visual Thinking (required)
  • an Art Practice studio class (or its equivalent at junior college)
• Completed or be enrolled inone lower division History of Art course (any)