Bachelor of Arts Majors
Professor Lisa Claypool in the Mactaggart Art Collection with Bachelor of Arts students from Art & Design
Our department offers two majors for BA degree students:
Students who major or minor in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture or Art & Design may not select their other subject of concentration from the Department of Art & Design.
All BA students are encouraged to thoroughly investigate the Faculty of Arts Student Services website for tutorial videos and tip sheets which can help you get comfortable using your Bear Tracks account, registering for classes, understanding your general BA program requirements, academic standing, and much more.
Major in the History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture
Learn how successful HADVC students arrived in the major
Contemporary culture is saturated with visual representations. We are bombarded on a daily basis by advertisements, posters, and digital photographs. Courses offered in HADVC teach students to understand our visual world, its messages, and its histories. From the history of museums to performing bodies in contemporary art and China's design revolution, course topics range widely. Students explore practices of slow looking, learn how to pose original questions of artworks, and engage in creative research and curatorial projects.
Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in HADVC begin by taking introductory (100- and 200-level courses) designed to equip them with the skills of close visual analysis and an ability both to understand and recognize the visual culture of diverse historical periods. More advanced (300- and 400-level) courses concentrate on specific themes and visual media. At this level, students learn how to produce scholarly essays, undertake original research, present their ideas orally, and engage critically with various art-historical methods.
Program Requirements
A major in History of Art, Design, and Visual Culture requires a minimum of *30 to a maximum of *48 HADVC at the senior (i.e. 200-level or higher) level, with at least *6 at the 400-level. HADVC students may also use CLASS 254, CLASS 255, EASIA 322, EASIA 373, and up to 2 senior studio art or design classes as part of their senior level major requirements.
Here is a possible course list for a first year HADVC major:
Fall
- ENGL 102 (or 103 or 125)
- HADVC 100 or 2XX
- Language other than English, if required
- Course for second major or for minor
- Option, or course for second major or for minor
Winter
- ENGL 103 (or 102 or 125)
- HADVC 2XX
- HADVC 2XX
- Language other than English, if required
- Course for second major or for minor
Major in Art & Design
Bachelor of Arts (BA): Art & Design Program Overview
BA students with a major in Art & Design can meet their degree program requirements with any combination of our ART, DES, and HADVC classes. Art & Design majors explore many aspects of art and design, and develop skills in critical thinking, communication, creativity, and commitment in both academic and practical course work.
Students who major in Art & Design will need to register in ART 134 and DES 135, the 100-level Art & Design Fundamentals studio courses. You can read more about registering for our courses under Course Registration and Listings.
Together, ART 134 and DES 135 are the prerequisites to all second year studio courses in the department.
Undergraduate student work: Moira Murray. Self Portrait. 35"x23". Graphite and ink. 2024.
Program Requirements
A major in Art & Design requires a minimum of *30 (10 courses) to a maximum of *48 (16 courses) at the senior level (200-level and above), of which at least *6 must be at the 400-level. These courses can be any combination of ART and/or DES and/or HADVC classes.
It is to your advantage to declare your major in Art & Design as soon as possible as you will then have early access to registering yourself in ART 134 and DES135. The earlier you do these course the better, since you will then have more years to complete your major requirements. (We do not recommend that you do ART 134 and DES 135 in the same term.)
Here is a possible course list for a first year Art & Design major:
Fall
- ART 134 (or DES 135)
- ENGL 102 (or 103 or 125)
- HADVC 100 or 2XX
- Option (from any department in the Faculty of Arts or Science other than Art & Design)*
Winter
- DES 135 (or ART 134)
- ENGL 103 (or 102 or 125)*
- HADVC 100 or 2XX
- Option (from any department in the Faculty of Arts or Science other than Art & Design)*
*If you know you want to transfer to the BFA or BDes program later, please research the degree you want, so you can tailor your options classes to meet program requirements for that program. For instance, BA students only need one ENGL class but BFA and BDes students need two ENGL classes.