FAQs
About Us
An education in art must embrace as many areas of knowledge as possible. It must include the liberal arts as well as practical instruction, and above all it must cultivate the imagination and resourcefulness of our students. A primary goal of our university is to provide a general education that encompasses the natural sciences, humanities, mathematics, history, political science, the arts, and the behavioral and social sciences. We believe this broad education is essential if our majors in art are to be successful in their chosen careers. To this general education we attach carefully crafted sequences of art classes designed to build upon fundamental skills and to develop, at advanced levels, a student's conceptual and practical mastery of a visual medium. All Texas A&M-Commerce students, whether they pursue degrees in teaching, fine art, or applied art, benefit from this integration of general and specialized courses, for they graduate from our university with the versatility and experience to confront a complex and rapidly changing world.
Mission Statement
The Department of Art inspires and prepares students to excel in the art profession, including fine and applied arts, art history, and art teaching fields; the Department of Art also expands the educational experiences of non-majors.
The Curriculum in Art
The Department of Art offers a comprehensive curriculum in the visual arts leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, and Bachelor of Fine Arts. Subsequent acceptance into the Graduate Program enables students to pursue the degrees of Master of Arts, and Master of Fine Arts. Fine art media include ceramics, drawing, graphic arts (printmaking), illustration, painting, sculpture, small metals, and experimental studies. Communication Arts include art direction, copywriting, and design communications. Teacher education programs prepare students for teaching in grades K-12. In addition to their place in all art degree programs, art history courses can fulfill the requirements of a minor in art. The photography program permits students to specialize in either fine art or commercial photography.
Facilities
Housed in four buildings around campus, the facilities supporting the visual arts are new, spacious and well-equipped. We also operate the Communication Arts program through our facilities in Dallas at the University Center of Dallas (UCD).
The Wathena Temple Fine Arts building was opened in 2004 and includes one of the finest ceramic studios in the Southwest. Painting studios, a wood shop and critique galleries round out this facility. Photography enjoys over 12,000 sq. ft of studio, darkroom and digital imaging space. Our digital imaging program was one of the first in the region with classes that began in 1991.The sculpture lab is housed in a specialized lab. It is spacious and well equipped with wood and steel tools and a foundry for metal casting of various materials.The main Art building houses the administration offices, faculty offices, the University Gallery, north-light drawing studios and painting studios.
University Gallery
Located in the main art building, the University Gallery schedules an annual season of exhibitions of interest to the department and community alike.
Transfer of Credits from Other Institutions
Students wishing to transfer art credits to Texas A&M University-Commerce will have their transfer credits evaluated by the Office of Admissions and the Department of Art. Courses which have no exact equivalents at Texas A&M-Commerce may still be transferable pending a portfolio review in the Department of Art.
Transfer credits in photography are not routinely accepted towards the bachelor's degrees. However, students may request a portfolio evaluation with the photography faculty in order to determine the acceptability of transfer courses as elective credits or, in approved cases, in place of freshman and sophomore-level courses. In order for the student to be placed at the appropriate level in the photography program, this evaluation must be scheduled before or during the registration period preceding the student's first semester at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
See the links below for more information:
Departmental Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate with a bachelor's degree in either art or photography, students must fulfill all University requirements and make a grade of "C" or better in all art and photography courses counted towards the degree.
Second (Double) Majors in Art and Photography
The requirements for second majors in either art or photography are the same as those for the first degree.
Minors in Art and Photography
A minor in art may be taken with emphases in art history, fine arts, or communication arts. Minors are tailored to each student's needs and are drawn up in consultation with the department head. The minor in photography consists of the following sequence: Pho 111 (4sh), Pho 112 (4sh), Pho 280 (4sh), and 10-12 semester hours (6sh of which must be advanced) in elective photography courses, excluding Pho 489 and Pho 495.
Prospective Students
The Department of Art offers a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum in the visual arts leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts. Subsequent acceptance into the graduate program allows students to pursue the degrees of Master of Science and Master of Fine Arts. Majors receive broad-based instruction in the foundation areas and proceed through increasingly specialized programs of study that emphasize personal concepts and technical refinement.
