Major Code BF1981*

Honors Tutorial College  
35 Park Place
Athens, OH 45701
Phone: 740.593.2723
honors.college@ohio.edu
www.ohio.edu/honors/tutorial-college

Melissa Haviland, director of studies/contact person
haviland@ohio.edu

Program Overview

The Honors Tutorial College B.F.A. program in studio art balances a commitment to breadth and rigor with an opportunity for self-disciplined and highly motivated students to explore contemporary and fundamental issues creatively. In dialogue with the School of Art curriculum, the program offers exceptional students the opportunity to study the many aspects of studio art intensively in one-on-one relationships with faculty members. The program’s mission is to train highly skilled artists with a broad understanding of contemporary art, emphasizing critical skill development and a strong intellectual framework. Individualized curriculums reflect intensive practical training, scholarly research in art history, critical theory, relevant research fields, as well as opportunities for collaboration and professional experience. The program prepares students for entry into MFA and PhD courses of study and other related professions in the field.

The B.F.A. program is a four-year program requiring a student to take one tutorial each semester, foundation studio art courses, art history, and thesis building studio and practicum courses. Students must submit a portfolio to the area of choice (ceramics, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking or sculpture), which is reviewed by the School of Art + Design. BFA portfolio reviews are typically scheduled in the spring semester of the sophomore year. Upper division classes and tutorials can be concentrated in the area in which the student is earning the B.F.A. This enables the student to acquire the full range of skills necessary to successfully continue in graduate study.

To earn a B.F.A. degree in the Honors Tutorial College, a student must fulfill all the academic requirements of the program of study, maintain a 3.5 GPA (grade point average) in the courses that are required by the program of study, and have at least a 3.5 overall GPA.

*This program was previously BF1940 which awarded the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art degree. Pending Board of Trustees approval (anticipated June 2024), the new program code will be BF1981 and will award the Bachelor of Fine Arts effective the 2024-25 catalog year.

Tutorials/Courses/Thesis

Students are required to take one tutorial per semester. Tutorials encompass a diverse range of subjects including: practical training; scholarly research, whether in the School of Art, College of Fine Arts, or the University; and professional experience. The tutorials in the first year are designed to compliment and intensify foundations level classes, providing a more in-depth experience of this fundamental coursework. Designed in collaboration with the Director of Studies, second and third year tutorials may compliment studio coursework, addresses a topic of relevance to the student’s concentration, or explore pertinent areas of creative and scholarly research. In the third year, students begin research on a studio topic that will culminate in the fourth year as the thesis exhibition and paper. In the spring semester of the third year, students submit a proposal for the thesis. In the fourth year, students pursue their specialization in depth, developing a body of work for exhibition and producing a written thesis based on original research that relates to their artistic interests.

Admissions Information

Freshman/First-Year Admission

Applicants are selected on the basis of superior academic ability, artistic talent as evidenced by the portfolio, and the potential for self-motivated study and research. Applicants typically are required to submit additional essays, and an interview with the director of studies is required for admission. More information, including materials and deadlines, is available at www.ohio.edu/honors/tutorial-college/apply. Applicants should also submit two letters of recommenadation from teachers.

Portfolios must include documentation of 15-20 works that ideally represent an area of focus as well as examples of broad-based talent. At least three mediums should be included in the portfolio and may encompass drawing, painting, photography, graphic design, sculpture, ceramics, and media-based work.

Applicants must submit an initial portfolio in electronic format for review with their HTC application: 20 jpegs sized at 72 dpi, no bigger than 8.5″ x 11″ each (612 pixels by 792 pixels). Each jpeg should be labeled with the applicant’s name and number that corresponds to a document that lists the works with information about medium and dimensions. For example: Jane_Smith_01, Jane_Smith_02, etc. If selected for an interview, applicants are required to bring a portfolio that includes the work represented in the application. 

Change of Program Policy

First-year students at Ohio University may apply to transfer into the studio art B.F.A. tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. 

External Transfer Admission

First-year students at another institution may apply to transfer into the studio art B.F.A. tutorial program and the Honors Tutorial College. These students must meet the same entrance requirements as entering freshmen. 

Opportunities Upon Graduation

Graduates of the HTC program in studio art B.F.A. who are rigorous about the completion of the degree requirements are well prepared for graduate study. They will produce significant and high quality portfolios for applications to respected M.F.A. programs.

Requirements