For information regarding SADAH program requirements and proposed class schedules, see the Undergraduate Course Catalog.
Yes. Because Foundations classes are required in all SADAH majors, students who change to another SADAH major within the first two years can still complete their degree in four years (for example, changing from Graphic Design to Art or vice versa).
Anyone can declare a major in Art History or Art B.A./B.S. These majors do not require a portfolio for admission.
However, students seeking an Art B.F.A. or an Architectural Design, Graphic Design, or Industrial Design major must submit a portfolio for admission to the School of Art, Design and Art History when they apply to JMU. During the second year, those students must submit a seond portfolio to be admitted to the major.
A portfolio is a showcase of your work that expresses your versatility, skills and artistic voice. The portfolio review process is designed to assess your potential growth as a student, and is required for both admission to the school and admission to your major.
Learn about portfolios and their role in the admission process.
The deadline depends on what type of student you are (first-year, transfer or change of major). There is no penalty for an Early Action student to submit a portfolio by the Regular Decision deadline, though you will learn whether you are artistically admitted to the school at a later date.
If you miss the deadline, contact Recruitment & Records Specialist Michael Penney.
If you are not artistically admitted to the school, you can still declare a major in Art History or Art B.A. or B.S. You can also pursue an art minor without submitting a portfolio.
You can re-submit a portfolio during the next semester, and should you be successfully admitted, you will be a candidate for the Art B.F.A. or an Architectural Design, Graphic Design, or Industrial Design major.
We also have a number of student clubs and organizations in the arts available to non-majors.
With three different degree offerings, the Art program allows you to pursue your passion for art in a variety of ways. The B.A. and B.S. degrees are for students who seek a breadth of knowledge in the visual arts and who have an interest or background in the humanities or the sciences. Many B.A. and B.S. students are completing double majors or the Art Education licensure program.
The B.F.A degree is the professional degree in art, and students choose a specific concentration. Students hoping to become practicing artists or continue on for a masters degree should consider the B.F.A degree in Art.
The Art B.F.A. program offers seven concentrations:
- Ceramics
- Fiber Arts & Weaving
- Metals and Jewelry
- Painting and Drawing
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
In order to declare an Art B.F.A. major, you will need to be artistically admitted to SADAH your first semester and submit a second portfolio during your second year. There is no portfolio review requirement for students who are declaring the Art B.A. or B.S degree.
The Art B.F.A., Architectural Design, Graphic Design and Industrial Design majors all require a second portfolio submission during the second year in order to progress. Faculty will assess the work you completed in Foundations and other prerequisite course to decide admission to the major.
All students may re-submit their portfolio one time in the following semester. Based on faculty feedback from the previously submitted portfolio, faculty expect students to make improvements on their work. If you choose not to re-submit or are denied a second time, you can declare Art History or Art B.A./B.S. as your major.
Industrial designers blend art, engineering, business, sociology and anthropology. They study people, drive consumer behavior, invent, experiment and improve the objects of our daily lives. Learn more about the industrial design major.
No, but you will be very well prepared to enter a master’s program in architecture if a license is your goal. Past graduates have been very successful at earning admission and scholarships to top graduate architecture programs in the nation, including Pratt, University of Illinois, Parson’s, RISD, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Kentucky. Learn more about the architectural design program.
No. Art education is a professional licensure program that is paired with a SADAH major. Any student with a SADAH major is eligible for the art education program.
Students pursuing the B.A. or B.S. in Art can complete art education courses and student teaching in four years if they begin the licensure in their second year.
Students majoring in the Art B.F.A. typically graduate in four years and then student teach the semester after graduation. Students in the design majors often need one or two semesters after graduation to complete courses and student teaching.
It is most efficient to complete the art education licensure in conjunction with a SADAH major, as the classes double count for the major and licensure. It is easy to apply for a license in another state once you have obtained a Virginia license. Please note that you will be required to complete student teaching in Virginia even if you are an out-of-state student.
Many students complete summer professional internships. Faculty members from each major can assist students in locating and applying for internships within their field.
Yes, we offer a B.A. in Art History with an optional concentration in Museum Studies. JMU Art History graduates often continue to graduate study and are employed in academia, professional galleries and national museums in professions such as curators, critics and art handlers.
All Art History classes are open to non-majors, as well as Art courses offered in May and June.
During fall and spring semesters art and design courses are limited to majors and minors in SADAH. JMU Student Activities and Involvement offers art activities throughout the year that are free and open to all students.
