All students complete a program of 120 credits to earn the B.F.A. degree. Varying slightly for each area of concentration, these credits are distributed among first-year Studio Foundation courses, major concentrations, Critical Studies, and studio electives.

All concentrations except Art Education and Art History include the following distribution courses: 18 credits in Studio Foundation, 42 credits in Critical Studies, 36 credits in the concentration, and 24 credits in electives. Electives for Design, Art History, and Art Education majors must be studio courses; electives for Fine Arts and Media and Performing Arts majors can be studio courses and up to 9 credits of Critical Studies.

To graduate in 8 semesters (4 years), undergraduate students must pass a normal full-time load of 30 credits per academic year. Full-time students take at least 12 credits per semester; part-time students take fewer than 12 credits per semester. Students who want to take more than 18 credits in one semester must obtain permission from the Director of Advising.

Continuous Registration

Students are required to register each semester until all degree requirements are fulfilled. Unless granted an official leave of absence, a student who does not officially register for a semester is considered to have withdrawn from the college.

Credit/Hour Ratio

MassArt expects all classes to carry a workload of nine hours per week, on average, divided between in-class and out-of-class work.Courses have class meeting times of varying lengths, depending on the designation of the class: starting in January, 2008, lectures and seminars meet for three hours per week, critiques meet for four hours per week, and studio/critiques meet for five hours.

All students complete a program of 120 credits to earn the B.F.A. degree. Varying slightly for each area of concentration, these credits are distributed among first-year Studio Foundation courses, major concentrations, Critical Studies, and studio electives.