Students focusing in the Arts are trained to use the creative side of their brain, which enhances their symbiotic thinking capabilities, their oral and written communication skills, their critical thinking capacity, and their ability to kick-start a new idea and bring it to fruition. They are well prepared for careers in the Visual, Musical, and Theatre Arts, as well as other career paths and occupations. Students focusing in the Arts also gain a strong sense of personal and social responsibility preparing them to deal with the complexities of today’s workplace and world.
Students not ready to declare a specific major can choose to be in Exploratory Art until they have decided on a specific art major. Descriptions of each major can be found below. Click the button below to view the Exploratory Arts Program Map.
Exploratory Arts Program MapMajor Exploration Resources
There are two ways to view degree requirements for our majors:
- Georgia Southern’s Academic Catalog
- Curriculum Sheets or Program Maps, which allow you to track your progress as you complete degree requirements
Students can discuss major exploration with their academic advisor, and our Office of Career & Professional Development also has many resources to assist students with Major and Career Exploration.
Arts Focus Area Majors
Art, BA
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) is an undergraduate degree in the context of the liberal arts. Undergraduate students select one of two concentrations: Studio Art or Art History, and have a unique opportunity to combine their major concentration with a minor field of study. The BA degree uses the standards of the National Association for Schools of Art and Design for the respective concentrations.
Campus: Statesboro, Armstrong
Department’s Website: Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art
Art, BFA
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) can choose between a concentration in Studio Art & Animation or Art Education. The Studio Art and Animation concentrations allow students to select a sequence of upper-level studio experiences and Art History courses to personalize discipline-specific mastery and/or interdisciplinary professional practice. The Art Education concentration equips students to become model teachers to meet the evolving needs of educational environments in the arts, humanities, and sciences.
Campus: Statesboro, Armstrong
Department’s Website: Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art
Graphic Design, BFA
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design prepares students to conceive and design visual communications and systems within a rapidly evolving technological context by providing skills to critically analyze design problems through comprehensive research and arrive at creative solutions using functional knowledge of professional design practices and processes.
Campus: Statesboro
Department’s Website: Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art
Music, BA
The Bachelor of Arts students have limited specific courses that they must take, allowing them to follow their interests in music history and theory, performance, composition, technology, and more. Students may pursue the General Degree or declare a concentration in Music Industry (the Music Industry concentration is specific to the Armstrong campus).
Campus: Statesboro, Armstrong
Department’s Website: Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
Music, BM
Students pursuing the BM in Music will not only learn fundamental skills and knowledge of music theory, but will also choose an area of concentration. Options include: Composition, Music Education (with a specialization in Choral Music or Instrumental Music), or Performance (with a specialization in Instrumental, Piano, or Vocal Performance).
Campus: Statesboro
Department’s Website: Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
Theatre, BA
Theatre majors are involved in the full production experience and become well-rounded theatre artists. Students in this program have opportunities in acting, design, dramaturgy, theatre-focused research and criticism, production management, technology, musical theatre, and video production.
Campus: Statesboro
Department’s Website: Department of Communication Arts