Hunter College offers two Bachelor of Arts pathways in Studio Art: a flexible 24-credit major and an intensive 42-credit major. Both programs combine foundational study with hands-on work across a broad range of artistic media. 

Studio Art courses are available in Ceramics, Drawing, New Genres, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Beginning courses introduce the principles, materials, and processes of each medium. Advanced courses emphasize experimentation, critical thinking, technical development, and individual artistic exploration. 

Choose your Studio Art pathway 

Program  Best suited for  Main requirements  BFA pathway 
24-credit BA major  Students seeking a flexible Studio Art major, including many students pursuing a double major or combining art with another field.  ARTLA 20100 plus seven eligible ARTCR studio courses.  Does not provide the required 42-credit major foundation for BFA eligibility. 
42-credit BA major  Students seeking intensive studio study, a defined concentration, graduate-school preparation, or the pathway toward Hunter’s BFA.  Two foundations, concentration, studio electives, Art History, and capstone.  Required undergraduate major pathway before applying to the selective BFA program. 

Not sure which major to choose? Meet with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor before declaring or changing your major. Your choice can affect course sequencing, transfer-credit use, double-major planning, and your possible BFA timeline. 

 

A shared starting point 

Both BA majors begin with ARTLA 20100 Art Foundations: Seeing, Thinking, Making. This course introduces ways of observing, generating ideas, working across materials, and thinking critically about artistic practice. 

Students in the 42-credit major also complete ARTLA 20200 Art Foundations: Methods and Techniques. 

 

Transfer students 

Transfer students should meet with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor as early as possible. Transfer credit is evaluated individually, and the number of credits accepted by Hunter may differ from the number that can be applied toward a specific Studio Art major requirement. 

Transfer-credit and residency limits 

Studio Art program  Maximum transfer credits  Minimum credits completed at Hunter 
24-credit BA major  12  12 
42-credit BA major  21  21 
61-credit BFA major  30  31 

Important limitations 

  • Grade requirement: Most courses require a grade of C or better to transfer.
  • Course age: Some advanced courses may not transfer if they were completed more than 10 years ago.
  • Residency requirement: Students must complete the required minimum number of credits at Hunter for their major.

Transfer-credit review required. Transfer credit may not automatically satisfy a required foundation, concentration, Art History, capstone, prerequisite, or BFA eligibility requirement. Review your official evaluation and DegreeWorks record with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor before choosing a major or registering for advanced courses. 

Compare the 24-Credit and 42-Credit Majors 

Schedule an Advising Appointment 

 

24-Credit BA Major in Studio Art 

The 24-credit Studio Art major offers a flexible introduction to studio practice within a liberal arts education. It is especially well suited to students who want to combine Studio Art with another major, minor, professional interest, or interdisciplinary course of study. 

Program at a glance 

Program feature  What to know 
Total major credits  24 credits 
Total courses  Eight 3-credit courses 
Required foundation  ARTLA 20100 Art Foundations: Seeing, Thinking, Making 
Studio electives  Seven eligible 20000- or 30000-level ARTCR courses 
Concentration required  No 
Art History requiredwithin the major  No separate Art History requirement listed for the 24-credit major 
Capstone required  No separate capstone requirement listed for the 24-credit major 
Transfer-credit limit  Maximum 12 transfer credits; at least 12 credits must be completed at Hunter 

 

Major requirements 

Requirement  Courses  Credits 
Foundation  ARTLA 20100 Art Foundations: Seeing, Thinking, Making  3 
Studio electives  Seven eligible 20000- or 30000-level ARTCR courses  21 
Total  Eight courses  24 

  

What you can study 

Students may build an individualized selection of eligible courses across areas such as: Ceramics, Drawing, New Genres, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. 

Planning note: The 24-credit major is flexible, but prerequisites, course availability, and the order of beginning and advanced courses still matter. Review your intended course sequence with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor. 

Who should consider the 24-credit major? 

  • Students interested in Studio Art as part of a broad liberal arts education. 
  • Students planning a double major. 
  • Students who want flexibility to explore several artistic media. 
  • Students who want to connect studio practice with another academic or professional field. 

Important BFA planning note 

The 24-credit major is not the required major pathway for Hunter’s BFA. Students interested in applying to the BFA should consult with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor about declaring or changing to the 42-credit Studio Art major and completing the required BFA eligibility milestones. 

