2024-2025 Catalog

Visual Arts (A.A.)

Associate in Arts

Program Advisor: Lisa Griffith

413-236-4712 • lgriffith@berkshirecc.edu

The Visual Arts concentration in the Fine Arts degree program offers courses comparable to those taken during the first two years at typical professional art schools and in college or university art departments. The program’s flexible design permits students to transfer to both kinds of institutions. There is a strong emphasis on foundation courses, and each student is encouraged in the development of a portfolio. Related majors at the baccalaureate level include art education, art history, art therapy, arts management, commercial art, fashion design, film making, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, painting, photography, sculpture, and textile design.

This is a MassTransfer eligible program.

Degree: Associate in Arts, Fine Arts. Concentration/Option/Track: Visual Arts

Expected Outcomes

Graduates of this program should be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the visual vocabulary of art forms and techniques;
  • Demonstrate with confidence an ability to solve artistic problems during the process of creating art;
  • Develop an artistic style that demonstrates creativity and the personality of the artist;
  • Demonstrate an ability to articulate and write about art projects that they are executing; and
  • Demonstrate a general knowledge of contemporary art history, both at a conceptual level and in the context of creating one’s own art work.

Graduation Requirements

To earn a degree in this program, a student must complete all program and general education credits, plus the following Additional Requirements.

Program Courses

FAS-103Printmaking I

3

FAS-111Drawing I

3

FAS-120Drawing II

3

FAS-123Two-Dimensional Design I

3

FAS-124Three-Dimensional Design I

3

FAS-163Two-Dimensional Design II

3

FAS-171Pre-Renaissance Art History

3

FAS-172Renaissance to Modern Art History

3

FAS-210Fundamentals of Painting

3

FAS-225Figure Drawing

3

FAS-242Digital Art

3

FAS -
Specialized Elective: FAS, THR or MUS

3

Total Credit Hours:36

General Education Courses

ENG-
English Composition/Writing

6

-
Behavioral & Social Science

3

-
History

6

MAT-
Mathematics

3

-
Natural or Physical Science

7

Total Credit Hours:25

History : See footnote 1
Natural or Physical Science : See footnote 2

Additional Requirements

Core Competencies Portfolio 4 items
FORUM 4 units
Health/Fitness 30 hours

Minimum Cumulative Average

Overall 2.000
All required FAS courses 2.000

Suggested Pathway to Graduation

The following is a suggestion for completing this program in two years. The actual time needed to complete the program will vary according to each student’s individual needs.

First Semester

FAS-111Drawing I

3

FAS-123Two-Dimensional Design I

3

FAS-124Three-Dimensional Design I

3

ENG-
English Composition/Writing

3

FAS-171Pre-Renaissance Art History

3

Total Credit Hours:15
 

Second Semester

FAS-120Drawing II

3

FAS-163Two-Dimensional Design II

3

FAS-172Renaissance to Modern Art History

3

ENG-
English Composition/Writing

3

MAT-
Mathematics

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Third Semester

FAS-103Printmaking I

3

FAS-210Fundamentals of Painting

3

FAS-242Digital Art

3

HIS-
History

3

-
Natural or Physical Science

4

Total Credit Hours:16

History : See footnote 1
Natural or Physical Science : See footnote 2

Fourth Semester

FAS-225Figure Drawing

3

FAS -
Specialized Elective: FAS, THR or MUS

3

-
Behavioral & Social Science

3

HIS-
History

3

-
Natural or Physical Science

3

Total Credit Hours:15

History : See footnote 1
Natural or Physical Science : See footnote 2

Footnotes

  1. History courses must have “HI” designation.
  2. The Natural or Physical Science requirement must be fulfilled by one 4-credit laboratory science and one 3-credit non-laboratory science or by two 4-credit laboratory sciences. Completion of an environmentally focused laboratory science course, such as BIO-109, BIO-110, ENV-101 and ENV-102, fulfills both the Natural/Physical science requirement and the Environmental Studies requirement.