Frequently Asked Questions

ART DEPARTMENT FAQ'S

A: You can apply 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 them.

http://www.uta.edu/uta/admissions.php

A: The B.F.A degree program offers intensive pre-professional preparation in 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 B.F.A plan requires you to maintain a 3.0 or better GPA within the major, as well as the completion of 21 hours in foundations, 12 hours of 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 placed on departmental probation and my have to consider an alternate degree plan.

The B.A .program in Art is of a more general nature, though a concentration is highly suggested, 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 B.A. plan requires that you maintain a 2.5 or better GPA within the major, 21 hours in foundations, 12 hours in art history, 14 hours in advance studio courses and 18 hours in a Minor field in a subject area.

Both programs allow students the opportunity to concentrate study in the areas of Cinematic Arts, Clay, Design, Drawing, Glass, Painting, Photography, Printmaking or Sculpture. The B.F.A also allows students to pursue a degree in Art Education (Certification). The B.A. program in Art History emphasizes historical research, preparing students for graduate work in art history of museum studies. The B.A. plan in Art History requires that you take 9 hours in Art History foundation coursework, 31 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 our degree plans and the online undergraduate catalog at:

https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/undergraduate/degree-plans and http://www.uta.edu/catalog/



A: If you are interested in teaching at the Elementary, Secondary or High School level, you will want to pursue our B.F.A in Art with Education (Certification) degree plan. This plan entails earning the Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Art in addition to 15 hours of College of Education and Health Professions coursework that are required 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 our degree plans and the online undergraduate catalog at:

https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/undergraduate/degree-plans and http://www.uta.edu/catalog/

A: The process for transferring into a new school can be a challenge on it’s own. We offer much information that will help guide you through to better your transition. Our Transfer Student Advising page online will give you the details you need, from transfer credit utilization to saving your transfer Art work or when you should begin applying to UTA and be prepared to come for advising.
A: In order to be cleared for registration, you must first meet with your academic advisor. New Transfer students as well as current students who have not completed their Concentration Portfolio Review (CPR) will meet with the academic advisor for the Art & Art History Department and should call the Art office for an appointment per the Advising calendar (817.272.2891). Students who have completed their CPR at UTA will attend ADVISATHON, our upper classman advising, where they will meet with an advisor according to their area of concentration.

https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/advising/calendar

When meeting with your advisor, you should have all your materials in hand and ready to go, an unofficial transcript (if you are a new transfer or need to show credits) 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. Our classes fill extremely fast, so the longer you wait; the harder it will be to get into the class you want.

https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/advising

A: ADVISATHON is our upper level classman advising, where students will meet with an advisor in their area of concentration to help select classes for the next semester. It’s a fast-paced event compared to individual advising, but allows several students in a particular area to meet with their faculty and be advised in one day. More detailed information and step by step process can be found online and in the Advising syllabus:

https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/advising/advisathon and https://www.uta.edu/academics/schools-colleges/liberal-arts/departments/art/advising

A: The Art courses you are approved for during your advising will be held for you until the designated “Registration/Enrollment Deadline” ONLY. If you do not enroll by that deadline, you risk losing your seat for that class and may be required to submit a wait list request. Our classes fill extremely fast, so the longer you wait; the harder it will be to get into the class you want.
A: You should take only two studios for your first semester, and possibly second semester. This is a time where the majority of basic requirements, the 52 hours of the Liberal Arts core that are required by UTA, should be addressed. Because the work you produce early on may demand less time compared to upper level courses, 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. This may allow you to take up to 3 studios in a semester; approval from your faculty is needed to enroll in 4 studio courses. If you are a transfer student, the situation may be radically different and we'll work on your situation on an individual basis but we often highly recommend starting with 2 studios for your first semester, as well.
A: The Concentration Portfolio Review, or CPR, is a method of assessing art students’ artistic progress and their preparedness to enter advanced classes in the B.F.A. or B.A. program. The review will enable acceptance into either the B.F.A. or B.A. program based on the potential to excel in the intended area of study. This is what changes you from “Art Intended” to your designated degree and concentration. For more information, visit our Concentration Portfolio Review Review page online.
A: Both you and your advisor. You will receive a copy of your degree plan at your first meeting with your advisor in an email follow up. You are responsible for keeping track of what classes you have taken and the grades you received. All students receive a copy of their degree plan with up to date course progress before and after each advising appointment. This can help you, your advisor, and your area coordinator when it comes time to advise for future semesters.
A: The Course Catalog is on the internet. It 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.
A: Contact the Records office at the institution where you took the class(es) and have them send an official transcript of the work to UT Arlington Office of Admissions, Records and Registration Box 19114 Arlington, Texas 76019-0114 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 or if referral to faculty is needed. More information can be found UTA's admission page.
A: We do not currently require new students to submit a portfolio to become an "Art Intended" major. However, an Entry Concentration Portfolio Review (CPR) is required after students have completed and are enrolled into their: 21st (Most studio areas), 24th (Cinematic Arts, Photography), or 30th (Design) Studio credit hours. Visit our Concentration Portfolio Review page for details.
A: 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 from College Board sent to the UTA Testing Services Office, located on the 2nd floor in University Administration Building as soon as you can. More information can be found on the Division of Student Success website.
A: Only students registered in Art classes may use an Art locker. To obtain a locker, please:
  1. Choose a locker
  2. Put a lock on your chosen locker (Failure to do so can result in another student acquiring your locker!)
  3. Come to the Art + Art History Department Office (FA 335) and register your locker number in the locker list.
There is no rental fee for the use of Art lockers. Art lockers are located on the second and third floors of the Fine Arts Building (north end). 

Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

UTA Admissions FAQ's