Academic Programs Catalog

College of Arts and Letters

Undergraduate Programs

Graduation Requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in the College of Arts and Letters

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate Education section of the catalog.
2. The requirements of the College of Arts and Letters for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree that are listed below:
a. Courses used to satisfy the University Integrative Studies requirement cannot be counted in the fulfillment of any other requirement.
b. The specific requirements, including a capstone experience, of a major leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in the Departments of Art, Art History, and Design, and Theatre.
c. Credit requirement.
(1) At least 30 credits in courses at the 300 level and above.
(2) No more than 9 credits that are used to satisfy the departmental or interdepartmental credit requirement for a primary major, second degree, or additional major in the College of Arts and Letters may also be used to satisfy the departmental or interdepartmental credit requirement for another primary major, second degree, or additional major in the College of Arts and Letters.
d. A minimum grade–point average of 2.00 in courses in the major that count toward the degree. For example, a student with a major in Studio Art must earn a minimum grade–point average of 2.00 in the Studio Art courses that count toward the degree.
e. Experiential Education requirement:
(1) Students must earn a minimum of 3 credits in one of the following experiential education options through an associated course approved by the College. Students may complete the requirement in one course of 3 credits or can complete it in two or three courses of 1 or 2 credits. 
(a) Internships (Minimum of 3 credits) - The internship must include a minimum of 3 course credits as part of the experience in order to meet the requirements for the experiential education requirement. The internship may be offered by the College of Arts and Letters, another MSU College, or another university, if approved for transfer credit by MSU.
(b) Education Abroad (Minimum of 3 credits) - MSU Education Abroad Programs, whether offered by the College of Arts and Letters, another MSU College, or another university, if approved for transfer credit by MSU, meets the experiential education requirement. This includes any MSU course section in the range of 750-769, which are designated for education abroad programs. See: https://msueducationabroad.via-trm.com/visitor-programs-v2
(c) Study Away (Minimum of 3 credits) - MSU Study Away Programs (internships and courses that take place within the United States) whether offered by the College of Arts and Letters, another MSU College, or another university, if approved for transfer credit by MSU, meets the experiential education requirement. This includes any MSU course section in the range of 701-710, which are designated for study away programs. See: https://excelnetwork.cal.msu.edu/study-abroad/, or https://socialscience.msu.edu/undergraduate/experiential-learning/study-away.html.
(d) Service/Community Engaged Learning Experiences (Minimum of 3 credits) - MSU Service/Community Engaged Learning Experiences whether offered by the College of Arts and Letters, another MSU College, or another university, if approved for transfer credit by MSU, meets the experiential education requirement. See: https://communityengagedlearning.msu.edu/students.
(e) For Credit Research or Creative Projects (Minimum of 3 credits) - An approved undergraduate research or creative projects directed by a faculty member in the form of an independent study or portion of an approved course.
(f) Department Courses (Minimum of 3 credits) - Courses in this list offer a significant experiential component of 50% or more and include experiences outside the traditional classroom environment. They have been approved through a review process by the College Curriculum Committee. See: https://excelnetwork.cal.msu.edu/experiential-education-requirement/.
For questions or to seek approval for a course or program, students should contact their academic advisor. For more information on Internships, Education Abroad, Study Away, and Service/Community Engaged Experiences, see https://excelnetwork.cal.msu.edu/.