Learn About the BFA Program 

 

42-Credit BA Major in Studio Art 

The 42-credit Studio Art major provides a more intensive course of study for students who want sustained artistic development, deeper work in one area of concentration, preparation for graduate study, or the undergraduate pathway toward Hunter’s selective BFA program. 

Program at a glance 

Program feature  What to know 
Total major credits  42 credits 
Total courses  Fourteen 3-credit courses 
Foundations  Two courses, 6 credits 
Area of Study (Concentration)  Four courses, 12 credits, in one medium 
Studio electives  Four courses, 12 credits, outside the concentration 
Art History  Three courses, 9 credits 
Capstone  One course, 3 credits 
BFA pathway  The required BA major pathway before application to Hunter’s selective BFA 
Transfer-credit limit  Maximum 21 transfer credits; at least 21 credits must be completed at Hunter 

 

Major requirements 

Requirement  Credits  Courses and guidance 
Foundations  6  ARTLA 20100 Art Foundations: Seeing, Thinking, Making (3) 
ARTLA 20200 Art Foundations: Methods and Techniques (3) 
Area of Study (Concentration)  12  Four courses in one medium: one beginning course, two advanced courses, and one approved ARTCR 36000-level special topics course in the concentration. 
Studio Electives  12  Four eligible ARTCR courses outside the selected concentration. Choose from eligible 20000- or 30000-level courses. 
Art History  9  Three ARTH courses. At least one must address modern or contemporary art. 
Capstone Seminar  3  ARTLA 40600 2D-3D-4D, taken near the end of the degree. 
Total  42  Fourteen courses in the 42-credit Studio Art major. 

  

Choose an Area of Study 

Students complete four courses, totaling 12 credits, in one concentration. Current concentration areas are: Ceramics, Drawing, New Genres, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, and Sculpture. 

The remaining four studio electives are taken outside the selected concentration, allowing students to expand their technical range and engage with other approaches to contemporary artmaking. 

 

Art History requirement 

Students complete three Art History courses, totaling 9 credits. At least one course must focus on modern or contemporary art. Current examples may include ARTH 24700, 24900, 25000, 25100, 25700, 35100, and 45000. 

 

Capstone Seminar 

ARTLA 40600 2D-3D-4D is taken near the end of the major and serves as the culminating seminar for the 42-credit BA pathway. 

 

Pathway to the BFA 

Students interested in Hunter’s BFA must first declare the 42-credit Studio Art major and complete the required academic and major progress before applying. BFA admission is selective and includes an application, work samples, preliminary review, and faculty committee interview. 

Begin BFA planning early. Meet with the Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor during your junior year to review DegreeWorks, remaining general education and major requirements, transfer credits, graduation timing, and BFA eligibility. 

View BFA Eligibility and Application Requirements 

 

Advising and next steps 

An advising appointment can help you select the appropriate major, review transfer and completed coursework, understand concentration and course-sequencing requirements, and plan for graduation or the BFA. 

Undergraduate Studio Art Advisor: Anastasia “Staesi” Davis / Schedule an appointment through Navigate 

  

Program Learning Outcomes  

24-Credit Studio Art Major:  

  1. Students will acquire a working knowledge of the basic technical skills and formal concerns pertinent to two or more areas of concentration. 
  2. Students will develop a basic ability to articulate concepts regarding the application of such skills and concerns to a variety of expressive goals. 
  3. Students will acquire a basic ability to recognize how the formal concerns fundamental to visual languages can correspond to social and ideological contexts, especially in relation to individual identity in a diverse world. 
  4. Students will develop some knowledge of the connection between art practices in the contemporary context and their own art production. 

42-Credit Major:  

  1. Students will acquire a thorough working knowledge of formal organizational and contextual concerns and selected technical skills in one area of concentration. 
  2. Students will acquire fundamental working knowledge of one or more other areas of concentration and seek to correlate this knowledge to that acquired in #1. 
  3. Students will acquire art historical knowledge and seek correlations between that knowledge and their own creative activity and that of their peers. 
  4. Students will study and apply pertinent critical discourses to their own work and that of their peers. The linking of critical discourses to a broad understanding of modern art and cultural production will provide a necessary backdrop for these studies. 
  5. Students will initiate the application of the critical knowledge and constructional skills acquired by fulfilling course requirements to a self-defining body of individual work driven by the student’s own concepts, motivation and self-understanding