The Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree is designed to complete the lower-division (freshman and sophomore) portion of a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree. Baccalaureate degree programs in the fine arts are highly structured and require many sequential courses in the major field at the lower division. In order to take courses similar to those of freshman and sophomore students at a university, some general education courses are postponed to the junior and senior years. Even though the AFA degree does not contain the entire IAI General Education Core Curriculum (GECC), students who transfer, having earned a minimum of 30 semester credit hours of college level coursework, have the option of completing the IAI GECC requirements or the receiving institution’s lower-division general education requirements.
To transfer as a junior into either a B.F.A. program or B.A. program with a major in Art, students should enroll in the A.F.A. program (described below) in consultation with an art department advisor. Transfer admission is competitive and most institutions require a portfolio review for admission to a B.F.A. program, for registration in advanced studio art courses, and/or for scholarship consideration. Community college students are strongly encouraged to complete the A.F.A. degree before transferring.
The AFA in Art program expands your creative and critical thinking skills and prepares you for transfer to a four-year institution.
Explore the vast possibilities of fine art through rich and wide-ranging experiences in LC’s Art department as you pursue an Associate of Fine Arts degree. Our program offers foundational courses in studio art as well as informative and insightful courses in the visual arts, history of art, and non-Western art. When you become an AFA major you will have the opportunity to work with highly experienced professional artists as your instructors in hands-on studio courses that include basic design, drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, and three-dimensional design. You will also have the chance to submit your artwork to the annual juried Lewis and Clark Student Art Exhibition.
By completing your AFA degree at Lewis and Clark, you will have the fundamental skills and knowledge in studio art to successfully transfer to a four-year BA or BFA program, and at a much lower cost than if you started at a four-year college or university! We also have a 2+2 agreement with Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, which means that - should you choose to apply there - all of your LC credits are guaranteed to transfer.
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