Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree
Important major application information
The Art Practice Department is a “high demand major” which means that not all students who apply will be accepted. Continuing undergraduates are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as they have completed the prerequisites, and cannot apply past the first semester of junior year. Second semester juniors and seniors at any level are not allowed to apply.
Your portfolio submission will play a significant role in the review process and we encourage you to submit your strongest work along with thoughtful writing responses. Please remember that the Art Practice Department is a fine arts program and we do not focus on character animation, design, illustration, fashion, and other commercial art fields.
FRESHMEN AND CONTINUING STUDENTS
The Fall 2024 application deadline will be in September.
Freshman and continuing sophomores are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as they are enrolled in or have completed the three course requirements (ART 8, a lower division studio course, and an Art History course).
Second semester continuing sophomores who do not have all three required courses are encouraged to take Summer Sessions classes so that they can apply by the first semester of junior year.
First semester continuing juniors: it is your last semester to apply.
Intended majors who are currently undergraduates at UC Berkeley: please fill out the Intended Major Intake Form so we can learn more about you, and add you to an email list to receive important information.
JUNIOR TRANSFERS
Junior Transfer students who enter UC Berkeley in Fall 2023 as declared Art Practice majors do not have to submit an application.
Junior Transfers who enter as undeclared majors, declared in another major, or intending another major, cannot apply to the Art Practice major.
HIGH SCHOOL APPLICANTS
No portfolio application is due at the time of your college application to UC Berkeley. But you must indicate Art Practice as your intended major upon acceptance to be prioritized.
POTENTIAL DOUBLE MAJORS
If you are intending to double major, prioritize the Art Practice major first, as the required courses are difficult to get into and we are a high demand major.
Art 160 Radical Wearables class after their Final Project presentations of wearable art, Spring 2019
About the program: a fine arts focus
The UC Berkeley Art Practice Department offers an undergraduate program in studio art which provides a firm grounding in basic techniques and principles while encouraging guided experimentation. Our curriculum is designed to teach students to think visually and develop a creative intelligence through the disciplined practice of art.
The Art Practice Department has a fine arts focus and requires rigorous studio work of all its majors. Our areas of studio concentration include: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture (wood, metal, ceramic, and mixed media), digital photography, installation, performance, social practice, and video. A few select classes in comics, experimental animation, and sound art are also taught.
We do not specialize in commercial art fields such as character animation, illustration, graphic design, logo design, fashion, or UX design. Students seeking these specific disciplines are encouraged to find an alternate program.
Art Practice majors are expected to round out the required studio courses with Art History and theory classes. Each semester the Honors Studio Program awards studios to nine senior Art Practice majors who show exceptional commitment and promise.
The Art Practice Department seeks to graduate students who demonstrate an original vision in their approach to practice, form, and content and who have the potential for significant artistic and cultural impact. Successful Art Practice graduates understand the professional art world and are articulate about their work. They are deeply engaged with their art forms, rigorously committed to their craft, and interdisciplinary in their media, methods, and creative research. Students graduating with a major in Art Practice go on to pursue careers in a host of creative fields, including as professional artists, art directors, arts educators, and arts-related jobs with museums, galleries, arts management, creative firms, publishing, and artists’ organizations.
Contacts
Student Services Advisor
Onisha Barham: obarham@berkeley.edu
(for questions on applying to the major, enrollment, graduation requirements for the major)
Undergraduate Program Co-Directors
Brody Reiman, Associate Professor: reiman@berkeley.edu
Stephanie Syjuco, Associate Professor: ssyjuco@berkeley.edu
Art 185 Senior Projects installation at the Worth Ryder Gallery, featuring a Final project by Julia Scheinman (BA’19)
Curriculum
The UC Berkeley Department of Art Practice offers an undergraduate program in studio art which provides a firm grounding in basic techniques and principles while encouraging guided experimentation. All the courses we offer in a given semester are listed at guide.berkeley.edu.
By the completion of their degree, students will have acquired:
Strong creative research and visual communication skills
Art practice skills in a wide range of media and disciplines
Solid vocabulary for understanding, sharing, and discussing contemporary art and visual cultures
Creative language for personal expression with unique methods and aesthetics
Ability to express creative work professionally through writing, critical thinking, and collaborative work.
Classes
Studio classes with frequent group critiques are designed to foster a supportive community, productive debate, and collaborative thinking. Students are encouraged to be both open-minded and tough-minded: to look closely, think critically, and challenge assumptions. Field trips to area museums, galleries, and artists’ studios provide an important on-site learning tool, one which emphasizes the pedagogical primacy of direct contact with works of art.
While the undergraduate major is made up largely of Art Practice studio courses, it also requires at least three courses in Art History. Our students are required to be broadly familiar with the aesthetic strategies that artists have devised to understand and invent their worlds.
Most upper-division studio courses involve an exhibition component where students are asked to consider questions of audience, context, site, and time. Several gallery spaces, among them the Worth Ryder Art Gallery (located in the Anthropology + Art Practice Building) and Platform Art Space (Bauer Wurster Hall) provide students with exhibition venues.
