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School of Art Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Art is to offer professional training of the highest quality in the Visual Arts and Art History through five related degree programs: the B.A. in Art, B.A. in Art History, B.F.A. in Studio Art, M.A. in Art History, and M.F.A. in Studio Art. These programs serve the needs of students from San Antonio, Bexar County, the State of Texas, the nation, and the international community. The institutional goals and objectives of the school are:

For students in the B.A. degree program in Art

  • to instill and develop a broad experience in the foundations of studio art, with the opportunity for some specialization in studio art practices, supported by studies in the history of art.
  • to allow flexibility within the electives for students to broaden their studies with related interests and opportunities from the rich offerings within the university’s various disciplines.

For students in the B.A. degree program in Art History

  • to instill and develop a broad knowledge of all the major art movements and artists from all periods supported by studies in studio art and the humanities.
  • to encourage a high level of critical thinking and scholarship, including research and writing throughout the program.
  • to allow flexibility within the electives for students to broaden their studies with related interests and opportunities from the rich offerings within the university’s various disciplines.
  • to foster opportunities for practical work experience through internships at museums and galleries.

For students in the B.F.A. degree program in Studio Art

  • to instill and develop an understanding of the basic principles of visual art with respect to historical and contemporary issues in art and culture through the instruction of professional, practicing artists who make up the regular and visiting faculty, and frequent guest artists.
  • to encourage intellectual growth through instruction that integrates studio activities, the history of art, and the world of ideas provided by the university at large.
  • to foster the development of professional skills and attitudes which prepare students to operate as professional artists at the local, regional, or national level, and provide excellent preparation for graduate study. In the final semester of study, each B.F.A. candidate completes a major project in the Senior Seminar and Exhibition course for the B.F.A. degree exhibition.

For students in the M.F.A. degree program in Studio Art

  • to develop professional skills and attitudes as artists commensurate with expectations and requirements for the terminal M.F.A. degree.
  • to encourage a high level of creative thinking and intellectual inquiry through exposure to professional, practicing artists serving on the regular and visiting faculty, and frequent guest artists.
  • to integrate studio practice with the history of ideas and contemporary issues in art and culture.
  • to prepare the students to become practicing artists, informed artist/teachers in higher education, or professionals in other arts-related enterprises who distinguish themselves and the university through their professional accomplishments. In the final semester of study, each M.F.A. candidate works on a one-to-one basis with a chosen committee of three faculty members to complete a major project for the M.F.A. oral examination. This project is typically presented as a thesis exhibition.

For the students in the M.A. degree program in Art History

  • to provide a curriculum in Iberian, Latin American Colonial to Modern, U.S. and European Modernism and Contemporary Art and Critical Theory, based on the strengths of the faculty and San Antonio's unique location at the crossroads of the United States and Mexico.
  • to allow students to work closely with individual faculty members and San Antonio's professional arts community.
  • to prepare students to become teachers of art history at the junior/community college level.
  • to prepare students for careers as curators, museum and gallery educators, registrars, or art critics.
  • to provide a basis for entering Ph.D. programs in art history.

For Non-Art Majors

  • to offer enrollment in all 1000-level ART courses including specified non-major studio courses. These provide opportunities for creative productivity and fundamental knowledge of the visual arts.
  • to make art history and criticism courses available to non-art majors as part of the university's Core Curriculum to increase understanding of various civilizations and cultures from prehistory to the present.
  • to provide critical thinking skills in visual literacy.