Student Advising:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Have you applied for admission at UTA?
- What is the difference between a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Artdegree and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree?
- If I want to teach Art at the Elementary, Secondary or High School level, which plan do I choose?
- How do I sign up for classes each semester?
- How many studio courses should I take each semester?
- How many credits do I need to graduate?
- Who keeps track of my progress while I am here?
- Do I need a Course Catalog?
- How do I find out if a class I took will transfer to UTA?
- How do I transfer the credits to UTA?
- Will I need to submit a portfolio for review?
- What about my Advance Placement credits?
Answers
- Have you applied for admission
at UTA?
Consider applying online today at www.uta.edu. While we do not require a portfolio review in order for you to enroll in our program, you are required to indicate your intentions to be an Art major on your UTA Admissions application – that’s crucial! Several of our Art History and Studio courses require you to have declared yourself an art major in order for you to qualify to enroll in them. - What is the difference between
a Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art degree, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Art degree
and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History degree?
The BFA degree program offers intensive pre-professional preparation in the field of studio art. This program is designed for those aspiring to work in their field of interest as professionals or to enter graduate school upon completion of the degree. The BFA plan requires you to maintain a 3.0 or better GPA within the major, as well as, the completion of 27 hours in foundations, 6 hours of upper level art history and 39 hours in advance studio courses. If your GPA falls below a 3.0 in your major field for more than one semester, you will be moved to a Bachelor of Arts degree plan. The BA program in Art is of a more general nature, and is more suited to those whose current academic interests and/or prior work are directed toward a broad overview of art and its relationships to other disciplines. A BA plan requires that you maintain a 2.5 or better GPA within the major, 27 hours in foundations, 9 hours in upper level art history, 21 hours in advance studio courses and 18 hours in a Minor field in a non-studio subject area. The BA program in Art History emphasizes historical research, preparing students for graduate work in art history of museum studies. The BA plan in Art History requires that you take 9 hours in Art History foundation coursework, 33 hours in advance art history courses, 3 hours in a studio course and 18 hours in a Minor subject area. To learn more of the degrees offered at UTA and on the Liberal Arts curriculum required for each degree, please refer to the online undergraduate catalog at: http://www.uta.edu/catalog/. - If I want to teach Art at the Elementary,
Secondary or High School level, which plan do I choose?
If you are interested in teaching at the Elementary, Secondary or High School level you will want to get on our Teacher Certification degree plan. This plan entails earning the BFA degree in Art in addition to 27 hours of College of Education coursework that are require to fulfill minimum certification guidelines in Texas. To learn more of the degrees offered at UTA and on the Liberal Arts curriculum required for each degree, please refer to the online undergraduate catalog at: http://www.uta.edu/catalog/. - How do I sign up for classes each semester?
In order to be cleared for registration, you must first meet with your academic advisor. New and Transfer students will meet with the academic advisor for the Art & Art History Department, while continuing students at UTA will meet with their assigned advisor according to their area of concentration. When meeting with your advisor you should have all your materials in hand and ready to go, an unofficial transcript and copy of your degree plan with a tentative schedule of 3-5 classes for the following semester. Having all of this information will make it much easier to evaluate your status as a student and advise you. You and your advisor will finalize your potential schedule and you will then be cleared for registering on your specified day. Even though you were advised for a certain course, this does not guarantee you a spot. In order to stand the best chance with registering for your desired courses, make sure to register on your specified day. Our classes fill extremely fast, so the longer you wait; the harder it will be to get into the class you want. - How many studio courses should I take each
semester?
You should take only two studios per semester for your first two years. This is a time where the majority of basic requirements; the 55 hours of the Liberal Arts core that are required by UTA, should be addressed. Because the work you produce early on will demand less time, it is a good idea to avoid sacrificing your grades in the basics for your art classes later on. As an upperclassman, your focus should be on your major and any specific interests in art or beyond the department. If you are a transfer student, the situation may be radically different and we'll work on your situation on an individual basis. - How many credits do I need to graduate?
128 credit hours. Approximately 71 of those hours are specifically required for the art degree to add up to 128. - Who keeps track of my progress while I am
here?
Both you and your advisor. You will receive a copy of your degree plan at your first meeting with your advisor. You should keep track of what classes you have taken and the grades you received. Keep this degree plan in a file and bring it with you to every advising meeting. This will help you and your advisor when it comes time to advise for future semesters. - Do I need a Course Catalog?
Though the Catalog is on the internet, it is an excellent idea to purchase one at the Bookstore when you start at UTA and get the updated version when the first expires. The book contains nearly all the information and answers you might require when you have questions about credits, earning degrees, course descriptions, and policies that impact all students at some point during their time at UTA. - How do I find out if a class I took will transfer
to UTA?
If you are transferring credits from a Texas college, you can find information on our course equivalents website at www.uta.edu/admissions/equivalency.php. There you will find links to information on the courses from what college you are transferring from and the equivalents here at UTA. If you have any further questions, contact the Academic Advisor for the Art Department at 817-272-0968. - How do I transfer the credits to UTA?
Contact the records office at the institution where you took the class(es) and have them send an official transcript of the work to the Office of Admissions Office, Box 19111, Arlington, Texas 76019. Do NOT have them send it to the Art Department. It will then be invalid and a waste of your time and money.
Any art courses that you transfer to UTA will be evaluated by your advisor to determine what requirements they fulfill in your art curriculum. - Will I need to submit a portfolio for review?
In order to be effectively placed in their 1st semester, transfer students will need to present a portfolio for review. - What about my Advance Placement credits?
If you are earning or have earned Advanced Placement credits in art or other subjects in high school, be sure that you get those test scores to the UTA Assessment Services Office, located on the 2nd floor in Davis Hall as soon as you can.