The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art is a pre-professional program that develops students' conceptual prowess, technical competency and independent problem-solving to meet the challenges of a career or advanced study in the visual arts. Through studio critiques, the study of sophisticated art and design concepts, mastery of skills and technologies and critical analysis of historical and contemporary issues, students learn to analyze and evaluate visual art and to apply this knowledge to their own creative practice. Graduating students demonstrate their competence by producing a cohesive body of work presented in their senior thesis exhibition to a panel of faculty reviewers.

The Painting concentration is rooted in observation and technique, while stimulating abstract, conceptual or material-driven ideas about painting and contemporary art practices. The curriculum supports a variety of specific approaches to painting including collage, figural, landscape and abstraction while simultaneously promoting an interdisciplinary approach and emphasizing engagement with contemporary practices. Advanced painting students work in consultation with faculty advisors to pursue individual directions and interests.