We’ll help you carve the right path

Degree requirements can be found on the programs of study in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Students should follow the program of study that matches their catalog year, the year they started at Appalachian.

It is possible to change the catalog year to follow a different set of degree requirements. Consult with your advisor if you are interested in doing so.

Essentials

  • Attend the required group advising session every semester, in addition to meeting with your individual advisor.
  • Balance your coursework each semester – taking more than 3 studios in a single semester is incredibly challenging! Aim for a combination of studios, art history, professional development, and general education.
  • Be thoughtful and strategic with your course sequencing: 27 credit hours of studio art courses beyond the foundations level are required before enrolling in ART 4351 (Senior Seminar) which –along with a 4000-level studio–is the prerequisite for the capstone ART 4852 (Senior Exhibition) in the final semester.
  • You must pass at least 15sh of coursework on your program of study every semester in order to graduate in four years;  a C or higher is required in all major coursework.
  • Consider heavier loads of courses earlier in your studies to have lighter loads in the most challenging final two semesters.
  • Apply to candidacy portfolio review as soon as you are eligible (see details below).
  • Submit a petition for transfer credit for any course that isn’t counting in the major but potentially could. (See transfer page for more information).
  • Always check your email for important information about courses, registration, and your progress toward graduation.
  • Declare your studio area using this form so that DegreeWorks will more clearly reflect remaining coursework.

Advising Resources

A low-angle view of dense red threads stretching from printed hanging fabric to clusters of dark felted hair on the wooden gallery floor, creating a network of taut lines.

Lianˊ, Lianˋ#11 detail

Hui Chi Lee
Hanging bronze hand sculpture suspended above a circular sand-filled basin.

Andrew (Bailey) Arend
Art student with dark hair and round glasses rests her chin on her hand and gazes thoughtfully to the side during a classroom critique
Student wearing headphones and applying teal glaze with a brush to a series of small mushroom-shaped ceramic vessels arranged on a pottery wheel table, glaze samples visible on shelves behind her.

Advisors

After you complete 30 semester hours and declare your major, you will be assigned a faculty advisor in your area. If you have declared your major and not been assigned an advisor, ask the Art office staff to assign you one.

Prerequisite Overrides

If you need a prerequisite override, contact the course’s instructor.

Course Substitutions

If you need a course substitution, contact your advisor.

Double Counting General Education

Up to 9 hours of General Education courses can double count toward the major.

Registration

The class schedule and information about when you can register can be found on the Registrar’s website. If you need a prerequisite override, contact the course’s instructor.

Summer Courses

Students can satisfy some studio art, photography and art history requirements over the summer.

Be open to learning new methodologies and ways of creating, and never go into a class with the attitude “I can’t do this.” Everyone has artistic talent, it’s just a matter of finding the right medium, the right teacher, and the right way of making.

Michael Gaines