Bachelor of Arts - BA in Art University of Massachusetts Boston

The UMass Boston Art & Art History Department offers a general major in art, leading to a BA. The faculty of the Art & Art History Department includes both scholars and professional artists, and the curriculum aims to combine their differing approaches to visual experience. The creative/studio curriculum provides a sound basis in the creative process, visual thinking, and certain technical skills. Courses in Art History explore the aesthetic attributes of art objects contextualized in history, culture, and religion. Students may elect to focus their studies in art history or in the studio, or they may choose to balance the two.

As part of the UMass system, UMass Boston combines a small-college experience with the vast resources of a major research university. Students easily interact with professors with a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio because most teaching occurs in small class sizes. Ninety-three percent of full-time faculty hold the highest degree in their fields.

UMass Boston’s academic excellence is reflected by a student body of 15,989 undergraduate and graduate students. In the fall of 2019, the university’s nine colleges and schools offered 79 undergraduate programs (bachelor’s degrees, undergraduate certificates, post-baccalaureate certificates) and 114 graduate programs (master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, graduate certificates, CAGS, and post-master’s certificates).

The Honors College serves 692 students who thrive on intellectual challenges. Enriched courses probe more deeply into theory or venture further into the application. UMass Boston’s diverse student body provides a global context for student learning, and its location in a major U.S. city provides connections to employers in industries such as finance, health care, technology, service, and education, offering students opportunities to gain valuable in-school experience via internships, clinical, and other career-related placements.

More than 100 student organizations offer a rich campus life, including clubs, literary magazines, newspapers, radio stations, art galleries, and 16 NCAA Division III sports teams. Students live throughout Greater Boston and in apartment communities just steps from the campus and enjoy the rich amenities, cultural attractions, and educational opportunities that make the city the biggest and best college town in the nation.