Art

In the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning .

At Cornell, the study of art is an education in creating artistic objects, spaces, and experiences that reflect intellectual judgment, philosophical understanding, historical knowledge, and ethical principles that engage and influence the often bewildering complexity of contemporary life within and beyond the academy.

Students develop the skills specific to the practice of art in addition to and within the understanding that there are more general skills necessary to a critical apprehension of the collective condition. This distinction is made in order to clarify that the department does not view art itself merely as a profession, but as a way of understanding and communicating meaning through materials, situations, language, and images.

The Department of Art currently offers three degree programs including a Bachelor of Fine Arts designed for the integration of elective classes from across the university, a Master of Fine Art in Creative Visual Arts with an emphasis on studio practice in and across all mediums, and a new low-residency Master of Fine Art in Image Text integrating creative writing, contemporary visual media, and design for print and digital publication.

Minor in Fine Arts (for Non-Departmental Students)

The art minor is an opportunity for students who are not enrolled in the Department of Art and who have a serious interest and/or background in studio art to continue their commitment to art at the college level.

The curriculum for the minor in fine arts totals a minimum of 15 credit hours. All coursework must be completed at Cornell University, and a grade of C or better is required. In addition, any coursework used to fulfill the minor cannot also be used to fulfill specific requirements of the student’s major.

Specific Course Requirements for the Minor:

Required courses: 3 courses; 12 credits

Two art studio class at the 2000-level (8 credits)
One art studio class at the 3000-level (4 credits)

Choose one from the following elective courses: 1 course; 3-4 credits

One art studio class at the 1000-level (3 credits)
One art studio class at the 2000-level (4 credits)
One art studio class at the 3000-level (4 credits)
One VISST course at the 2000-level (3-4 credits)

Minimum total credits: 15

Application Process

Interested students must complete an Intent to Minor form in order to receive priority in the studio enrollment process. Completed forms should be submitted to the Department of Art. Upon successful completion of all minor requirements, students must submit an Application to Graduate with a Minor in Fine Arts to the Department of Art at least one month prior to graduation. The Department of Art will verify completion of the minor and the minor will be recorded on the official transcript at the time of degree completion. Both the Intent to Minor form and the Application to Graduate with a Minor in Fine Arts are found online on the AAP Academic Forms page.

Questions regarding the minor can be directed to the Department of Art, 224 Tjaden Hall.

Art Course and Fee Information

Course offerings may vary by semester and year. Students should consult the Class Roster to determine which courses will be offered in a given semester.

All ART courses have a 4-digit course number. The first two digits of each ART course number have been assigned in the following way:

1st Digit = Level

1 = Introductory course (in/out-of-college elective credit for BFA students)

2 = Lower-division course

3 = Upper-division course

4 = Thesis year, upper-division course

2nd Digit = Medium/Requirement Area

1 = Theory and Criticism

2 = Painting

3 = Print Media

4 = Sculpture

5 = Drawing

6 = Photography

7 = Digital Media

8 = Art History

9 = In-College Elective

0 = Unspecified

Art students should expect to spend a minimum of $1,000 and up to $3,000 for expendable supplies each academic year, depending on academic level, courses selected, and projects chosen.