Undergraduate Education FAQ
Do you give department tours?
Due to a staffing shortage we are unable to provide tours of our department. We do have a self guided tour, with maps and general information, available on the front door of the art office, Fine Arts Building, room 265. Most studios are open and available for viewing during the fall and spring semesters, Monday through Friday. If you are interested in our graduate program we recommend that you contact a faculty member in the area in which you intend to apply.
Do you teach animation?
Animation is taught in the cinema department. For more information visit http://cinema.sfsu.edu .
Do you teach courses in glass blowing?
Glass blowing is a course offered through the college of extended learning. While the glass blowing facilities are located in the Fine Arts building of the main campus the course is not fully affiliated with the art department. For more information visit http://www.cel.sfsu.edu/about/ .
Do you teach fashion design?
We offer courses in textiles with a fine arts basis. The apparel design and merchandising (ADM) major is more suitable for fashion design. For more information visit the department of consumer and family studies/dietetics which houses the ADM major, http://cfsd.sfsu.edu/.
Do you teach graphic design?
Graphic Design is in the Design and Industry department (DAI). For more information visit http://design.sfsu.edu .
Do you teach illustration?
The art department does not teach illustration. We teach drawing, painting and figure drawing courses that would support the basics of illistration. The animation area in the cinema department may be more appropriate. For more information visit http://cinema.sfsu.edu .
Does SFSU’s Art Department offer a Bachelor of Arts in Art or a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art? What is the difference between these two degrees?
In the Art Department we offer a Bachelor of Arts in Art degree for undergraduates. The difference between a Bachelor of Arts in Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art is based on the ratio of art courses to general studies courses. In a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art program, approximately two thirds of the course work needed for the completion of the degree are within visual arts based courses. While in a BA program (which we offer), approximately two thirds of the course work necessary for completion of the degree is in general studies and the remainder of the courses are in the visual arts.
How do I add a class after the add deadline (late add)?
Late adds are only accepted by the art department for serious and compelling reasons. The student should fill out the University Waiver of College Regulations Form. The student is responsible for filling out the form correctly and obtaining the instructor's signature, the chair's signature and the dean's signature.
How do I apply for graduation in the art department?
Check with the art department office at the beginning of the semester you wish to graduate for the department deadline.
Follow these steps to complete your graduation application:
- See your faculty adviser with a preliminary copy of your graduation application available online http://www.sfsu.edu/~admisrec/reg/formstoc.html
- Finalize grad app with adviser
- Turn in grad app with adviser signature to art office, FA 265.
- Complete Art Department Senior Exit Survey online. The link will be emailed to you when you turn in your application to the department. The senior exit survey is required and must be completed before a graduation application can be picked up.
- Pick up signed grad app in FA265.
- Pay grad app fee at the bursar's window.
- Turn in completed grad app to the registrar.
How do I change/add art as my major?
Art Department Requirements:
Successful completion of:
- 12 units of 200 level prerequisite core courses at SFSU or the equivalent at another institution(6 units of 200 level studio courses: ART 222, 231, 240,245 or 260 & 6 units of 200 level art history courses:ART 201, 202, or 205) with a grade of C better.
- lower division requirements (including segment II) of general education requirements at SFSU or the equivalent at another institution
University Requirements:
Found on the registrars website.
Make an appointment to see a faculty adviser and bring the art department change/add major form and the university change of major form to your appointment.
How do I get a locker?
Any lockers that are not in a studio space can be rented for a small fee at the SF State Box Office in the Creative Arts building. These lockers include the lockers by the back of the sculpture studio, the lockers between Art Education and Painting and most lockers in the Creative Arts building. Box office hours during the fall and spring semesters are 12pm–4pm Wednesday through Friday. Extended hours are usually held during the first week of the fall and spring semesters.
How do I know if a class I took at another college transfers to the art program at SF State?
Visit the assist website to see what classes transfer and are the equivalent to courses offered at SF State in the art department from some universities. Some courses and schools may not be listed on assist.org in which case the student should speak with a faculty advisor in the area of emphasis they are interested in pursuing.
How do I make an appointment with a faculty adviser?
Visit our academic advising page for details.
How do I pay my lab fees?
To pay your lab fees go to the bursars office after the final add deadline, present your student ID and any lab fees you owe will show up in the system.
Lab fee payments will not be accepted by the bursars office until after the final add deadline or unless there is a fee charged to the account.
How do I withdraw from a course?
Students should speak with the course instructor about withdrawing from the course, providing sufficient documentation that supports their reason for withdrawal. All withdrawal requests are handled electronically and go through a multiple approval process beginning with the course instructor, moving to the department chair and then a final approval with the associate dean of the college. The art office does not accept paper withdrawal requests.
Withdrawals are accepted after the drop deadline, through week 12,for the following serious and compelling reasons.
- Illness
- Disability-related
- Emotional problem
- Family emergencies such as illness and death
- Change in childcare
- Change in work hours
- Financial problems
Withdrawals during weeks 13-15 are permitted only in cases of verified accident or documented serious illness or when an incomplete is not practical(standard university policy)
San Francisco State University also has Withdrawal Limits.
I am trying to get certified for a single subject credential in art, who do I contact?
Please contact Professor Julia Marshall via email, jmarsh@sfsu.edu. Professor Marshall is the only person in the art department that is able to speak to people regarding single subject credentials in art.
I have AP credits from high school, where do I find out how many credits I receive at SFSU?
To find out how many credits you receive at SFSU for your high school AP courses please follow this link: http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/current/ap_scores.htm
Is a D a passing grade in an art class?
Most classes in the art department require a D- and above for a passing grade. This does not include classes taken for CR/NC. GWAR classes in art: ART 551, ART 602, ART 690, require a C and above for a passing grade. The art department also requires grades of C or better in the courses required to change your major to art (200 level studio and 200 level art history).
SF State's grading policy and systems information can be found here .
For grading questions that have not been answered here please speak with your faculty adviser.
What do I do If I am on academic probation?
Students that are on academic probation, have a GPA below 2.0, will receive a notice by email from the university about the deadline to submit their probation petition. Follow these steps, in order, to clear an academic standing probation hold:
- Make an appointment to meet with your faculty adviser . Take the academic standing petition form, a copy of unofficial transcripts and a copy of DARS report to appointment with faculty adviser.
- Meet with the department chair by making an appointment through the department office, artdept@sfsu.edu, and bring all of the same paperwork to the appointment with the department chair.
- Meet with the associate dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, by making an appointment through Melinda Zarrett in CA 251, and bring all of the same paperwork to the appointment with the associate dean.
