Associate in Fine Arts (Art Emphasis) - ART.AFA

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 technical, creative, and critical thinking skills and prepares you for transfer to a four-year institution.

Program Learning Objectives

1. Demonstrate proficiency in using a variety of tools and media to create visual arts
2. Recognize time periods and styles of historical artwork and utilize proper terminology relating to artwork and art history
3. Demonstrate technical ability and craftsmanship in creating artwork
4. Analyze and critique artwork in a formal setting
5. Demonstrate awareness of fundamental visual elements and principles of design and apply these to studio practice
6. Articulate and practice health and safety procedures in the studio

Explore the vast possibilities of fine art through rich and wide-ranging experiences in L&C’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 at L&C, 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. As a Fine Arts student, you will also have the opportunity to submit your artwork to the annual L&C Juried Student Art Exhibition, which is professionally installed in the Hatheway Cultural Center each spring, and to showcase your artwork at formal exhibitions across the region.

By completing your AFA degree at L&C, 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 all of your L&C credits are guaranteed to transfer.