B.F.A. in Art
Art is a gift — a God-given form of expression and communication. In Biola's Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A) program in art, you’ll be equipped with the aesthetic, technical and conceptual skills needed for success in various art practices. As you study in the midst of Los Angeles, an international nexus of ideas, images and realities, you'll learn about and respond to contemporary visual arts culture — its social, political, philosophical and spiritual concerns.
In addition to its strong curriculum, expert faculty members and biblical studies component, Biola’s B.F.A. program in art offers several key advantages:
- Biola’s art department is a recognized leader in visual arts education, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The university offers a vibrant visual arts community including a dedicated, mentoring faculty, a strong student Art League and a diverse student body.
- The innovative Biola University Center for Christianity, Culture and the Arts brings renowned artists, exhibitions, film screenings and conferences to campus — offering a wealth of opportunities to students.
- Biola’s ideal Southern California location gives you access to world-class art museums and exhibitions, as well as a wide range of professional internship and exhibition opportunities. The program features a dynamic approach to art history and art criticism that engages students in Los Angeles and the greater Southern California area’s galleries and museums.
- The degree includes a core foundations program that equips students in every aesthetic dimension. Throughout, the program also integrates art making, art criticism and art history with Christian faith.
- Students have opportunities for travel and academic courses in a variety of national and international settings, including Baja, England, Italy, Spain, Japan, France and New York.
- An innovative senior year program encourages students to connect ideas and media through critiques and conversation.
- The art department's new home inside the renovated Bardwell Hall , which opened in 2021, serves as an ideal place to create, ideate, congregate and find inspiration.
- Biola offers the Torrey Honors program, which can enhance your art education. This unique honors program immerses you in discussion-based courses that will prepare you to express your creative passions and ideas with clarity and power.
- Students have opportunities to partner with Biola’s Snyder School of Cinema and Media Arts, the #1 Christian film school including collaborating on student film animation projects with storyboarding and concept design, visits to premiere stop motion studios in Los Angeles, co-hosted events with industry professionals and more.
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Career Outlook and Preparation
What can you do with a B.F.A. in Art?
Biola's Bachelor of Fine Arts alumni are working throughout the United States and around the world in a wide range of art and arts-related fields, using their education and professional training to make a difference in the communities in which they live. Graduates of the Biola's fine arts program have found rewarding careers in many fields as educators, artists and designers as represented in the following areas:
- Advertising designer
- App designer
- App appraiser
- Art critic
- Art professor
- Art therapist
- Book designer
- Cartoonist
- Ceramic artist
- Costume designer
- Creative director
- Fashion photographer
- Fine art photographer
- Gallery owner
- Illustrator
- Interior designer
- Motion graphics artist
- Painter
- Photojournalist
- Publications designer
- Retail display designer
- Set designer
- Web designer
- Wedding and portrait photographer
5% job growth
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for art directors is projected to be as fast as average between 2023 and 2033.
BLS projections are not specific to Biola University students or graduates.
The Studio Art program has encouraged me to grow in more ways than just art. I have grown spiritually, creatively and personally through the help of the amazing staff and program. It isn't just my major, it is my home.
... Being an artist doesn't begin at graduation. It begins the moment you decide, 'Yeah, I'm an artist, and now I'm willing to put in the work to prove it.'
Studio Art, B.F.A.
