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Art Education – Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
School of Visual Art and Design
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Important: This course plan is a recommended sequence for this major. Courses designated as critical (!) may have a deadline for completion and/or affect time to graduation. Please see the program notes section for details regarding “critical courses” for this particular Program of Study.

Semester One (17-18 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
! ENGL 101 Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW) 3 C    
    Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP) 3-4      
    Foreign Language3 or other Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC-GFL) 3      
  ARTS 103 Fundamentals of Art (MR) 4 C    
  ARTS 104 or ARTS 111 3-Dimensional Design I or Basic Drawing I (MR) 4 C    

Semester Two (17 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
! ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW) (CC-INF) 3 C   C or better in ENGL 101
    Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP) 3      
    Foreign Language3 or other Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC-GFL) 3      
  ARTS 104 or ARTS 111 3-Dimensional Design I or Basic Drawing I (MR) 4 C    
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.

Semester Three (17-18 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
  ARTE 530 Art of Children (PR) 3 C    
  ARTH 105 History of Western Art I (MR) 3 C    
    Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC) 3-4      

Semester Four (14 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
  ARTH 106 History of Western Art II (MR) 3 C    
    Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC) 3      

Semester Five (14 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  ARTE 525 Elementary Methods for K-12 Art Certification (PR) 3 C   Coreq: ARTE 525P
  ARTE 525P Elementary Methods for K-12 Art Cert. Practicum (PR) 1 C   Coreq: ARTE 525
  EDPY 401 Learners & the Diversity of Learning (PR) 3 C    
    Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC) 3      
    Carolina Core Requirement4 (CC) 4      

Semester Six (13 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  ARTE 560 Secondary Methods for K-12 Art Certification (PR) 3 C   C or better in ARTE 525 & 525P; Coreq: ARTE 560P
  ARTE 560P Secondary Methods for K-12 Art Cert. Practicum (PR) 1 C   C or better in ARTE 525 & 525P; Coreq: ARTE 560
  ARTE 550 Incorporating Digital Media in Art Education (PR) 3 C    
    ARTH Course (MR) 3 C   See Bulletin listing.
    Contemporary ARTH Course (MR) 3 C   See Bulletin listing.

Semester Seven (15 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  ARTE 540 The School Art Program (PR) 3 C   C or better in ARTE 525, 525P, 560 & 560P; Coreq: ARTE 540P
  ARTE 540P Practicum in Art Education (PR) 1 C   C or better in ARTE 525, 525P, 560 & 560P; Coreq: ARTE 540
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
    ARTS Major Course5 (MR) 4 C   See Bulletin listing.
  EDRD 500 or EDEX 581 Content Area Literacy PK-12 or Teaching Reading in the Content Areas to Adolescents with Reading Disabilities (PR) 3 C    

Semester Eight (15 Credit Hours)

Critical Course Code Subject and Title Credit Hours Min. Grade1 Major GPA2 Prerequisites
  ARTE 571 Directed Teaching in Art (PR) (CC-INT) 12 C   Coreq: ARTE 565
  ARTE 565 Applied Art Education (PR) (CC-INT) 3 C   Coreq: ARTE 571

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours Minimum Major Requirements Hours College and Program Requirements Hours Carolina Core Hours Minimum Institutional GPA
123 52 39 32 2.000
  1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.000 cumulative GPA.
  2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated in this column are included in the major GPA for this program of study.
  3. Students in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 122 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score. Students who do not start at the 121-level may need to take an additional course to meet this requirement.
  4. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students. This major map assumes that students complete two Carolina Core overlay courses. Additional hours may be required to meet all Carolina Core requirements if no overlay courses are taken.
  5. ARTS Major Courses include one course from each category listed below (49 hours):

a. Select one 200-400-level Drawing course (4 hours): ARTS 230, 232, 233, 330, 331, 430, or 431.

b. Select one 200-level or above Painting course (4 hours): ARTS 210, 211, 310, 311, 410, 411, 500, or 514.

c. Select one 200-400-level Printmaking course (4 hours): ARTS 215, 315, 316, 415, or 416.

d. Select one 200-400-level Ceramics course (4 hours): ARTS 220, 320, 321, 420, or 421.

e. Select one 200-level or above Three-Dimension Studies or Jewelry Making course (4 hours): ARTS 225, 255, 325, 326, 355, 356, 425, 426, 455, 456, or 555.

f. Select one 200-400-level Photography course (4 hours): ARTS 261, 360, 361, 460, or 461.

g. Select one additional 4 hours from ARTS 200-level or above.

Program Notes

  • Courses identified as “critical” must be completed in the student’s first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation.
  • All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
  • The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code Definition
CC Carolina Core
CC-AIU Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR College Requirement
MR Major Requirement
PR Program Requirement

Disclaimer: Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.


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