
Arts BFA (Fine Arts)
New York, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
Request tuition fees
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Art and design are all around us. As an artist or designer, you can impact every level of society—from culture, communication, and commerce to sustainability, equity, and basic problem-solving, So if you want to make your mark on the world—and make anything you can imagine—then art might be the perfect program for you. You'll get to use your creativity and explore how art helps you better understand yourself, your community, and the larger social, cultural, and political contexts in which you exist.
What will I learn?
How do artists conceptualize and then create their art? What tools can you use to move your art from idea to object? How does knowledge of culturally relevant historical practices make your work stronger?
Find the answers to these questions (and many more!) through the art program, which offers a broad understanding of how to create and critique art, with a focus on your concentration—including drawing, painting, print media, photography, sculpture, graphic design and interdisciplinary art and technology (emerging practices). You'll practice your craft, build visual fluency, learn technical and conceptual skills, hone your critical thinking and creative problem-solving abilities, develop a body of work, and learn how to get professional career experience.
What can I do outside of class?
Learning happens both inside and outside of our studios, and at UB you can access a variety of opportunities for growth beyond the classroom. With a network of UB professors and alumni, students can:
- Land an internship at a local Buffalo business or design studio in New York City.
- Study abroad through one of our global programs.
- Meet world-class artists at speaker series and workshops.
- Get paid to work while in school in multiple UB art galleries and spaces (including the on-campus UB Art Gallery and the downtown UB Anderson Gallery), with hands-on research and training, exhibition opportunities, internships, workshops, and more.
- Become an active member of the vibrant Buffalo arts scene, with world-class museums including the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and Burchfield Penney Art Center, Griffis Sculpture Park, and the wealth of alternative art spaces featuring experimental work and opportunities to exhibit.
- Travel to nearby Toronto and connect with hundreds of alternative spaces and galleries.
- Explore UB's Center for the Arts, filled with galleries, studios, and labs, which house traditional and digital art- and design-making equipment and processes, from tintypes to 3D printing.
Career Opportunities
A degree in art can open up a wide range of paths, including:
- A career as a professional artist, creating and selling your artwork or working as a freelance artist. (Many artists are self-employed and have strong entrepreneurial skills).
- Working in galleries, museums, or other arts organizations, curating exhibitions, managing collections, or working in arts administration.
- Going to graduate school to become an art teacher, sharing your skills and knowledge with students at all levels of education.
- Careers in design, advertising, and other creative industries, where you can apply your artistic skills in a commercial context.
A degree in art can also teach you creative problem-solving skills, which are highly valued in many fields (not just in the arts), and provide you with a competitive edge.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, work-study and loans, and is provided through many different agencies including federal and state governments as well as individual departments at UB.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and Scholarships
- I Applied, What’s Next?
- Special and Unusual Circumstances
You must meet the following basic criteria to be eligible for federal financial aid:
General Eligibility Requirements
- Demonstrate financial need (for most programs);
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen;
- Have a valid Social Security number unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau;
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment (matriculated) as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
- Be enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours) to be eligible for Direct Loan program funds and at in at least 3 credit hours for Pell Grant funds (repeated coursework may not be counted in enrollment in some instances);
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by the University at Buffalo;
- Sign a certifying statement on the FAFSA stating that:
- You are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe a refund on a federal grant and
- You will use federal student aid only for educational purposes;
- Show you are qualified to obtain a college education by:
- Having a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;
- Completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law; OR
- Enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the “ability-to-benefit” alternatives; AND
- Not be in default on a on a Federal Student Aid loan.
Citizenship Verification
Students who indicate that they are U.S. Citizens or Eligible Non-Citizens on the FAFSA who cannot have their citizenship status confirmed through the FAFSA application process will be required to complete the UB Citizenship Verification process.
To complete the verification, you will need to complete the Citizenship Verification form and present the original documentation proving your citizenship status as listed on the form to our office.
Students completing this process should also contact the Social Security Administration to update its database to avoid this requirement in the future.
High School Transcript or Equivalent Verification
For federal financial aid, you must provide one of the following if you are a first-time student or a transfer student with less than 24 earned credit hours:
- Having a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;
- Completing a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law; OR
- Enrolling in an eligible career pathway program and meeting one of the ability-to-benefit alternatives.
If your final high school transcript is not on file with the Office of Admissions on the first day of classes of your first term, the processing of your awards may be delayed.
For all New York State financial aid awards, a final official high school transcript from a U.S. high school, or an equivalent recognized by New York State, must be on file at UB by the first day of classes of the term to which the award is to be applied. Failure to meet this deadline will result in an ineligible status for that term. Eligibility may be regained in subsequent terms once the transcript is received.
Dependency Status
For purposes of Financial Aid, all students are considered either Dependent or Independent. Dependent students are required to provide parent information on their FAFSA. Not living with parents or not being claimed by them on tax forms does not make you an independent student.
Unusual Enrollment History
If you have enrolled in and received federal financial aid at multiple institutions over the last 4 years, UB may request official transcripts from those institutions.
Renewed Eligibility After a Total and Permanent Disability Discharge
If you have applied for or have received a Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) discharge of your federal student loans or TEACH Grant service obligation, you will not be eligible to receive a new Direct Loan, Perkins Loan, or TEACH Grant in the future unless:
- You obtain a certification from a physician that you are able to engage in substantial gainful activity; and
- You sign a statement acknowledging that the new loan or TEACH Grant service obligation cannot be discharged in the future on the basis of any injury or illness present at the time the new loan or TEACH Grant is made, unless your condition substantially deteriorates so that you are again totally and permanently disabled.
In addition, if you are approved for TPD discharge based on SSA documentation or a physician’s certification, and you request a new Direct Loan, Perkins Loan, or TEACH Grant during your 3-year post discharge monitoring period, you must resume repayment on the previously discharged loans or acknowledge that you are once again subject to the terms of your TEACH Grant service obligation before you can receive the new loan or TEACH Grant.