Bachelor of Fine Arts in
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Turn Your Creativity Into a Career

Eastern Washington University’s BFA in Art is an immersive, studio-focused program designed for students who are serious about developing their craft.

You’ll explore multiple disciplines, refine your artistic voice, and create a cohesive body of work through hands-on studio practice and research. Throughout your studies, you’ll work closely with faculty mentors, collaborate with peers, and gain real-world experience that prepares you for careers in the arts or for graduate study.

Your experience culminates in a professional thesis exhibition at the EWU Gallery of Art, where you’ll present your work publicly, just like working artists do.

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Why Get an Art BFA at EWU?

Get a hands-on education, real-world experience, and personalized support from faculty so you can launch your career with confidence.

Faculty Mentorship

Faculty Mentorship

Receive one-on-one guidance from experienced artists who support your growth and help you refine your work.

Dedicated Studio Spaces

Dedicated Studio Spaces

Create art in fully equipped studios and labs that enable you to experiment and build your portfolio at your own pace.

Career Preparedness

Career Preparedness

Develop transferable professional skills in writing and public speaking while developing a cohesive body of work for exhibition.

Residency at the HIVE

Residency at the HIVE

Apply for a six-month Emerging Artist Residency at the HIVE in Spokane after graduation.

Art Shows & Exhibitions

Art Shows & Exhibitions

Present your thesis in a public exhibition at the EWU Gallery of Art and gain experience installing and promoting your work.

Collaborative Community

Collaborative Community

Work alongside a cohort of fellow BFA students, sharing feedback, ideas, and inspiration throughout your creative process.

Find Your Focus

Customize your BFA by focusing on one area or combining disciplines:

  • 2D Art: painting, drawing, printmaking, illustration
  • 3D Art: ceramics, sculpture, installation, performance
  • Media: photography, digital art, video
  • Visual Culture: community-based and socially engaged art
"The EWU art program is a great place to grow as an artist." —Josie Flitton '26

Alum Spotlight

After graduating in 2025 with a BFA in Art, Rachael Chambers built a career at the intersection of art and community engagement.

As the Event Manager for Terrain, an art gallery in Spokane, she oversees event planning and artist coordination for major programs and fundraisers that celebrate the region’s creative culture.

EWU art graduate Rachael Chambers sitting next to her art

Applied Learning Opportunities

An EWU art student uses a pottery wheel to create a small bowl

  • Classroom-Based Applied Learning/Simulation: Practice professional skills and real-world decision-making through simulations and hands-on exercises in the classroom.
  • Community-Based Projects: Team up with local organizations on projects that allow you to solve problems and make a difference.
  • Internships: Get real-world experience (and often credit or pay) by working in a professional setting connected to your career goals.
  • Performance: Share your creative work through exhibitions, art festivals, and film screenings.
  • Student Employment & Leadership at EWU: Gain skills, connections, and confidence through on-campus jobs and leadership roles in student government, departments, or clubs.
  • Studio Work: Hone your craft in campus studios, using industry tools and techniques across digital art, ceramics, painting, printmaking, and photography.
  • Undergraduate Research: Collaborate with professors on research projects where you ask questions, solve problems, and present what you discover.

Enhance Your Degree

Pair your BFA in art with a minor that aligns with your interests and career goals. Here are a few popular options:

Media Writing Minor

Enhance the writing skills artists often rely on, including exhibition texts, grant applications, and promotional materials.

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Visual Culture Minor

Gain a deeper understanding of how art relates to history, identity, and society while sharpening your critical-thinking skills.

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Psychology Minor

Investigate how people perceive and respond to visual experiences.

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Anthropology Minor

Examine cultures, traditions, and human experiences across various communities.

Learn More

Careers in Art

Art careers span various industries, from digital media and entertainment to fine arts and fashion.

Creative Director

Curator

Arts Organization Leader

Professional Artist

Art Educator

Art Student Stories

EWU art major Skylar Miller standing in front of Showalter Hall

Applied Learning Shapes Art Major’s Creative Journey

Through internships, exhibition work, and multidisciplinary art practices, Skylar Miller explores creativity as a meditative...
Knapp with James Lavadour's Torch (2012). Oil on panel, 48 x 60 in. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon:

An Eagle’s Full-Circle Experience in the Arts

While a student at EWU, alumna Danielle Knapp’s curatorial ambitions got a big boost from the MAC. Now she’s back with a blockbuster exhibition.

While a student at EWU, alumna Danielle Knapp’s curatorial ambitions got a big boost from...
Photo of four students with mural.

Students Leave Their Mark at Eastern

Lessons learned through the Art in the Community mural project help two graduating seniors prepare...
Biological Illustrations | Art Exhibition

Biological Illustrations | Art Exhibition

Student Works | BIO 470 & ART 496 | May 15 - June 9

This collection includes materials documenting the development of the Cheney campus, starting from the Benjamin...
Photo of students forming a "human river" through the grass.

‘When the River Becomes a Cloud’ Exhibit Opens

The exhibit at the EWU Gallery of Art runs through Feb. 4.
Travis Truly stands in front of his mural exhibit.

Student Artist Leaves His Mark in Ashes

Travis Truly's spring exhibit featured unique sketched art that continues to inspire conversations.
Rococo Repoussé: Student Work Display, ART 313

Rococo Repoussé: Student Work Display, ART 313

Feb. 5 - Feb. 28, 2024

The students of ART 313 “Art Across Time: 17th century-Present” investigated the complex nuances associated...
EWU Art Grads Display Works at The Hive®

EWU Art Grads Display Works at The Hive®

New partnership between the EWU Art Program and Spokane Public Library is providing graduating students...
Fresco Secco to Buon Fresco: Student Work Display

Fresco Secco to Buon Fresco: Student Work Display

A project of Art Across Time: Prehistory-17th Century, ART 312

The students of ART 312 “Art Across Time: Prehistory-17th Century” have engaged with the rise...

