BFA Art at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

Fine art as a discipline involves the realization of ideas and the creation of meaning through the production of images, objects, performances and experiences. The program at Ohio State is broad-based, both discipline-intensive and boundary-pushing, a modern laboratory in which students create and explore art and ideas. Art students at Ohio State experiment with material and content through the production, examination and evaluation of the visual arts and gain skills in networking, persuasion and project management.

Faculty: Arts and Sciences | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Freshman year Encountering Contemporary Art Drawing Two-Dimensional Art Three-Dimensional Art Expanded Media Digital Image History of Art Sophomore year Core Art Studio Aesthetics History of Art Portfolio Review Junior year Art Studio Concentration History of Art Senior year Advanced Art Studio Concentration Senior Seminar Senior Exhibition The BFA program concludes with the completion of a participation in a senior project and participation in a group exhibition, complemented by an artist’s statement and contextual information describing their project.

Career pathways

Earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts is the gateway to a career as an artist and provides professional preparation for additional education at the graduate level. Many graduates work in arts administration positions with museums, galleries and public agencies. In addition to working as artists, graduates also find work in fields as varied as law, medicine, architecture and policy.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the Arts and Sciences college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. Admitted students directly enroll as art students within the College of Arts and Sciences. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is the professional major for students seeking careers in the studio arts. A first year Foundation Program is a studio based experience designed to give students breadth across a broad range of materials and concepts.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

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