Phone: 845-257-3830
Location: Fine Arts Building, Room 225
Web Address: www.newpaltz.edu/fpa
For more than half a century, SUNY New Paltz has been celebrated for its professional art programs and its distinguished faculty of practicing artists and designers who help students pursue creative interests and prepare for careers in the various art disciplines. As a major educational center for the visual arts and art education, the Department of Art at New Paltz embodies a community that values curiosity, scholarship, and imagination. A dynamic, response curriculum, productive artist/teachers, community engagement, and a highly regarded student-organized guest lecture program support these qualities and objectives. We strive to balance the mastery of specific professional skills and techniques with the ability to think, talk, and write about art.
Admission: Visual Arts and Visual Arts Education
Upon acceptance to the University, freshmen applicants interested in majoring in Visual Arts or Visual Arts Education may declare Art as their major without submitting a portfolio1. All applicants are enrolled in the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Visual Arts plan of study. After completing the Department of Art’s Foundation program (typically one year), art majors will submit a portfolio of work for review by a faculty committee. In addition to evaluating artistic capabilities and the proficiency and promise of the work, students must meet departmental academic requirements2 to continue in the program.
Transfer applicants must submit a portfolio and meet departmental academic requirements as part of the admission process. We strongly encourage early submission of transfer portfolios. Up to 12 credits for the equivalent of New Paltz freshman Foundation courses (Drawing: Visual Thinking I; Drawing: Visual Thinking II; Design: Color; Design: Form) will be accepted on the basis of transcript alone. Credit for other studio courses beyond the Foundation sequence (and appropriate placement in our course sequences) shall be determined by portfolio review.
All accepted students enter as prospective candidates for the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Visual Arts. Upon completion of the art foundation core and successful portfolio review by the department, students may elect to:
- continue in the BS Visual Arts program to focus on a broad exposure to art disciplines/media.
- apply to the Bachelor of Science (BS) program in Visual Arts Education.
- apply to a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program (Ceramics, Metal, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture).
- change their major to Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Visual Arts.
The BS Visual Arts Education and BFA application requirements are unique to each plan of study. Generally, students apply after completing a basic studio in their area of interest. Acceptance is by portfolio and interview; the student applies directly to the specific program of interest.
Applications for fall admission are due by May 1; applications for spring admission are due by December 1.
For more information about admission requirements, please contact the Department of Art (845-257-3830) or visit our admissions page.
1 Portfolios are required for freshman applicants to the Graphic Design program, now housed in the Department of Design.
2 A minimum grade point average of 2.75 is required for admission to the art program; a minimum grade point average of 3.0 is required for admission to the art education program.
Art Program:
