JUNEAU Alaska
The University of Alaska Southeast plans to add a bachelor’s degree in art to its curriculum in the spring semester, making it easier for art students to enter graduate programs, university officials said.
“We wanted to be able to offer the most recognizable degree that we could,” said Alice Tersteeg, a UAS art professor. “If they’re interested in going into graduate school, if they’re interested in any sort of job related to art, such as graphic arts, designing, teaching or running a gallery, there are a wide number of classes or jobs that a BA in art will automatically open the doors for you.”
The new program allows 18 more credit hours in art and students will have more room in their schedule to take upper-division courses and tailor their art focus.
“There are students out there who have been waiting for this to happen and who should know about it,” Terzis said.
Students can apply for the bachelor’s degree this semester. Admission will start in the spring.
Also this spring, former Juneau resident John Fehringer will teach three classes in digital fine art as an artist-in-residence. Fehringer has been living for the last 15 years in Seattle, where he makes digital fine art and airbrushing.
“It’s a very exciting opportunity to have an artist of this caliber, who’s done computer graphics for so many years,” Tersteeg said.
Tersteeg and the art department began developing the degree program two years ago, first looking at the structure of art degrees on other campuses.
Tersteeg and the art faculty also talked to students to gauge the popularity of a BA program. Many of the 48 art majors at UAS were receptive, she said.
Information from: Juneau Empire, https://www.juneauempire.com/
–Associated Press
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