The Visual Arts and…

You fill in the blank. You can focus on the visual arts while pursuing one or more areas outside of Art+Design in this truly interdisciplinary degree program.

A Hybrid of Equal Parts

Distinct from the BFA programs, the four-year BS in Visual Arts major is a hybrid of equal parts study in a visual arts concentration—Painting and Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture—and one or more areas outside the School of Art+Design.

This freedom offers students access to the full range of programs at Purchase College, while the major provides an overview of contemporary art–based research methods and cultural theories, art history, and studio practice in a broad liberal arts context.

“I focus on sculpture, but I’m also a history major, so I take classes in both majors. Being able to take classes in the arts and the humanities works best for me.”

—Sarah Alden, Double Major, BSVA and History BA

The Ideal BSVA Student

  • Explore the intersection of studio arts and other academic disciplines.
  • Concentrate in Painting and Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture after the Foundation Year.
  • Pursue more than one major or degree program; double major or minor in one or more departments.

Recent BSVA students have also received BAs in:

  • Anthropology
  • Arts Management
  • Chemistry
  • English and Global Studies
  • Mathematics and Computer Science

Recent students have minored in:

  • Arts Management
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Psychology

The Ideal BFA Interdisciplinary Student

  • Explore only studio arts in greater depth and breadth.
  • Choose two concentrations from across the five departments: Graphic Design, Painting and Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, or Sculpture.

BSVA Student Work

Stone Path Sculpture
View full gallery

Art+Design Foundations Program