Art & Art History

Department Chair: Jim Neel

The Visual Arts program at Birmingham-Southern is dedicated to providing the opportunity and the environment for the best possible education in the visual arts at the undergraduate level. No single aesthetic or style dominates the curriculum, the faculty,or the work of the students. We believe in facilitating the imaginative depth and reach of the individual student/artist, and we seek to promote a climate of diversity and excellence. Art studio majors at Birmingham-Southern are given fundamental instruction in design, drawing, and theory in the freshman year. They may then pursue a concentration in one of the following disciplines: painting, photography, printmaking, or sculpture.

BSC artist preparing for a show Art History majors follow a similar track with an introduction to the studio process, but with an involved concentration in Art History. Students may also choose to pursue a minor in either Art Studio or Art History. Three degree programs are offered through the Department of Art and Art History.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) involves a course of study emphasizing extensive professional preparation in studio art. The BFA degree provides the foundation necessary for students interested in the serious pursuit of studio art production and art-related fields of employment. The BFA is also the degree for students interested in pursuing post-graduate study leading to the terminal degree (MFA) in studio art.

The Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in studio art involves a strong concentration in studio art and art history but allows for a broader spread of course work in disciplines outside the field of art. The BA in studio art is commonly paired with the degree programs in education for students wishing to teach art at the elementary and/or secondary school level.

The BA in Art History involves a course of study emphasizing extensive professional preparation in the field of art history. This degree provides the foundation for students interested in the serious pursuit of art history and art historical fields of employment such as art conservation and curatorial positions within museums and galleries. It is also the degree for students interested in post-graduate study leading to the terminal degree (PhD) in Art History.

For more information, including a course listing, please visit the Disciplinary Major/Minor section of the most recent issue of the Birmingham-Southern College Catalog.

To contact the BSC Department of Art and Art History, please write or email: