BA Degree Purpose and Requirements

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree

The next application deadline for the Art Practice Major will be in February 2025.
—> Online application

Art Practice is a high demand major. Before submitting an application, carefully review the requirements in the document How to Apply to the Art Practice Major or read below to determine your eligibility. The last semester you can apply is your first semester of junior year.

About the program: a fine arts focus

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

The Art Practice Department has a fine arts focus and requires rigorous studio work of all its majors. Our areas of studio concentration include: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture (wood, metal, ceramic, and mixed media), digital photography, installation, performance, social practice, and video. A few select classes in comics, 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 Honors Studio Program awards studios to nine senior Art Practice majors who show exceptional commitment and promise.

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 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 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 prerequisite 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 prerequisite 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 prerequisites 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. Transfer students can be directly admitted to the major upon acceptance into UC Berkeley, but must formally indicate the Art Practice major on their university application.

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.

Prerequisite courses to apply to the major

• Completed R&C (Reading & Comprehension) requirements

• Completed or be enrolled in two 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 in one lower division History of Art course (any)

Curriculum

The UC Berkeley Department of Art Practice offers an undergraduate program in studio art which provides a firm grounding in basic techniques and principles while encouraging guided experimentation. All the courses we offer in a given semester are listed at guide.berkeley.edu.

By the completion of their degree, students will have acquired:

• Strong creative research and visual communication skills

• Art practice skills in a wide range of media and disciplines

• Solid vocabulary for understanding, sharing, and discussing contemporary art and visual cultures

• Creative language for personal expression with unique methods and aesthetics

• Ability to express creative work professionally through writing, critical thinking, and collaborative work.

Studio classes with frequent group critiques are designed to foster a supportive community, productive debate, and collaborative thinking. Students are encouraged to be both open-minded and tough-minded: to look closely, think critically, and challenge assumptions.  Field trips to area museums, galleries, and artists’ studios provide an important on-site learning tool, one which emphasizes the pedagogical primacy of direct contact with works of art.

While the undergraduate major is made up largely of Art Practice studio courses, it also requires at least three courses in Art History. Our students are required to be broadly familiar with the aesthetic strategies that artists have devised to understand and invent their worlds.

Most upper-division studio courses involve an exhibition component where students are asked to consider questions of audience, context, site, and time. Several gallery spaces, among them the Worth Ryder Art Gallery (located in the Anthropology + Art Practice Building) and Platform Art Space (Bauer Wurster Hall) provide students with exhibition venues.

Graduation Requirements for the Major

In order to complete the Art Practice Major students must complete a total of 12 courses. Please see the approved course listings in the checklist: “How to Complete the Art Practice Major”

LOWER DIVISION COURSES (5)

• ART 8: Introduction to Visual Thinking

• three lower division studio art courses

• one lower division History of Art course (any)

UPPER DIVISION COURSES (8)

• ART 119: Global Perspectives in Contemporary Art

• ART 185: Senior Projects / Professional Practices

• one upper division History of Art course with a focus on 20th century/contemporary art history

• five Upper Division studio art courses

Study Abroad Credits

Art Practice majors interested in Study Abroad courses to be counted toward the major should:

1. Review the Study Abroad requirements at the University level to make sure the coursework you are interested in can be transferred to UC Berkeley.

2. Make an appointment with Student Services Advisor Onisha Barham (obarham@berkeley.edu) to discuss your graduation goals and how Study Abroad may impact your course selections.

3. Choose Study Abroad courses that are equivalent to Art Practice courses. To find out if a course may be equivalent, visit the list Art Practice Upper Division Courses offered and determine if there is a parallel course. Courses such as ART 185 Senior Projects and ART 8 Introduction to Visual Culture do not have equivalents and are required to be taken at UC Berkeley in order to fulfill the major.

4. Submit your course equivalency requests via email to Student Services Advisor Onisha Barham, for each class:

   • A snapshot/PDF of the Study Abroad course description that shows the meeting times, duration, and units offered. A syllabus is also helpful.

5. From there, the Student Services Advisor and Undergraduate Co-Directors will evaluate the Study Abroad proposal and determine if the courses can be counted toward the major. It is at the discretion of the Department to approve or deny the student’s proposal.

   Students should not attempt to get approval for Study Abroad courses already taken without prior approval. You are encouraged to submit your equivalency requests as early as possible.

Resources for Transfer Students

Transfer students form a core part of our BA program. We welcome approximately 30 transfer students per year from community colleges and junior colleges. Graduation requirements for transfer students are the same as for all other students.

Up to four fine art lower division studio courses are transferrable and can be counted towards the BA degree. Please note that we are not able to transfer courses in the areas of design, illustration, fashion, and other commercial fields. The Student Services Advisor helps transfer students get credit for their junior college coursework. Transfer students typically complete their BA degrees in four semesters. Being a major is required to enroll in upper division courses.

BA Resources for Veterans

UC Berkeley welcomes and supports military veterans. CalVeterans is a support organization that helps veterans access their benefits as they pursue higher education. It is staffed by Cal Alumni veterans who can guide applicants through the process of completing their degree at Cal.

Quick Links

CONTACTS

Student Services Advisor
Onisha Barham: obarham@berkeley.edu
for questions on applying to the major, course enrollment, graduation requirements, transfer credits

Undergraduate Program Co-Directors
Prof. Brody Reiman: reiman@berkeley.edu
Prof. Stephanie Syjuco: ssyjuco@berkeley.edu
for questions on creative options and your development as an Art Practice major

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

APPLYING TO THE MAJOR

• How to Apply to the Art Practice Major

• Online application

• How to Complete the Art Practice Major (checklist)

WORTH RYDER ART GALLERY (WRAG)

• Gallery internship opportunities

LUNCHTIME WORKSHOP SERIES

• “So You’re Thinking About Going to Graduate School in the Arts…” Oct. 27, 2021 (Zoom video / PDF presentation)

GENERAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ART PRACTICE STUDENTS

• Must be logged in to your Berkeley Google account to view: Internship spreadsheet

UNDERGRADUATE NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE