A rewarding degree with a fine arts focus.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Practice in the College of Letters & Science provides rigorous hands-on, conceptual, and critical studio art training within a world-renowned public research university. Students develop a cross-media understanding of fine art practices in a global context and gain valuable experience for a wide range of professional careers within contemporary art and culture.
Art Practice has a fine arts focus and requires rigorous studio work of all its majors. Our areas of studio concentration include: painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, digital photography, installation, performance, social practice, and video. Select classes in comics, experimental animation, and sound art are also taught. We do not specialize in commercial art fields such as character animation, illustration, graphic design, logo design, fashion, or UX design.
Highlights
- Get involved with a student group like CREATE or BAMPFA Student Committee.
- Intern with the Worth Ryder Art Gallery.
- Show your work at the Senior Exhibition.
Curriculum
The Art Practice curriculum is designed to teach students to think visually and develop a creative intelligence through the disciplined practice of art. Art Practice majors need to complete 13 courses (five lower division and eight upper division). These include 10 studio courses and three courses in art history.
Studio classes with frequent group critiques are designed to foster a supportive community, productive debate, and collaborative thinking. Field trips to area museums, galleries, and artists’ studios provide an important on-site learning tool, one which emphasizes the pedagogical primacy of direct contact with works of art. Most upper division studio courses involve an exhibition component where students are asked to consider questions of audience, context, site, and time.
Learn more at art.berkeley.edu/degrees/ba-degree
Course Snapshot
ART 185 Senior Projects/Professional Practices is offered every semester for Art Practice majors. Through class and individual critiques, readings, guest artists, and field trips, students explore practical and conceptual components of their own media and practice within broader discussions of artistic production, and develop tools for supporting one's work within a community of artists, arts professionals, and arts organizations, including developing an online presence, producing and sustaining exhibition-ready work, completed portfolios, documentation, presentation, and written artist statements.
Applying to the Major
Art Practice is a high-demand major which means that not all students who apply to the major will be accepted. Applications are competitive and may include a portfolio review depending on your pathway to the major. There are two pathways to the major: 1) admission to the College of Letters & Science as an intended Art Practice major or 2) applying to the Art Practice major (discovery path).
You are encouraged to apply as early as possible as long as you have completed the prerequisites. The last chance to apply is the beginning of your first semester of junior year. For complete application information and eligibility, visit art.berkeley.edu/degrees/ba-degree
The Art Practice major prepares students for productive careers in the visual arts. While many BA holders focus on fine art careers, others use the degree as a solid foundation for developing their creative voices, which they leverage for careers in arts management, education, fashion, game design, graphic design, UI/UX and wherever new ideas are welcome.
UC Berkeley offers a number of career resources for students studying Art Practice. The College of Letters & Science spotlights career pathways for students in the Arts & Humanities, and offers advising for undergraduates pursuing medical or health professions programs, law school, or masters and PhD programs. Additionally, Berkeley Career Engagement provides career and graduate school advising, job and internship listings, and events such as career and graduate school fairs.
Employment
Alumni find employment in a variety of fields and industries after graduation. Examples include:
- Animator
- Art Educator
- Art Preparator
- Art Therapist
- Artist
- Creative Director
- Fashion Designer
- Gallery and Museum Administration
- Graphic Designer/Illustrator
- Photographer
- Product Designer
- Studio Fabricator
- UI/UX Designer
- Video Producer
- Web Designer
Graduate Study
Alumni pursue graduate education to gain more depth of knowledge in their field as well as prepare for jobs that require advanced degrees. Examples include:
- Architecture
- Art History
- Art Therapy
- Design
- Digital and Interactive Arts
- Education
- Fashion
- Film and Media
- Fine Art
- Performing Arts
- Visual and Critical Studies
Brandon, Class of 2024
Brandon Sánchez Mejia (BA, Art Practice) is founder of Brandon Sanchez Photography.
Brandon has been fascinated with images since a child. After emigrating from El Salvador, Brandon studied photography at Santa Monica College. UC Berkeley’s Department of Art Practice has been a space where he has felt free to investigate and interrogate his own experiences and to develop his photography practice in a way that’s thoughtful about the culture and community he comes from. Brandon showcased his senior thesis project, "A Masculine Vulnerability," in the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, and plans to apply for a Master of Fine Arts program in photography.
First Year
Plan Your Studies
- Start exploring with L&S 1 and first-year guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities.
- Visit L&S Advising for help with major exploration and degree requirements.
- Familiarize yourself with the Art Practice major; enroll in ART 8 Visual Thinking.
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Discover new interests in a Freshman Seminar, Berkeley Changemaker, or A&H Compass or Gateway course.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a student organization such as Bare Magazine or CREATE.
- Explore the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, Platform Artspace, and other Art Practice spaces.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Follow Art Practice and the Worth Ryder Art Gallery on Instagram.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit UHS Career Counseling and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Start exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Arts & Humanities website.
- Begin making a plan to get career ready.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
Second Year
Plan Your Studies
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Continue with lower division studios; enroll in a lower division Art History course.
- Continue exploring with a Sophomore Seminar or Big Ideas course.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; check out options for Fine Arts abroad.
- Enrich your studies with a course thread, certificate, or minor such as History of Art.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Attend department events such as the Wiesenfeld Lecture Series.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Get inspired by SF Art Week and other local art events.
- Browse grants from the Center for Race and Gender; find funding opportunities on the Art Practice website.
- Consider joining the BAMPFA Student Committee.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to build skills and explore fields; look into the Worth Ryder Internship program.
- Considering graduate school? View resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and BCE; look into the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship.
Third Year
Plan Your Studies
- Declare the major by the beginning of first semester of junior year (if you were admitted as an intended major).
- Start upper division studios and Art History; enroll in ART 119 Global Perspectives.
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Interested in arts policy or administration? Intern in public service/non-profit centers with UCDC.
- Ask the major advisor about the Advanced Studio and Critique Program.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as a member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Check out the Public Service Internship, College Corps, and Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
- Check out the Arts Research Center and Berkeley Center for New Media.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options.
- Interested in public service careers? Consider applying to the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, or Truman Scholarship.
- Start connecting with alumni groups and events.
Fourth Year
Plan Your Studies
- Continue with upper division studios; enroll in ART 185 Senior Projects.
- Join a thesis writing workshop at the Townsend Center or Student Learning Center.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Show your work at the Senior Exhibition.
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching your own DeCal course.
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your thesis or research paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs such as the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, and Greenshields Foundation Grant.
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course, such as ART 8 or 119.
- Spend the summer with other student artists at the Yale Norfolk School of Art.
- Go abroad through Berkeley Study Abroad or UCEAP.
- Find a summer internship via Berkeley Discovery or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Film and Media Industries, and Performance and Culture.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
First Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Get your bearings with L&S 198 Transitioning to Cal and transfer guides from L&S and Arts & Humanities
- Meet with your major and college advisor to discuss your academic plans.
- Enroll in ART 8 Visual Thinking and lower division requirements, if needed (confirm with the major advisor).
- Join Berkeley Connect for 1:1 mentoring and to meet peers with shared interests.
- Declare the major (if already admitted as an intended Art Practice major).
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Get involved with a student organization such as Bare Magazine or CREATE.
- Explore the Worth Ryder Art Gallery, Platform Artspace, and other Art Practice spaces.
- Visit Berkeley Discovery to get started with research, entrepreneurship, public service, and creative projects.
- Learn how to prepare for office hours and build relationships with faculty.
- Follow Art Practice and the Worth Ryder Art Gallery on Instagram.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Visit UHS Career Counseling and Berkeley Career Engagement.
- Begin exploring career paths for the major; check out career resources on the Arts & Humanities website.
- Create or update your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- Use Handshake to start connecting with career events and opportunities.
- Meet with a BCE career educator to discuss career options and goals.