Applying to the Art Practice Major
Art Practice seniors from the Fall 2019 Honors Program at their Worth Ryder Gallery exhibition
For complete details and eligibility, view the document How to Apply to the Art Practice Major.
High school applicants to UC Berkeley: no portfolio or supplemental application is due at the time of your initial application to UC Berkeley.
Continuing UC Berkeley students: The Art Practice Department is a “high demand major” which means that not all students who apply to the major will be accepted. Undergraduate applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as they have completed the prerequisites, and are not allowed to apply to the major past the beginning of junior year.
Requirements to apply to the major:
Cannot be past first semester of junior year
Must have an overall minimum GPA of 2.8
Completed R&C (Reading & Comprehension) requirements
Completed or be enrolled in two lower division studio courses:
ART 8: Introduction to Visual Thinking (required)
an Art Practice studio class (or its equivalent at junior college)
Completed or be enrolled in one lower division Art History course (any)
Upon review, applications that have met the criteria for the Art Major will be notified for approval. If your application is denied, you may resubmit once more.
The Undergraduate Program Directors and Student Services Advisor will hold lunchtime Q+A sessions a few weeks before the application deadline to provide support and answer question about the declaring process and feedback on portfolios. These dates will be announced in the beginning of each semester.
Graduation Requirements for the Major
In order to complete the Art Practice Major students must complete a total of 12 courses. Please see the approved course listings in the checklist: “How to Complete the Art Practice Major”
LOWER DIVISION COURSES (5)
1 required course: ART 8: Introduction to Visual Thinking
3 lower division studio art courses
1 lower division Art History course of your choice
UPPER DIVISION COURSES (8)
2 required courses:
ART 119: Global Perspectives in Contemporary Art
ART 185: Senior Projects / Professional Practices
1 Upper Division History of Art course with a focus on 20th century/contemporary art history
5 Upper Division studio art courses
Study Abroad
Art Practice majors interested in Study Abroad courses to be counted toward the major should:
Review the Study Abroad requirements at the University level to make sure the coursework you are interested in can be transferred to UC Berkeley.
Make an appointment with Student Services Advisor Onisha Barham (obarham@berkeley.edu) to discuss your graduation goals and how Study Abroad may impact your course selections.
Choose Study Abroad courses that are equivalent to Art Practice courses. To find out if a course may be equivalent, visit the list Art Practice Upper Division Courses offered and determine if there is a parallel course. Courses such as ART 185 Senior Projects and ART 8 Introduction to Visual Culture do not have equivalents and are required to be taken at UC Berkeley in order to fulfill the major.
Submit your course equivalency requests via email to Student Services Advisor Onisha Barham, for each class:
A snapshot/PDF of the Study Abroad course description that shows the meeting times, duration, and units offered. A syllabus is also helpful.
From there, the Student Services Advisor and Undergraduate Co-Directors will evaluate the Study Abroad proposal and determine if the courses can be counted toward the major. It is at the discretion of the Department to approve or deny the student’s proposal.
Students should not attempt to get approval for Study Abroad courses already taken without prior approval. You are encouraged to submit your equivalency requests as early as possible.
Resources for Transfer Students
Transfer students from Community Colleges form a core part of the BA program.
Starting in Fall 2023, junior transfer students must indicate upon acceptance into UC Berkeley that they declare Art Practice as their major. If you enter as an undeclared junior transfer, you will be unable to apply and will have to seek another major.
Transfer students form a core part of our BA program. We welcome approximately 30 transfer students per year from community colleges and junior colleges. Graduation requirements for transfer students are the same as for all other students.
Up to four fine art lower division studio courses are transferrable and can be counted towards the BA degree. Please note that we are not able to transfer courses in the areas of design, illustration, fashion, and other commercial fields. The Student Services Advisor helps transfer students get credit for their junior college coursework.
Transfer students typically complete their BA degrees in four semesters. Being a major is required to enroll in upper division courses.
BA Resources for Veterans
UC Berkeley welcomes and supports military veterans. CalVeterans is a support organization that helps veterans access their benefits as they pursue higher education. It is staffed by Cal Alumni veterans who can guide applicants through the process of completing their degree at Cal. MFA alum and Art Practice staff member Ehren Tool is a veteran and key member of the Department.
Quick Links
THE ART PRACTICE UNDERGRADUATE HANDBOOK
APPLYING TO THE ART PRACTICE MAJOR AS A CONTINUING STUDENT
Intended Major Info Session Zoom recording / slide deck Jan. 27, 2023
How to Complete the Art Practice Major (checklist)
TRANSFER STUDENT RESOURCES
Choosing to Transfer to UC Berkeley as an Art Practice major, Zoom recording, May 8, 2023
Transfer Student Orientation Zoom recording, July 11, 2023. Link TBA.
WORTH RYDER ART GALLERY (WRAG)
LUNCHTIME WORKSHOP SERIES
“So You’re Thinking About Going to Graduate School in the Arts…” Oct. 27, 2021 (Zoom video / PDF presentation)
GENERAL INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ART PRACTICE STUDENTS
Must be logged in to your Berkeley Google account to view: Internship spreadsheet