Senior Thesis Project for Art History: Concentration in Visual Arts

The Senior Visual Arts Project for Art History Majors with a Concentration in Visual Arts is scheduled in the last year of the major.  By that time you will have taken Imagery and Form BC3031 and a variety of Art History and Studio courses, which may help form your approach to your thesis project.

Required courses Advanced Senior Studio I BC3530 (fall) AND Advanced Senior Studio II BC3531 (spring) provides a two-semester framework in which to complete a senior project. Your senior project should be a cohesive body of work based on original concepts and executed with some technical proficiency.  A paper approximately seven to ten page in length will accompany your senior project outlining your artistic goals.  This paper will serve as an artist’s statement and should describe what your work would mean to viewers as well situate your work vis-a-vis artistic precedents.

You also will take part in a senior thesis exhibition, which will be accompanied by a catalog. Here, you will be responsible for both installing your work and for taking it down at the end of the show.

Grades: Two grades will be awarded in connection with your work on the senior project.  One will evaluate the way in which you have fulfilled the course requirements, that is, the regularity of your meetings and the effort you have made in completing your thesis.  This grade will be a letter grade.  The second grade will be awarded on the basis of the evaluation of the Senior Project itself.  This evaluation will consider whether or not the aims of the project were met: a pass with distinction, a pass or a fail.

OPTION FOR ART HISTORY MAJORS WITH A CONCENTRATION IN VISUAL ARTS - WRITTEN SENIOR THESIS

Art History Majors concentrating in Visual Arts may chose to do a written Art History Senior Thesis instead of the Visual Arts Senior Project. To do this they must: Notify their adviser of their intention to do so by the end of their junior year with permission from both the Visual Arts Director and Art History chair. They must then take both Methods and Theories of Art History (BC3970) & the written Art History senior research seminar (BC3959 and BC3960).  These three courses required for the written thesis option replace the Visual Arts sequence, BC3031 Imagery and Form in the Arts, Advanced Senior Studio I BC3530 (fall) AND Advanced Studio II BC3531 (spring).