The Art Department at San Francisco State University is one of the largest in the university and is an integral part of a highly productive College of Creative Arts. The Department's twenty-one full-time faculty of active studio artists and art historians work together to offer a B.A. in Art degree program with about 700 art majors and two smaller graduate programs. These consist of an M.A. in Art with an emphasis in Art History and a Master of Fine Arts in various studio disciplines and inter-disciplines. The Art Department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
The department has many strengths. Among them are the range of diverse emphases in the undergraduate curriculum and a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching and art-making; a large, energetic cosmopolitan student body; an increasingly large core of accomplished alumni from the graduate programs; a widely respected gallery program; a new off-site facility that houses graduate and ceramics students; and a dedication to careful student advisement on the part of the faculty. The work of both undergraduate and graduate studio majors is considered to be very high quality with strong technical training, knowledge of contemporary approaches, and solidly grounded in historical and theoretical concepts. Art History students in both the undergraduate and graduate programs are well trained and often pursue careers related to the field. The Art Education program offers a unique opportunity to learn through community service in El Salvador. Lastly, since its inception, the M.F.A. program has consistently produced strong creative work often with a cross-disciplinary direction.
SF State students in the visual arts have a wide range of opportunities to enjoy, observe, collaborate or interact with faculty and other students working in various forms of the performing and media arts. As part of their academic experiences, art majors are also strongly encouraged to explore the many museums, galleries, other educational institutions and special advantages available to them in the Bay Area.
