<Faculty of Fine Arts

Undergraduate Degree Programs

The Faculty of Fine Arts believes in an interdisciplinary education integrated with pre-professional and professional work in the arts. The curriculum is designed to acquaint students with contemporary knowledge in the humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences, as well as in the fine arts. In all programs, students pursue both theory and practice in the arts, in one or more fields, according to their artistic and scholarly needs and abilities.

The Faculty of Fine Arts offers four undergraduate degrees: the BA, the Honours BA, the Honours BFA, and, in partnership with Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, the Honours BDes. In general, students who concentrate in fine arts history, theory and/or criticism graduate with either a BA or BA Honours degree, and students concentrating in studio, performance and/or production work graduate with a BFA Honours or BDes Honours degree. Upon admission to the Faculty, students select a degree program which may be changed during subsequent registration periods with the approval of the related department.

Specialized Honours Program

The Specialized Honours program is designed for students who wish to concentrate in a particular discipline within a university context and obtain an intensive experience in that discipline. Specialized Honours programs are available in dance, design, film, music, theatre and visual arts.

General Honours Program

The General Honours program in Fine Arts Cultural Studies is multidisciplinary, with an emphasis on the study of cultural, critical and historical issues. Students combine studies in the Fine Arts Cultural Studies program with studies in one or more of the other fine arts departments.

BA Program

The BA in fine arts with majors in dance, film, fine arts cultural studies, music, theatre, and visual arts is designed to provide students with a further range of options, including preparation for a number of professional careers such as: creative arts therapy, arts administration, arts journalism, arts marketing, cultural tourism, community arts and cultural management.

Honours Double Major Program

The Honours Double Major program allows students to combine a major in dance, film, fine arts cultural studies, music, theatre or visual arts with a second major offered through the Faculty of Arts. Fine arts students in the Honours Double Major program must satisfy the basic degree requirements of the Faculty of Fine Arts and graduate with either a BA Honours or BFA Honours degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts. Some Honours Double Major combinations may require more than 120 credits.

Honours Major/Minor Program

The Honours Major/Minor program is designed for students who wish to combine a primary concentration in dance, film, fine arts cultural studies, music, theatre or visual arts with a secondary concentration in the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Environmental Studies, the Faculty of Fine Arts, or the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Fine arts students in the Honours Major/Minor program must satisfy the basic degree requirements of the Faculty of Fine Arts and graduate with either a BA Honours or BFA Honours degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts. Some Honours Major/Minor combinations may require more than 120 credits.

Honours Double Major Interdisciplinary BA Program

Fine arts cultural studies or film (cinema and media studies) majors may pursue an Honours Double Major Interdisciplinary BA with a major in communication studies in the Faculty of Arts. Students complete the requirements for the second major within the context of their degree requirements. Please see the Programs of Study section in the Faculty of Arts portion of this calendar for details.

Coregistration in the Faculty of Education

Students registered in the Faculty of Fine Arts may apply for admission to the Concurrent program of the Faculty of Education. Coregistered students work towards the separate degree requirements of both Faculties concurrently and if successful are awarded two degrees: the BA or the Honours BA or the Honours BFA from the Faculty of Fine Arts, and the BEd from the Faculty of Education.

A Faculty of Fine Arts Honours degree which normally takes four years to complete, will take five years when pursued concurrently with the bachelor of education degree. For those students interested in teaching at the primary, junior and intermediate levels, a BA degree and a BEd could be completed in four years. For further information, please consult the Faculty of Education section of this calendar.

Graduate Studies in Fine Arts

York University's Faculty of Graduate Studies offers several programs in fine arts including the master of design, and the MA degree in art history, dance, historical, critical, historical and theoretical studies in film, theatre studies, ethnomusicology and musicology. Programs leading to the MFA degree include film, theatre, and visual arts. It is also possible to obtain the MA or MFA in combination with an MBA degree. A PhD program in Ethnomusicology and Musicology is also available.

Applicants should be aware that application deadlines and admission requirements vary from program to program. For further information, please consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies calendar.