Art BFA FAQs

A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art is a professional degree focused on hands-on studio practice and portfolio development. In a BFA program, you’ll spend most of your time in the studio, taking courses in areas such as painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, and digital media. You’ll build technical skills, explore various art forms, and develop your unique artistic style.

Upon graduation, you’ll have a polished portfolio and the skills necessary to launch a career in the arts or pursue a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program.

The main difference between a BA in Art and a BFA in Art is the level of focus on skill development.

A BFA in Art is a more intensive, career-focused degree. You’ll take more art courses, spend more time creating art, and build a professional portfolio. This degree is ideal if you want to work in the creative industries or pursue a Master of Fine Arts (MFA).

A BA in Art offers a broader liberal arts education, combining art courses with general studies. It’s a good option if you want to study art alongside another subject or explore multiple academic interests.

Yes, if you’re serious about your art. A BFA in Art is designed for students who want to develop their craft, build a career in the arts, or pursue a graduate degree. At EWU, you’ll spend most of your time in the studio creating art, exhibiting your work, and gaining hands-on experience so you graduate ready for creative careers or an MFA program.

A BFA can lead to more career paths than most people expect. The skills you build—creative thinking, problem-solving, communication, and project management—are valuable in a wide range of careers.

Art majors can work as studio artists, designers, photographers, illustrators, curators, and creative professionals across industries. Many also go into arts leadership or nonprofit work, or pursue graduate school.

No, there is no separate application required for the BFA in Art. You can declare the major and get started.

If you’re transferring from another college (including Spokane Falls Community College), articulation agreements may allow your credits to transfer smoothly. Reach out to the program for guidance on your next steps.

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Art Major, Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Art is a studio-focused degree that helps students build strong technical skills, creative thinking, and a personal artistic practice. Students learn alongside a supportive cohort while engaging in professional development opportunities that prepare them for careers in the arts and creative fields. Through hands-on studio courses, critique, and community engagement, students explore ideas, experiment with materials, and develop their unique artistic voice. The program culminates in a public BFA Exhibition, where graduating seniors present a focused body of work that showcases their ideas, skills, and conceptual growth. 

Students work closely with a faculty advisor to create a degree plan that aligns with their artistic interests and career goals.

Art Core Courses
ART 201ART AND TECHNOLOGY5
ART 202METHODS AND MATERIALS5
ART 211DRAWING5
Art Experience Courses20
In consultation with art advisor, choose four of the following courses:
ILLUSTRATION
DIGITAL ART
PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES
and PHOTOGRAPHY: DIGITAL PRACTICES LAB
PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE
and PHOTOGRAPHY: BLACK AND WHITE LAB
FIGURE DRAWING
CERAMICS: FUNCTION & FORM
PAINTING
WATERCOLOR
PRINTMAKING
SCULPTURE: MOLD MAKING AND WOOD CONSTRUCTION
FIBER AND TEXTILES
EXPERIMENTAL
VIDEO ART
BODY AND TIME
CERAMICS: CONTENT & SURFACE
PRINTMAKING
SCULPTURE: WELDED AND EXPANDED FORM
Visual Culture Courses
ART 313ART ACROSS TIME: 18TH CENTURY TO CONTEMPORARY5
ART 317ART AS SOCIAL ACT5
or ART 406 ART AND COMMUNITY
ART 331CONTEMPORARY ART5
Visual Culture Elective, choose one:5
ART ACROSS TIME: PREHISTORY TO 17TH CENTURY
THE BODY IN ART
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
NATIVE NORTH AMERICAN ART
WRITING ABOUT ART
Art Development Courses
ART 472PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE FOR ARTISTS5
Development Electives, 400 level courses can be repeated.24
EXPANDED PRACTICE: PHOTO/MEDIA
and EXPANDED PRACTICE: PHOTO/MEDIA LAB
TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE
EXPANDED PRACTICE: 2D
WORKSHOP IN ART
EXPANDED PRACTICE: 3D
INTERNSHIP
Senior Thesis and Capstone Exhibition
ART 470MAKING AND MEANING (Fall Quarter)3
ART 470MAKING AND MEANING (Winter Quarter)3
ART 490SENIOR CAPSTONE: BFA EXHIBITION (Spring Quarter)5
Total Credits95

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2015ART 2025ENGL 2015
ENGL 1015Humanities & Arts BACR 215Natural Science BACR 15
Humanities & Arts BACR 115Social Science BACR 115Social Science BACR 215
 15 15 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 2115MATH 107 or 1705Art Experience Elective25
Natural Science BACR 215Art Experience Elective25Art Experience Elective25
Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Art Experience Elective25ART 3135ART 3315
Visual Culture Elective45Art Development Elective35Art Development Elective35
Global Studies - graduation requirement25Diversity - graduation requirement15Elective - minor or general elective5
 15 15 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ART 317 or 4065ART 4703ART 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
ART 4703ART 4725Art Development Elective35
Art Development Elective34Art Development Elective35Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective3Elective - minor or general elective2 
 15 15 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Art Experience Elective–choose 20 credits from the approved list.

3

Art Development Electives–choose 24 credits from the approved list.

4

Visual Culture Elective–choose 5 credits from the approved list.

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Art

jhyde@ewu.edu

509.359.6997

140 Art Building
Cheney, WA 99004

EWU Art Gallery
22 7th St
Cheney, WA 99004