Second Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Start taking upper division studios; enroll in ART 119 Global Perspectives.
- Look into study abroad and learning a foreign language; check out options for Fine Arts abroad.
- Explore new interests in a Berkeley Changemaker or DeCal course.
- Enrich your studies with a course thread, certificate, or minor such as History of Art.
- Ask the major advisor about the Advanced Studio and Critique Program.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Attend department events such as the Wiesenfeld Lecture Series.
- Check out the Public Service Internship, College Corps, and Haas Public Service Leaders Program.
- Get inspired by SF Art Week and other local art events.
- Browse grants from the Center for Race and Gender; find funding opportunities on the Art Practice website.
- Consider joining the BAMPFA Student Committee.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Build your network and explore career fields via job shadowing and informational interviews.
- Pursue an internship to develop skills and explore fields; look into the Worth Ryder Internship program.
- Considering graduate school? View resources from the Graduate Division, L&S Advising, and BCE.
- Speak with faculty, advisors, and career educators about post-graduate options.
Third Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Continue with upper division studios; enroll in an upper division Art History course.
- Review your degree progress with your major and college advisor.
- Interested in arts policy or administration? Intern in public service/non-profit centers with UCDC.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Help other students as a Transfer Peer Advocate or member of the A&H Dean’s Leadership Team.
- Check out the Arts Research Center and Berkeley Center for New Media.
- Develop your skills in the Berkeley Student Leadership Academy.
- Interested in teaching? Give it a try by teaching your own DeCal course.
- Welcome new students to Berkeley as a Golden Bear Orientation Leader.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Check in with a BCE career educator.
- Interested in public service careers? Consider applying to the John Gardner Fellowship, Huntington Award, or Truman Scholarship.
- Apply to graduate school or post-graduate programs such as the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Windgate-Lamar Fellowship, and Greenshields Foundation Grant.
Fourth Semester
Plan Your Studies
- Finish upper division studio courses; enroll in ART 185 Senior Projects if you haven’t done so already.
- Join a thesis writing workshop at the Townsend Center or Student Learning Center.
- Complete any remaining degree requirements and prepare for graduation.
Engage Outside the Classroom
- Show your work at the Senior Exhibition.
- Submit a course research project for the Library Prize, American Cultures Student Prize, or other awards.
- Get published! Submit your thesis or research paper to the Berkeley Undergraduate Journal.
- Pursue a special project after graduation with the Stronach Prize.
Pursue Your Career Goals
- Meet employers at info sessions, on-campus recruiting, and career fairs.
- Utilize job search tools from BCE and apply for job opportunities.
- Start connecting with alumni groups and events.
- Learn about alumni career services.
Summer
- Get ready for Berkeley with RHETOR 100 Writing at the University.
- Thinking about a PhD? Apply to the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship before your first semester.
- Make progress on degree requirements with a Summer Sessions course, such as ART 8 or 119.
- Go abroad through Berkeley Study Abroad or UCEAP.
- Spend the summer with other student artists at the Yale Norfolk School of Art.
- Find a summer internship via Berkeley Discovery or Berkeley Global Internships.
- Pursue a summer minor or certificate—check out programs in Digital Humanities, Film and Media Industries, and Performance and Culture.
- Apply to the GiGS program to learn about graduate school.
Undergraduate Advising
Have questions about Art Practice or choosing a major?
The Department of Art Practice offers undergraduate advising for students planning to major in Art Practice. The Student Services Advisor is available for questions on applying to the major, course enrollment, graduation requirements, and transfer credits. The Undergraduate Program Co-Directors are available for questions on creative options and your development as an Art Practice major. For more information on major advising, visit art.berkeley.edu.
The College of Letters & Science helps students with non-major-specific academic topics, including major exploration, general program planning, finding campus resources, and pre-professional graduate programs. L&S College Advisors are available for in-person and virtual meetings. Visit lsadvising.berkeley.edu or email asklns@berkeley.edu.
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