Art
Illinois colleges and universities offer two different bachelor's degrees in Art: the professional Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) degree and the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with a major in Art. In general, because the B.F.A. degree prepares students for graduate school, it requires 70 or more semester credits in Art, while the B.A. degree (major in Art) requires about 40 to 50 semester credits in Art. At some schools, a B.A. degree requires competency in a foreign language, while the B.F.A. degree does not.
To transfer as a junior into either a B.F.A. program or B.A. program with a major in Art, students should select one of the options following consultation with the Art department. Most schools require a portfolio review for admission to a B.F.A. program, for registration in a second studio course in a medium and/or for scholarship consideration.
The A.A. Degree and A.F.A. Degree represent two different tracks in Visual Art Education. The AA should be pursued by those students ultimately seeking a liberal arts baccalaureate degree (typically a BA) in the Visual Arts. This includes but is not limited to: Arts Education, Museum Studies, Art Therapy and Art History. The AFA should be pursued by those students ultimately seeking a professional baccalaureate degree (typically a BFA) in the Studio Arts. This includes but is not limited to: Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture, Ceramics, Photography, Videography, Animation, Illustration, Graphic Design and Communication Arts. The AA completes the General Education component prior to transfer while the AFA completes more professional coursework and fulfills the General Education requirements over the span of a four-year degree as do native students respectively. It is important that transfer students seek advising from their community college faculty academic advisor in their first year of study and subsequently from the receiving school at least a semester before transferring.
Students who have already chosen the university to which they plan to transfer should consult that institution's catalog or department advisor and an SVCC academic advisor in planning their program. This program includes the basic courses university art departments require their freshmen and sophomores to take as well as foundation courses in various areas of specialization.
Estimated Program Cost
The following figures are based on 2024-25 tuition and fee rates and the course fees in the Class Schedule for the required minimum number 64 credit hours.
| In-District | Out-of-District | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $9,600.00 | $23,040.00 | $25,728.00 |
| Fees | $1,152.00 | $1,152.00 | $1,152.00 |
| Course Fees | * $465.00 | * $465.00 | * $465.00 |
| Total Tuition and Fees | $11,217.00 | $24,657.00 | $27,345.00 |
* Note: Course fees may vary depending upon the classes that a student completes within an academic program. The course fee above is only an estimation and represents the maximum course fees possible; it is likely that course fees will be lower than the estimation above.