Studio Arts Degree for Transfer

Description

The Associate in Arts in Studio Arts degree for Transfer prepares students to transfer to a four-year institution to further their studies of the practice and production of visual arts. It is the intersection of studio art with general education for transfer to the California State university system (CSU). The Associate in Arts degree for Transfer (AA-T) or the Associate in Science degree for Transfer (AS-T) is granted upon successful completion of a program of study with a minimum of 60 semester units with an overall average grade of “C” or higher.

See Taft College’s Transfer Center. Our Transfer Admission Guarantees include many other schools. Check with your Counselor to see if this degree can transfer to other four-year schools.

Earnings Potential

An associate degree in studio arts for transfer offers you the salary potential of $19,764 two years after graduation from Taft College, with expected increases to $29,974 at five years, based on five-year studies of graduates by California Community Colleges. These do not reflect salaries with a four-year degree.1

Career options are varied. Become a visual catalyst to effect changes in perception through your creative engagement of political and social dynamics; communicate ideas that inspire and inform consumers through graphic design; create special effects or set design and art for media and entertainment; produce independent commissioned work; restore artwork in galleries and museums; or lead others to explore their creative gifts as a teacher.  Craft and fine artists improve their skills through practice and repetition. Career options typically require a minimum of a four-year degree and are in commercial art studios; manufacturing companies; performing arts companies; art galleries; educational institutions; and entertainment and advertising companies, among others. Some careers with wages are provided below.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage is $49,960 for craft and fine artists; $86,220 for special effects artists and animators; $86,240 for postsecondary teachers in art, drama and music; $50,710 for graphic designers; $77,450 for fashion designers; and $69,010 for fine artists including painters, sculptors, and illustrators. Overall employment of craft and fine artists is projected to grow about six percent from 2021 to 2031.2

1 California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Salary Surfer. 2021. https://salarysurfer.cccco.edu. Accessed 19 April 2023.

2 “Occupational Outlook Handbook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 8 Sept. 2022. www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 19 April 2023.

Program Requirements

The following is required for all AA-T or AS-T degrees for transfer to the California State University system.

To earn an Associate in Arts in Studio Arts degree for Transfer (AA-T), students must complete all course requirements with a minimum grade of “C” in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis; and must complete the General Education Breadth pattern for CSU with an overall GPA of 2.0. There are no local graduation requirements associated with this degree.

Additionally, students shall be deemed eligible for transfer into a California State University baccalaureate program when the student meets both of the following requirements:

  1. Completion of a minimum of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following:
    1. The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or the California State University General Education Breadth Requirements.
    2. A minimum of 18 semester units or 27 quarter units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by the community college district.
  2. Obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

Program Learning Outcomes

After completing the Studio Arts degree for Transfer major, a student will be able to:

  1. Create art that engages and builds on historical and contemporary practices, theories, and materials.
  2. Critically analyze and assess diverse historical and contemporary works of art, architecture, and design.
  3. Evaluate and critique their own artwork and receive criticism from others.
  4. Express artistic concepts and intents in written and oral formats.
  5. Present finished artwork for peer and academic review.
  6. Translate concepts and visual experience into images or tactile forms.

Tips for Art, Studio Arts, and Art History Students

Thinking about earning a degree in Studio Art or Art History? Consider visiting a museum in person or online.  See our informative page on more than a dozen outstanding museums. Links included for additional information! Museum list.

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